5 Chinese fashion designers, established and emerging, who you need to know
Alongside the likes of Guo Pei and Uma Wang are younger talents, such as Huishan Zhang, and others, such as Helen Lee, with mature lines at home but who now seek a wider market
China’s economic rise has had a huge impact on its creative industries. Fashion brands big and small are vying for a share of a lucrative market, and fashion talent is competing for attention within the country and beyond.
Legions of Chinese fashion students are graduating from universities in China and overseas institutions, such as the Parsons School of Design in New York and London’s Central Saint Martins, to join the ranks of established designers, some of them still young themselves.
With competition fierce, it can be hard to spot the ones with staying power and those destined to fall by the wayside. Still, as the fledgling Chinese fashion industry matures, there are several designers who have made a name for themselves and will last the course. Here, in no particular order, are five Chinese designers whose names you need to know.
Uma Wang
She’s been in business for more than 20 years and, since launching her own label in 2005, has built a cult following in China and Europe. Quiet and poised, and usually dressed all in black, Wang has earned a loyal following for her designs with their long, loose silhouettes. Wang works with Italian mills to produce many of her unique textured fabrics. She is a regular at Milan Fashion Week, showing collections that are once edgy and romantic.