see me through: China and Fashion vol. 1

Many designers have been inspired by China, Japan and East Asia in their collection.

China is such a big country with magnificent cultural and artistic heritage and is impossible not to be fashinated by. In fact, elegant and refined Chinese art has always been apreciated by the European élites that aimed at buying the "Chinoiseries" and the fantastic silk brocades coming from China.

Also Western fashion started to be a little influenced by Oriental mood and now many fashion brands understood the big possibilities that Chinese market can offer and they are trying to attract the millions of new Chinese new riches.

First, among all Italian designer, it was Laura Biagiotti who went to China in 1988 to present a collection in Beijing. Chinese and Italian model were wearing 125 styles inspired by Mandarin culture and mainly created in white and red

Be admitted and show her own collection in China, which recently endend the Maoist era, was a big achievement for the designer.

More recently Fendi got another big success in China and made an historical event. On 2007, october 19, Fendi presented 2008 spring summer collection on China Great Wall. The collection also included dresses designed for the special event, and colours red and black have been largely used to evoke Chinese culture and style.

The number of the models as well was decided accordingly to Chinese culture: 88 girls, both Asian and Western, were walking thorugh the white catwalk. In Chinese tradition, number 88 is a sign of big fortune due to the double circle that compose number eight.

n the occasion, Fendi also make a donation for Great Wall preservation.

Also Chanel presented 2010 prefall collection in Shanghai. Chanel typical design and use of fabrics perfectly match with Mandarin colours (black, red and gold) and shapes. Another big succes for Messieur Lagerfeld who's the stylist both for Chanel and Fendi.