A fashion force by design

German fashion designer Katrin Reinfurt says that young Chinese fashion designers have great potential to become globally well known, and what China needs is a fashion district. 

"International fashion designers are well-known for fine marketing and big shows in fashion centers such as Paris, but it is difficult for Chinese fashion designers to hold fashion shows in Europe, because of the distance and huge costs," she says. 

"The problem in China is that it does not have a gathering place where fashion media, journalists, designers and models can come together and join the marketing process." 

In recent years, many foreign designers and studios have started up in China, especially in big cities. Although the number of foreign designers is quite small, they are popular. 

"Big apparel companies prefer foreign designers to local ones, because foreign designers can raise their products' reputation. They are also better able to grasp fashion trends and are more adept at color coordination," Lan says. 

Because of this, Western designers are very popular in emerging markets including China. 

"However, when it comes to the local market, Chinese designers still have some advantages because they understand local cultures and customers' preferences much better," she says. 

Reinfurt says that Chinese designers look too much to fashion cultures from the West and are short of originality in their own designs. In the long term, he says, Chinese designers should form their own style. 

"Instead of drowning in the other trends, they (Chinese designers) should try to concentrate on their own culture, and find out their own design signatures," Reinfurt says. 

"Fashion design is like a mirror of society. Designers should combine their designs with Chinese culture, learn to express their own identities and dress codes, and reflect what is going on in society." 

Jacky Jin, vice-president of Trends Media Group, a fashion magazine publisher in China, says that there is still a lot of room for improvement for Chinese designers. 

"In the West, fashion designers are not only designers, but also fashion icons who provide ideas and promote fashion styles, such as John Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld," Jin says. "But in China, designers are confined to a certain role." 

Since the 1990s, some Chinese designers have chosen to study in countries known for producing great fashion, such as the United Kingdom, Italy and France. 

Jin says that it is really helpful for them to see different things and open their eyes and minds. 

"These Chinese designers have a thorough understanding of local markets by working or interning in international apparel companies," he says. 

"Armed with advanced management skills and experience, they have great potential to become world-class designers."