Which Fall 2012 Collections were Made in China?
Edited by Jessica Lapidos
Probably more than we could begin to count, much of fashion is being sourced in China; it’s that sweet sweet price that keeps bringing us back. But now designers are taking something completely different and free from the Chinese: Inspiration. There’s a turn toward the orient that is translating in a traditional manner. Gilded birds glide down Dries Van Noten and Proenza Schouler garments, referencing Song Dynasty’s luxurious governmental garb. Marni dipped a toe into splashes of mod Chinese red, but stepped full foot into kabuki shoes that translated the collection into Mandarin. Josie Natori may take the prize for who took the theme most literally, with obi belts, Mandarin collars and a feathered fan. Meanwhile, Jason Wu twisted his own heritage into Maoist jackets and looks that lean toward what Americans in the 1930s thought Chinese clothing was like. Ironically, most of these designers produce locally.
