The Chinese New Wave changing the perception of Made in China

The Chinese New Wave changing the perception of Made in China

Collater.al Contributors · 5 years ago · Style

Despite of its global impact, we are used to follow the fashion system under the spotlight of big cities like New York, London, Milan and Paris. Other capitals are slowly joining the fashion calendar and, among these, Shanghai, cradle of some new talents whose design could have never prevented from catching our attention.

The role of China within the fashion industry is gaining more and more significance: on one side, Chinese consumers are attributed with 75% of the global luxury market growth, on the other, a new generation of designers, operating in and out of the motherland, is establishing a style that hardly goes unnoticed. If China gives birth to many talents of the industry, few are the ones that chose their own country as a base for their artistic and professional training. The majority of international students in schools like New York Parsons, or London Central Saint Martins, are Chinese. Over 120 designers on NYFW calendar are Chinese. The reasons behind this phenomenon refer back to Chinese protectionist policies which, having prescribed the censorship of some of the contents coming from the west and the use of many social media channels, make it harder to communicate with countries where fashion is on the lead. In response to this, from 2001, Shanghai Fashion Week is one of the last ones on the calendar and hosts many of those talents that, despite having studied elsewhere, come back on the runway of their own country of origin. Accompanying the official schedule, Labelhood, an festival of art and fashion dedicated to homegrown talents.

La New Wave cinese cambia la percezione del made in china | Collater.al 1

Familiar with the names of Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, Derek Lam or Vera Wang, Chinese-American designers for whom their culture of origin has never been a central inspirational vocation, today we acknowledge a new generation of designers that, in an ever-globalizing world, reaffirm their own heritage through their collections. Is it the dominant influence gained within international market or the desire of exploring personal identity that determined this shift in direction? If until recently Chinese consumers tended to invest on western brands, today, the growing desire to feel represented and the development of their market determined the propensity towards local designers over international ones. Designers, in their turn, claim a certain sense of pride and confidence, declaring as a starting point of their creative process their culture of origin.

Here follow the profiles of some of the designers changing the perception of Made in China once for all.

Angel Chen

La New Wave cinese cambia la percezione del made in china | Collater.al 2

Born in Shenzeng and relocated to London at the age of seventeen, Angel Chen is one of the pioneers in China’s repositioning within the fashion industry. Right after having graduated from Central Saint Martins, class 2014, she launched her own eponymous label that showed at Shanghai Fashion Week on the same year. Her collections alternate elements belonging to the streetwear world to regional characteristics of Chinese craftmanship. With a colorful aesthetic and a singular way to match materials, her work’s main inspiration source remains the world of youth culture. In spite of her stable presence at Shanghai Fashion Week, Angel Chen presents her collections in western countries first. For three consecutive seasons in she showed Milan, while this year in New York, as part of the Tmall China day. Her SS19 collection is inspired to Madame Ching, legendary pirate lived during Qing and Ming dynasty.

 

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Un post condiviso da Angel Chen (@angelchenstudio) in data:

Marrknull

La New Wave cinese cambia la percezione del made in china | Collater.al 5

Marrknull was launched in Bejing in 2015 by the creative duo of Tim Shi and Wang Wei. Their aesthetics evolve around the commonplaces of Chinese popular culture. Last collection’s mains inspiration sources were China’s social landscapes and “real” people’s behavior within this context. Designers are fascinated by the way these characters dress and behave and they captured them in the act of taking pictures or selfies with the iconic metal stick in a campaign resembling Martin Parr’s style. Through an innovative way of deconstructing male silhouettes, attention to structural changes in clothing, and breaking gender limits, Marrknull’s collections take on a multicultural direction. After their debut on the runways of London, Shaghai and New York, this year they’ve been selected winners of VFILES runway show in New York.

 

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Xander Zhou

La New Wave cinese cambia la percezione del made in china | Collater.al 4

Xander Zhou is Beijing’s young designer specialized in menswear apparel. His education began in his hometown with industrial design studies, to then develop his fashion education in the Netherlands. A character with an eclectic personality who identifies as his main style icon his mother with her hundred pairs of high heels. His starting point is the fabric and the way this relates to male silhouettes. His ability consists in creating a bridge connecting eastern and western culture. Protagonists of his last collection are in fact typical mandarin costumes collars, embroidered silk shirts and coats, Chinese dragons and ideograms, but also cargo pants and workwear.

 

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Un post condiviso da Xander Zhou (@xanderzhou) in data:

Text By Enrica Miller

The Chinese New Wave changing the perception of Made in China
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Wasted Youth by Federico Hurth

Wasted Youth by Federico Hurth

Giorgia Massari · 2 months ago · Photography

In an era characterized by the uncontrollable proliferation of digital images, selfies, and the widespread use of filters that distort the perception of the contemporary world, photographer Federico Hurth captures an authentic portrait of youth, but one that is burnt out. His project, titled Wasted Youth, is a true reportage, or as Federico himself describes it, «a personal photographic diary in which I collect snapshots of carefree moments.» His strictly analog shots depict faces, bodies, and situations, always following «a damned, fashionable, artistic, musical aesthetic.» In Federico Hurth’s shots, the melancholy and inner rebellion of a generation emerge. Some of the shots from the project, which Federico has been working on since 2021, will be exhibited at the Doppia V Gallery in Lugano from October 20th to November 17th, in an exhibition curated by Francesca Bernasconi.

Federico Hurth’s photographs are devoid of any post-production manipulation, «if a photo has a flaw, I keep it that way. Precisely to maximize the authenticity of the moment,» the photographer tells us. Wasted Youth offers a glimpse into fragments of youthful lives lived intensely but, at the same time, in a way that may seem “wasted,” in line with the title of his project. The aesthetic, which oscillates between the glitter of glamour and the darkness of decay, reflects the complexity and uncertainty that the contemporary context offers to young people, who are at the mercy of looming precariousness.

In conclusion, quoting the words of curator Francesca Bernasconi, «Federico Hurth’s photographs are characterized by an intriguing immediacy and an instinctive and decisive formal exploration, strongly linked to the revolutionary aesthetics that emerged in the 1990s through the work of a generation of photographers, often, like Hurth, straddling the worlds of fashion and alternative artistic scenes.»

Courtesy Federico Hurth

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Daniel Obasi’s Vision of Africa in Lavazza’s New Calendar

Daniel Obasi’s Vision of Africa in Lavazza’s New Calendar

Anna Frattini · 1 month ago · Photography

We attended the unveiling of Lavazza’s new calendar, a project that takes us into an uncharted Africa, brimming with energy, experimentation, and a forward-looking spirit influenced by its culture and the diverse communities that inhabit it. Three photographers collaborated on this year’s calendar: Thandiwe Muriu from Kenya, Aart Verrips from South Africa, and the latest addition, Daniel Obasi, whom we had the privilege to interview. The theme of Africa as the birthplace of coffee remains strong, linked to the Giuseppe and Pericle Lavazza Onlus Foundation, founded in 2004 and now involved in thirty-three projects across three continents. With Nigerian roots and a holistic approach to photography, Daniel Obasi is a creative talent who seamlessly blends fashion styling, cinema, photography, and art direction to create captivating and distinctly African narratives. Here’s our interview with him.

How did you first get into photography?
I started photography because of my background in design, and for a while, I also dabbled in fashion styling. That’s when I got into photography. Additionally, I had an eye for certain subjects, and the practice of photography attracted me in a unique way. Working with other people was often challenging for me, so I decided to learn how to take photos on my own to share my exact vision with the world. For me, it’s more about a concept and an idea, which is at the core of my holistic approach to creativity.

How do you manage to blend art direction, fashion photography, and your work as a director?
By approaching each practice in a holistic way and considering them as one, it’s easier to navigate. I don’t think of them as separate components but rather focus on the end goal.

How do you apply Afrocentrism to fashion photography? Can it be seen as the primary vehicle for promoting messages of inclusivity and cultural appreciation?
Absolutely. The concept of Afrocentrism and photography go hand in hand, and in this context, we can also recognize fashion as an art form. Moreover, you can see how it’s all connected to a certain cultural background. There’s also another aspect that brings a bit of your history into it. Of course, it’s not what’s needed in every shot, but in some cases, it gives you a good idea of the process behind the photos I take.

How did you accept the commission for Lavazza’s calendar project?
On an ordinary day, I received an email from Lavazza’s team. I waited for a week and then decided to propose the concept of working together, of unity. Everything started from the photos that depicted the young people together on the beach. I’m a big fan of simplicity, and sometimes the most astonishing images come from the simplest ideas. These images, which centralize the theme, are, in my opinion, the most powerful because beneath all those layers, the simple idea of working as one shines through.

What are your primary sources of inspiration in photography, cinema, and fashion?
My inspiration always changes depending on where I am. Currently, I’m more interested in architecture and composition, so I’m trying to improve the way I use space. I’m studying Bauhaus, Gothic architecture, and the movement. Additionally, choreography and contemporary dance – actually, all forms of dance – are a significant source of inspiration for me. Love, the idea of being loved, losing love, and being in love also fascinates me greatly at this moment.

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Baran’s emotional portraits

Baran’s emotional portraits

Collater.al Contributors · 1 month ago · Photography

Click when words fail is the name that the photographer Baran uses on social media and on her website. This phrase says a lot about her and her research. Words are often unable to return an emotion, communicate a feeling, or express it in the right terms. A photograph can do that. This happens to Mah (Baran) Mohammadasghari, a young Iranian photographer who immigrated to Canada, who begins to photograph as a therapeutic act. Her photographs, also published on Photo Vogue, are an authentic emotional and personal portrait. Her story and pain are reflected in every shot, whether it’s a self-portrait or a street photo. «I imagine my emotions and stories in a photographic way» says Baran that with her photographs she is able to convey human vulnerability and fragility.

Below each post of Baran, the photographer leaves a description always touching. A visual and narrative story of an emotion and it does so in a totally intimate and without filters. We had the pleasure of talking with her on the occasion of the exhibition Collater.al Photography held last September at the Fondazione Matalon in Milan. The story that communicates with the shot on display is emblematic of her photographic research. «This shot is part of a self-portrait project called Bereavement, which I started after my mother’s death five months ago. In this photo I am with my cat, Toranj, who has been with me for 14 years.» Baran tells us, «I adopted her when I was in Iran and she also immigrated to Canada with me. We spend a lot of time together, as in this photo, especially when I don’t feel good emotionally and she understands it perfectly and is with me as much as I want.» The loss of her mother and the pain she suffered are recurring in Baran’s shots, as in my mom is back as a bird – the shot published by Vogue – which tells the moment when “she saw her mother fly away from the window“. «I saw her flying out of the window… forever… and I died… forever… It was 3 AM or 2 AM… I do not really recall… two days ago … or three … well feels like… 2 million years ago in my scattered heart…»

Scatto in mostra a Collater.al Photography 2023
 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Mah (Baran) Mohammadasghari (@clickwhenwordsfail)

Courtesy Baran

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Fashion Photography According to Cindy Sherman

Fashion Photography According to Cindy Sherman

Anna Frattini · 1 month ago · Photography, Style

In Hamburg, there is an exhibition dedicated to Cindy Sherman‘s relationship with the world of fashion, titled ANTI-FASHION. The exhibition is taking place at the Falckenberg Collection, specifically at the Deichtor Hallen Internationale Kunst und Fotografie Hamburg. This exhibition traces the career and commissions of the American photographer by major brands and magazines. Chanel and Stella McCartney are just two of the brands that, along with some industry magazines, have commissioned Cindy Sherman for some of the photographs on display.

cindy sherman
 Untitled #462, 2007/2008 Private Collection Europe

The impressions created by Sherman in her photographs are far from glamorous, sexy, or elegant. Her work features subjects that are not traditionally desirable, and it certainly goes against the grain. Sherman uses fashion photography as a starting point to closely examine themes such as sex, gender, and age, demonstrating, but not limited to, these topics. Through the multitude of characters she portrays, Cindy Sherman shows us how the concept of identity is ever-changing and constantly evolving. In the accompanying critical text for the exhibition, the concept of (self-)constructed identity is discussed, which is a fluid concept that continues to challenge us even today.

cindy sherman
Untitled #602, 2019 Gilles Renaud Collection

There are numerous national and international contributions to this exhibition, the first dedicated to fashion in Cindy Sherman’s photographs. It includes 50 photographs from five decades of her career. ANTI-FASHION, curated by Alessandra Nappo, offers a unique opportunity to discover an unexpected aspect of Cindy Sherman, unveiling the influences and inspirations that the photographer has brought to the fashion world and how this influence continues to inspire entire generations of photographers.

cindy sherman
 Untitled #133, 1984 Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

The exhibition will remain open until March 3, 2024. Here you can find more informations on ANTI-FASHION.

ph. © Cindy Sherman

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