Made in China: Lanehouse Apparel

Today, I’m so happy to show you this Shanghai design group: Lanehouse Apparel! When I was mucking around on instagram late last year I did heaps of Shanghai based searching, and found the Lanehouse Apparel insta feed! Early this year, I saw some people wearing the ‘HAI’ hats around town and I was like: SO GOOD. And it wasn’t until the Spotlight Market I went to in September that I got to meet Jussara & Shauna and pretty much jumped up and down with happiness because they’re awesome people with a great strong look brand. Before I leave Shanghai, I plan to fill my suitcases, because the street style is very Shanghai, the simplicity of their design is classic but modern and frankly, I need to get a little more street. I do wear yellow Skechers after all. And gold laced Nikes occasionally. I could wear a cap too right?!

HAHA, so in following along my Made in China blog post series, where I have a little question & answer back and forth about great design, made in China, without the stereotypical plastic vibe (Have you noticed your Christmas Decorations at the shops this year at all?)… it’s all about original, new and Made in China, and (hopefully) something that YOU may not have seen before. Today you’ll hear from Jussara Bierman (below, left) who runs Lanehouse Apparel along with Shauna Upton:

How did Lanehouse Apparel begin?

Lanehouse Apparel began out of frustration of not being able to find any quality Shanghai clothing and accessories to gift to friends back home. I wanted to created a range of clothing that mapped out Shanghai’s former French Concession, and from there our initial range was designed. Adrian provided the backing to get the range started, and Shauna and I have driven the vision and style of the brand, and created our online and physical presence.

What was your first piece of clothing or hat?

Our first piece of clothing was a t-shirt. I had designed a (former) French Concession crest that we placed on the t-shirt, and from there the other items grew.

Where do you get your inspiration? Materials? Fashion trends?

As a Kiwi, New Zealand is in opposite seasons to China so I watch trends there closely to see what might be popular for Shanghai’s coming season. Some items haven’t been as popular here as they are in NZ (e.g. 5-panel hats) but I believe this is largely due to a gap in local the streetwear/urban-wear market in Shanghai and lack of uptake of trends in these clothing styles.

How do you settle on style, or vibe, of your collection, it’s such a true look, in my opinion!

As a small brand, money is always a key issue. Because we are self funding, we need to be fairly sure that the items we end up producing are items that will sell. Initially I will create a theme (e.g. The French Concession, The Hai’Life) and design a full range of items, then ask friends and online fans to give us feedback on the mock-ups. This gives us a good guide to the styles of clothing and hats, and which designs will (hopefully) sell. Usually, the most simple of designs are the most popular - we have a lot of cool designs that will never see the light of day!

I love your photos, especially on instagram! They're very fun! How do you style them and put them together?

We are keen to have as much user generated contented as possible on our Instagram and Facebook accounts. Our brand is about building the story of life in Shanghai, and much of this is about the people you meet during your time here. We have recently launched our online magazine, “The Hai Flyer” to further tell these stories and give other expats a platform in which to launch their experiences, style, and loves (or frustrations) of living in Shanghai.

(I especially love Shauna's piece in the Hai Flyer '10 Things You Realise After Moving to Shanghai'.)

Jussara, I have a passion to learn where creativity comes from... Do you feel creative? Where does creativity come from? HELP ME (ha ha)

I’d like to think I have always been creative. I started my own graphic design business (now branding agency) whilst studying Architecture at University. I love to draw (not that I get much time to do that living in Shanghai) and now design clothing - not something I ever thought I’d get the chance to do!

Where are you selling your gear? And outside of China?

We sell mainly online or via WeChat, to customers mostly within China. We have learnt the hard way that it is very expensive to ship individual packages outside of China, often losing money to do so. We’d like to build our presence here and open a store on Taobao & WeChat, trying to keep the brand as “foreign” as possible. Our next step is to find retail stockists to continue to build our footprint.

THIS WEEK, Lanehouse Apparel have just started selling on Asos as well, congrats guys!

What are the popular items?

We sell a lot of hats - we sold out of our “Originals” beanie, and have limited numbers left on our Shanghai and Hai’Life snapbacks left. The grey “Originals” sweatshirt has also been extremely popular.

What are your day jobs, how do you spend your time and make a buck?

Shauna and I both work for an independent PR agency, so we have learnt a lot about building a brand in Shanghai!

The term 'Made in China' has got a bad wrap in the western world, mostly showing bad quality, but what's something Made in China that you're amazed by? That you love?

I definitely think China’s quality of production has improved tenfolds (this is somewhat reflected in the higher costs we face). There are a lot of young Chinese entrepreneurs and designers sprouting up who are creating innovative and beautifully designed products - they just need the platforms to promote and be seen/heard on.

What did you think of Shanghai in your first week here?

I’m from Auckland, New Zealand and have been living in Shanghai for almost 4-years. My initial arrival in Shanghai was not a fond memory as I felt overwhelmingly lonely and isolated - I had travelled to China numerous times before I moved here, but nothing could prepare me for being in a non-English speaking city on my own.

What can you do or find in Shanghai that you can't do or find anywhere else?

I believe the pace of life in Shanghai is unmatched. Nowhere have I been yet that has the same vibrancy and life, nor the same feeling of safety (being a younger female). I’m not enjoying the current cold and gloomy weather right now however! From a business perspective, it would be very hard to produce and sell clothing like we can here anywhere else in the world.

Shanghai is a vibrant and safe place to be, and so many inspiring people! Thank you Jussara for sharing the Lanehouse Apparel story with us! I’m always excited to see you in my Instagram feed, and wish you guys a happy winter! BRRRR!

If you’re in Shanghai or China, and have a small business involving art, design, fashion and anything about (my beloved) DIY… please get in touch… veronicadarling@gmail.com and let me know!

xoxo

Made in China: Craft'd Shanghai & Espadrilles

There’s something rewarding about learning a new skill or completing a new project, and while it’s fun to gather up the knowledge & materials yourself and wing it (I do this plenty of times), it’s also great doing it with others face to face. Until I started sewing classes earlier this year… I rarely did face to face classes or workshops. I'd spent years problem solving sewing myself with my vintage patterns, and in sewing the biggest mystery for me was solved when I realised clothing was sewing right sides together! Or inside out! DUR. So here's Mae from Craft'd Shanghai and I grinning about making shoes!

Making espadrilles was something I’d wanted to do, to solve the shoe making mystery… I guess! Plus, the classes were with Craft’d Shanghai and I wanted to hear about another group here in Shanghai helping people be creative. And so, here’s another of my ‘Made in China’ series for you today… where I look at the offbeat & creative side of life in China. Handmaking outside of production line with photos from throughout my class!

So while I took the class with Mae (who came to Shanghai from the Philippines), she works closely with Natalie (a UK export)… who I hope to meet soon… but for now, here’s my questions with them!

How did you guys meet?

Natalie: I had been running crafty events through Meetup for a few months and Mae came along to a decoupage event at Chirps and Mews in Jingan. Mae apparently can’t remember me being at that event, but she came back to every Meetup after that so we got to know each other pretty well!

How did you come around creating the workshops?

Mae: The Meetups were originally started in January 2014 as a way of meeting creative people outside of work and to make time for learning new skills and crafts. Craft’d came about as a business when these events started becoming more popular and we were asked to run creative activities for different events in Shanghai. All of our Meetups were held in very understanding restaurants (we got odd looks when we brought out craft knives, crochet hooks and even saws sometimes!), but we were limited in the type of event we could offer - hence the opening of the Craft’d Studio! This means we can now use the sewing machines, make candles, paint and so much more!

Have you guys always been creative?

Mae: Yes. I grew up with my aunt preparing so many crafty things to do after school and on weekends so being creative was encouraged at home since I was really young.

Natalie: I’ve always loved making things, especially with fabrics, and my mum is a seamstress so I learn a lot from her. But I think it all really took off since discovering Pinterest!!

How easy was it to set up a workshop here in town?

Natalie: I think for us we were lucky to have the Meetup community already built up, as we knew that group of people would be interested in the activities we offered. Plus, nowhere else really offered creative workshops outside of painting and art (which is not at all my strength!), so we got a lot of interest from magazines and events.

What was in the lanehouse before you held workshops there?

Natalie: It was an apartment, but the space seemed perfect for what we wanted, plus the kitchen has been especially helpful!

What are your day jobs in Shanghai?

Mae: We are both kindergarten teachers, I work full time and Natalie works in the morning.

Mae told me there are so many charities and community events your guys are into, can you share some links or point me where I can find out more?

Mae: We have tried to work with charities as much as possible. We ran arts and crafts classes for a migrant school via Stepping Stones last year, which we hope to start again soon. We are also working with the Shanghai based charity The Giving Tree - for every class booked and every kit we sell, we donate a ‘teachers kit’ to be added into their teacher bags, containing things that we as teachers have always found helpful in our own classes (praise stickers, chalk, pens and so on). We also run a monthly class making pillowcase dresses for the charity Dress a Girl Around the World, which has the mission of giving every girl in the world their own dress.

The term 'Made in China' has got a bad wrap in the western world, mostly showing bad quality, but what's something Made in China that you're amazed by? That you love?

Natalie: I love the paper cuttings that are popular here. I would love to find someone here who could teach us how to do that. Also xiaolongbao, am I allowed to mention that?! I looooove them!

What did you think of Shanghai in your first week here?

Mae: I thought it was very bright, very modern and fast-paced. I lived in an island most of my life so it was all very different and very new to me.

What can you do or find in Shanghai that you can't do or find anywhere else?

Natalie: I love that Shanghai has so much potential. Craft’d is really a dream come true that would take a huge amount of time and investment to start up in the UK. The expat community is also very supportive which makes a big difference. It really is a city that gets under your skin - we are in the majority of those who planned on ‘only staying 2 years’!

Thank you Mae & Natalie! I agree, Shanghai has so much potential for everyone and thanks for sharing a little about Craft’d Shanghai with us! There are lots of workshops for adults and children… and as Mae & Natalie have backgrounds in schools, they’ve got a great understanding what children want to make! You can visit their website, or look at their wechat (craftd_sh) or Instagram!

Also, FYI the xiaolongbao Natalie mentions are Shanghai's famous dumplings... and are actually handcrafted little pieces of perfection! So yum!

Made in China: Shibori Workshop at Make in China!

Be prepared for a whole lotta indigo in your face today, for my ‘Made in China’ blog series is about the wonderful women behind ‘Make in China’ and we all made Shibori! My MIC series aims to show you that things made in China are not just plasticy or low quality things… and I am seeking out the high skills of crafts people in Shanghai! This time getting to experience it myself.

Véronique & Amandine together are Make in China, and brought us all together on a sunny Sunday morning in a lane house in Xuhui (AKA the Former French Concession district of Shanghai) for their second workshop. They all learnt macrame for their first official workshop and have lots of other techniques planned for the next term… as with summer holidays starting, everyone has travelled homewards. My friend Liv told me about Make in China & their shibori class… and I wanted to try it out, knowing it would be a messy process and it’s just something to do at home quickly. I loved it, and as usually with learning new skills, I was super excited. I feel so lucky to have the time at the moment here in Shanghai to gather up some new ideas, meet wonderfully creative people and have fun!

Véronique is from Quebec city, Canada and Amandine hails from France and while there were other French students in our workshop, we were also joined by Japanese, Chinese, American and Brazillian students (a lovely way to work with French & English & Japanese being spoken around you!), and our Brazillian friend spoke English with an Australian accent because her partner was from Tasmania! Oh so funny hearing an Aussie accented Brazilian, so gorgeous!

Here’s my Q&A with V&A (awwww, look at how cute their initials are…) below, and all photos are from our morning together:

How did you guys meet?

We have been working together in the communication department of an international school since 2012.

Make in China is only pretty new, how did you come around creating the workshops?

Well, we couldn't find any interesting DIY workshops for adults in Shanghai. Most of what is offered in the city is either for children or for people who are not working during the week. We had also attended one-time workshops in the past but didn't like the fact that most of the time you end up with something unfinished or that you won't use.

With our DIY workshops we wanted to create more like a "creative experience" where you can meet and mingle with other-minded people in a relaxed and fun environment with some nice food and drinks. Because we know that nowadays people don't always have the time and the materials to be crafty at home, all our projects can be completed in 3 hours guaranteed ;) so you are sure to go back home with something beautiful.

Have you guys always been creative?

Véronique: I think so but in different ways through my life. When I was a teenager I was very much into fashion (still am!) and was very creative in the way I dressed. When I arrived in China in 2007, I started a blog and got pretty creative with words. But now I feel the need to spend less time in front of the computer and make something with my hands.

Amandine: To be honest, not really. I would love to but I don't always take the time to do things by myself. I am attracted to creative things, ideas and people though... Make in China allows me to work on my creativity and I enjoy so much seeing the results!

I'm so curious about people's passions and where creativity comes from... do you have any ideas?

Véronique: I believe everybody can be creative if they are inspired. And you simply get inspired by being curious, opening you eyes and looking around you.

Amandine: I think everybody can be creative if they take the time, have inspiration and all the material available. I believe it is easier if you are not alone but surrounded with friends, like what we do in our workshops.

How easy was it to set up a workshop here in town? The building & location was lovely! What is townhouse usually used for?

Finding the right location for launching Make in China was our biggest obstacle. It took a lot of searching! It is not easy to find a place that can be rented by the hour, once a month. The townhouse we have used for our 3 workshops is my friend's English school. Lucky for us, kids don't go to school on Sundays ;) In the future we would love to organize our workshops in different spaces, in order to surprise our regular participants and offer them a completely different experience.

What kind of workshops would you like to run in Shanghai?

Most of art schools in Shanghai focus on common practices like painting and drawing. We want to differentiate ourselves by offering techniques that are trendy right now and that are not usually taught in the city. In March we did a macramé plant hanger workshop and in May and June we worked on a shibori cotton scarf. We announce all our workshops on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MakeinChinaShanghai) and our WeChat account (MakeinChina).

What are your day jobs, how do you spend your time and make a buck?

We both work in a international school... until Make in China becomes our day job!

The term 'Made in China' has got a bad wrap in the western world, mostly showing bad quality, but what's something Made in China that you're amazed by? That you love?

Véronique: Old traditional techniques like lacquerware, Nankeen dyeing and Miao embroidery, especially when they are revisited with a modern twist.

What can you do or find in Shanghai that you can't do or find anywhere else?

An energy and a general enthusiasm to make things happen. Fast.

One more thing from the Make in China team...

We would be thrilled to collaborate with partners in the future. You make the best cupcakes in town? You have a big (and cosy) space available? You are an expert in modern calligraphy? You want to promote your flower shop? You do something cool or you know somebody who knows somebody who does something cool? Let's meet and help each other out! Drop us a line at: makeinchina.sh@gmail.com

Thank you Véronique and Amandine! I loved learning Shibori, and wish you well with Make in China! If you're super into Shibori, I've made a gallery on flickr so you can see all the indigo glory photos!

And I hope you guys also enjoyed reading about these gorgeous woman… who are taking a plunge to try something new in Shanghai! As always, I like to let you know what’s going on here and I paid my own way for the workshop… but afterwards I asked Véronique & Amandine if I could talk about them on my blog. It feels a bit funny writing a disclaimer, but I want you to know when I’m genuinely interested in something, compared to when I’ve been asked my opinion & or when I’ve been invited to something. I’ll be upfront, as I tend to be… and thanks for reading as you tend to do!

Happy week to you xoxo

Made in China: Shanghai Bloggers App

Moving to Shanghai last year has been quite inspiring for me, but also incredibly challenging. Learning a new language, leaving our friends and family and putting my radio career on hold for a bit; these and many other things are all contributing to the ups and downs of our new life in China. There are over 24 million people living in Shanghai, with around 150 000 foreigners (I think around this many in 2011… so maybe more now) and without speaking or reading Hanyu/Mandarin, you can float around in a little English speaking bubble by yourself.

But earlier this year, I started hunting down other bloggers in Shanghai, and came across Line Fricke’s blog Shanghai Habits. I then got in touch after seeing her Instagram post about a Shanghai Blogging Group… and last week, we all joined together to help Line and her project partner Nando Fonseca launch their new project, the Shanghai Bloggers App. My blog, along with many other wonderful local bloggers, are all featured on the app, and there will be many more blogs and features added soon. Personally I have never really joined any blogger meet ups or hang outs in the sewing community or the overall blogging community… in Australia, I didn’t find the extra social time I guess… but here in Shanghai, I feel so happy to be connected to such a great bunch of bloggers in this vibrant city!

Photo Credit: Blank Shanghai and you can see Nando and Line on the far right!

Because I’m really keen to showcase some different & interesting ‘Made in China’ ideas and projects (rather than stereotypes from what we know of that term in the western world), I asked Line and Nando some questions about their app, the blogging society and being in Shanghai… and you’ll see my fascination growing (as it has done since I got to Shanghai) with creative people’s passions and what makes them creative. So it's a different blog post for you this week!

Line, from Denmark, came to Shanghai in 2012 having never been to Asia before and up until a short time ago she worked with corporate events. Nando is from Colombia, and for the last five years has run his own credit company, and he ventured to Shanghai in 2013. Together, they first came up with the idea for the Shanghai Bloggers App after talking over how difficult it was for bloggers to reach readers, and as Nando points out, he saw two main problems, “It was very difficult to find the bloggers in Shanghai, even when I was spending a quite amount of time searching. The second problem was the amount of time it took to read them.” So he began thinking about an easy way to flick through and read blogs on his phone (mobile works best here!), like a reader or Bloglovin’ but just for Shanghai blogs!

Photo Credit: Blank Shanghai


Photo Credit: Blank Shanghai

The app is completely a DIY project for Nando! That’s also one of the reasons it’s a ‘Made in China’ feature this week on my blog! Not only did he learn to code over a period of 6 months, he built the app himself, and discovered it’s not that difficult. WHAT! It’s just like all the wonderful online sewing resources, but for code! He found tutorials and helpful information out there online, which saved a load of money and time. DIY for the win here! They’re both now committed to the Shanghai Bloggers project, and hope to see it become a must-have app on all phones here in Shanghai!

"​I want to see Shanghai Bloggers become a window for the readers to see the city,” says Nando, and for the app to be "the first source of news and information for curious expats that want to explore the city or just want to have fun reading all this amazing stories from our bloggers.” Definitely the personal stories and the variety of blogs that are involved can offer newcomers and travellers a lot more than a tour guide or map-type app. Personally, I went though a lot of apps when I got here, and never really settled on one I liked… many local apps in English are not updated regularly, so you don’t know if businesses are current and things change a lot here in Shanghai, and quickly!

Photo Credit: Blank Shanghai and it's Melissa from The Pursuit of Snackiness

Of the expat community here in town, Line believes sharing information and telling stories is easy! “Everyone loves to share and kind of ‘show’ they are a Shanghai expert in some field. In general the expat community is very kind,” she says. Nando notes, "I have been amazed since I arrived in Shanghai, how the expat community is willing to help each other and share information etc. and how curious we all are about information of the city. With the right tools, and the right people, sharing information in Shanghai can become an easy task.”

Moving to Shanghai has been a whirlwind of information gathering, and there’s so much to take in. I have been swept along with the new-ness of being in the city, but also so inspired by the crazy cross culturalisms, the new and the old surroundings, and the contrast of communism and consumerism (Shanghai is the financial hub of China, but in a communist country). But also, there’s such strong creative vibes here… like any big city, there’s street art, beautiful independent art galleries peppered through downtown and the Former French Concession and massive international art spaces (the Shanghai Biennial was here over wintertime) and I’m sure so much more I haven’t had space or time to discover.

So I asked Line and Nando about creativity, and whether they feel like creative people… Line says "Yes I do. I find it in taking it easy and taking time to appreciate life around us and small moments everyday. My challenge is to express my creativity and ideas - whether its verbal or in design.” and Nando adds, "I consider myself a creative person, but my surroundings helps me a lot. Living in a city full of people with great ideas and new things going on everyday is definitely a source of inspiration."

I think we can feel creative by taking the time to appreciate our lives and what’s around us. No matter where we are in the world, but it certainly helps being in Shanghai for us to get motivated and see how different our lives are here than back in our home countries… or it is for me.

Photo by Blank Shanghai

And here’s a couple of questions that I hope to ask everyone that I talk to about the topic 'Made in China'...

What's something Made in China that you're amazed by? That you love?

LINE: I am absolutely fascinated and a bit obsessed with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Currently studying it every weekend and hope to start blogging and sharing about it to get more western people hooked. It's all about balance, holistic health and long term sustainable solutions in regards to our health - not short-term quick fixes.

NANDO: ​Authentic things made in China, like food!

What can you do or find in Shanghai that you can't do or find anywhere else?

​LINE: Such a mix of ​West vs. East, Old vs. New and Charming vs. disgusting.

NANDO: People full of new ideas and a great expat community. And REAL Hotpot!

Yes, the food in Shanghai is absolutely incredible and I haven’t even eaten hotpot yet!

with Kimberley Tai - from Gre3n

So, today, I want to send a big congratulations and thank you to Line and Nando, for creating their new app and including little old Veronica Darling (now sewing in Shanghai!) and I look forward to connecting with more bloggers and Shanghai locals now! Happy reading and writing to all. *gush*

If you know of anyone visiting Shanghai or moving here, please send them to Shanghai Bloggers for details on the app, and you can find blogs for everyone! There are foodies, photographers, cartoonists, artists, scientists, stylists, fashion lovers and many more… people from all around the world all writing about their passions and life in Shanghai.

Notes: All the photos by Blank Shanghai are by Eric and Gloria, and the photos on my camera with me in them are taken by Combustion SH

I'm part of the Shanghai Bloggers App, but am under no obligation to post about it! I want to share with you things from my life in Shanghai though, but don't fret (if you do fret!) because we all know this is a sewing blog, not a blogging blog!

Meeting other bloggers is fun, why didn't I do this more often earlier!?!

Made in China: A Fabric Market Jacket

Introducing (by popular demand, Heather!) my tailor made, designed by Veronica Darling, purple jacket! And it IS made in China!

If you've travelled through Asian countries before, you may have heard that getting clothing made is often part of the experience. Lots of my friends have brought home suits, dresses and replicated items all at a fraction of the price of store bought stuff... and with the perfect fit.

This is my first tailor-made item, and it was a fairly straight forward experience I'm gathering... We went to the South Bund Fabric Market in Shanghai to try out a wool blend stall that our friend recommended. It's also called the South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market and as things change ALL the time in Shanghai, when I last visited, this one is on the NORTH corner, because over the road (and under the road) there is a newer building (with shiny tiled floors) that's also called the Soft Spinning Material Market... so it's either all the same or not the same. But that's Shanghai... you kind of just never know!

I'd been pinning a few winter jackets through November (my new board - We Live in Shanghai!), and my inspiration was this green jacket:

And I showed this to the stall owner, and for me I wanted those waist pleats and the single zipper as the most important pieces... I am always conscious about my height/bust so wanted to try and stream line and not add any extra bulk to the bust, but accentuate the waist... and I think it's a pretty good replication... but while I emphasised the princess seams to him, the tailor wasn't as keen on the raglan style sleeves... he makes mostly Chanel type jackets (like this pattern that you can sew yourself) so he wasn't keen on straying away from that block/sloper (what is that called? Have to check with my Sewing School Teachers)...

... so you can see the shoulder & sleeve isn't the same as the green jacket:

So there is more fabric on the shoulders than I'd prefer, and on that middle princess piece... But otherwise, it's a fine jacket and certainly is warm! I settled on purple because I got paranoid about what colours suit my newer blond honey/creamy hair (I've stopped updating the platinum and trying to grow my hair longer again) and found the 'Jewel Tones' suit honey blondes... so thought I'd jump in and try purple jewel tone first. LOL I have no idea... I'll research this more soon, but realistically, hair colour & skin tones and everything through to personality tend to drive what colour suits you right?

I had one fitting, and it was made in about a week and half. If you're only visiting Shanghai for a short time, I believe you can get clothing made the same day and I guess they just take all your measurements and are a little more liberal with the finishing details.

My fitting was worth it, the shoulders were massive, the waist was way too big, so they took it in under the arms to keep the flair in the skirt, but I actually wish it was a little more fitted... like my inspiration. BUT, it's a warm jacket but a much warmer jacket with a cardigan or jumper underneath... so maybe I will actually wear it more with that extra warmth. If this was for Melbourne's winter, I would prefer it even more fitted... because this fabric would be warm enough... but in Shanghai, considering I spent most of the winter in my Uniqlo light down puffer jacket, it's much much colder.

So it's not my everyday jacket, more of a night out

How wonderful are these tiles in this coffee shop foyer?! It's Seesaw Coffee in Jingan.

Have you had anything tailor-made instead of YOU-made? 

Fun fact: if I took my Husband's name after we married, I would be Mrs Taylor... that's a LOL we've shared sometimes when I'm in the sewing room. Future blog title!

x

Made in China: Basmat & Chris Chang Collab

Hi guys! I'm really excited to show you my first ‘Made in China’ creative blog post, it's a combined fashion & art launch in Shanghai! Thanks so much for your chit chat last week about the idea, and so here's a very true example of something creative from Shanghai, that you wouldn't expect from China. I was completely giddy (I have been about most ‘grown up’ things in Shanghai, being with a 2 year old mostly all day can do that, plus it’s an extraordinary city) to be invited and spent all evening smiling my head off.

This is my first official fashion launch, and guess what? I have no idea how to write a review of fashion, so I’ll just tell you about it my way. Oh well! Also feel free to point out anything I may have missed… I don’t really know my high end fashion designers so can't do a 'it's kinda like...' 'you can see their inspiration from ... ', but I can show you all my photos, and there’s heaps of clothing photos and COLOUR (woot woot!)! But yes, be warned, there are plenty of photos! 

Look at that pink flower on the green... LUSH.

Now about the artists...

Basmat Levin is a NYC Israeli artist, living in Shanghai, and we met back in October, as our husbands work together. She is so lovely with rich conversations, and when I heard she was doing a collaboration with a fashion designer, I was so intrigued. She mainly creates very large portraits, but there is a great collection of her patterned pieces, some that could be amazing wallpaper or tiles. She has been the muse for designer Chris Chang who trained at the Parsons School of Design (!) and was leading Prada in Taiwan before launching her own clothing label Poesia, for children initially, but now women. And their work together is just very rich and full of personality! Right?

Here's my date Michell with Basmat, and me too!

 And Michell with Chris Chang inside the shop, and me too!!!

And you can see Chris' childrenswear hanging to the right of the photo too! We gushed a little about kids! I'm wearing a handmade (by who else, but me) dress, and it's probably the only lovely dress I brought with me to Shanghai... it was a vintage curtain and part of my Sew Weekly designer challenge in 2011... and I've got to start sewing some more cocktail frocks in case I get invited out more, because I got nothing else in my wardrobe right now!!!

Michell and I marvelled a lot at the colours, and everything felt very luxurious. China LOVES luxury brands... or at least lots of Shanghai shopping centres reflect this. Because it's a communist country though, I have to wonder about who is buying the luxury fashion... but from this launch plenty of women were trying on the clothes!

Seeing all the Poesia collections, I don’t know how to describe the style, but it’s very pop art and full of the big dramatic shapes I see around in Shanghai. Tailored dresses then exaggerate at the hips for skirts and dresses…. or very cocoony and rounded for jackets and tops. Stuff I don’t think suits me with my boobs and hips doing that for me… but who knows. I want to mix up my wardrobe and style a bit while I’m in Shanghai anyways. But other pieces from the other Poesia collections are really interesting, with subdued colours, and less pop craziness.

So, the LOUDness of this Basmat collection is just so unique.

We are so little! Look at the woman to the left, with her massive key outfit!

But from the other collections, this was my favourite... a fitted dress with these wonderfully vintage Chinese woman... just so delicate but strong:

Some fabrics were thick, like scuba or some quilted feels... but others were really gentle and lined to be completely tailored and shaped. There are a lot of drop shoulders and puffy sleeves, and peplums! Peplums are very fashionable for Chinese woman, for many fashionistas are slight and they love the exaggerated curves!

We enjoyed drinks, and conversations with friends and opened our gifts, which are gorgeous Basmat & Chris Chang scarves… Basmat always has a headscarf or an updo, so I feel very artistic wearing mine!

What do you think of all the colour!!!??? Too much, or very exciting?

Already, I can tell this ‘Made in China: creative insights into Shanghai’ series will be just so inspiring, for me, and I’m sure for you. I don’t think we hear about China & it’s modern culture in western media that much. There’s a lot of mystery about it, but I didn’t get much perspective of what the art & fashion scene in China would be like from Australia. From the sewing community out of Asia, Adey’s blog was my only go-to read… maybe I hadn’t researched enough sewing bloggers in this area and it’s hard not speaking or reading Mandarin. But when you think about it… so much of the clothing industry comes from here. I’m not that savvy on Chinese designers, or artists, and so I’m really excited by everything that’s happening here in Shanghai!

And VERY much look forward to bringing you guys some more inspiration!

Talk soon, xoxo