Lady sparks interest in home brands

Boost to local fashion industry

Industry insiders are celebrating the recent attention paid to Exception, hoping it will create good fortune for the budding fashion industry.

Angelica Cheung, editorial director of Vogue China, said the buzz will create new opportunities for Chinese labels that are competing with Western counterparts.

On Monday, the clothing and textile sector of China's stock market saw a 0.5-percent rise, bucking an overall downward trend, and over half the stocks in the sector rose, with three climbing by the 10-percent daily limit.

Peng's impact has been described as similar to the "Kate Middleton effect," a term coined after Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton brought attention to British fashion brand Issa after wearing one of its blue gowns to announce her engagement.

"Peng's attire is likely to kick off a domestic-brand boom," said "ShaoliBryant" on Sina Weibo.

Official figures indicate that China's garment industry earned 1.51 trillion yuan (243.4 billion U.S. dollars) last year, up 11.2 percent year on year.

However, challenges have surfaced as the fashion industry matures.

Cheung said the amount Chinese companies spend on branding is low compared to foreign brands.

"Domestic companies are encountering fierce competition. Higher standards should be introduced and promoted," Cheung said.

Cheung noted, however, that Chinese designers have started gaining global recognition as well as attention from home consumers, who have more "confidence and understanding" regarding domestic brands.

Su Baoyan, acting president of the China Fashion Association, said China's fashion industry has a lack of high-level designers.

"Good designers are not only creative, but also able to take control of the entire process from production to marketing," Su said.

In a commentary published on Tuesday, the Beijing News called for developing premium-quality domestic products rather than seeking profits through volume.

The trend that Peng has sparked might lead to the public paying more attention to Chinese clothing brands, giving such labels a rare opportunity, the Beijing-based newspaper said.