Chinese designs with a French twist

In a 200-square-meter design studio located in Beijing's Central Business District, the sounds of a sewing machine rumble from the tailor's office. Handmade clothes of bold colors and patterns surround the fashion designer Yang Guanhua in her room.

In the center of the room hangs a vintage crystal chandelier, which was shipped from her husband's grandfather's home in France, a reminder of her time abroad.

The 37-year-old Beijinger studied fashion design and fabric design at L'institut Superieur des Arts Appliques in Paris. The elegance and romance that are emblematic of France are reflected in her designs. However, if you look beyond the obvious, a hint of London's punk and avant-garde can be seen.

"My clothes have a French appearance and a London heart," Yang said.

This is apparent in the European Vintage collection at last year's Shanghai Fashion Week. She drew inspiration from her favorite French actress, Eva Green, who starred in the independent film Cracks. The 2009 movie takes place at a British boarding school in the 1930s.

"I have seen the movie 10 times. I was so obsessed by the scenes, colors, hair styles and scarves in the film that I came up with the idea of using these elements in my show," said Yang, better known as Elysee Yang.

She returned to China in 2005 because she wanted to help domestic designers find their own voice in the fashion world.

"The most popular and daily clothes we are wearing today originate from Western countries, and it is a road full of thorns for us to establish our own style and become international," she said.

She admitted that she is impressed by the techniques of Chinese tailors, especially when it comes to embroidery. But her issue is with Chinese fashion designers' lack of creativity in terms of design.

"When I was in Paris, the most comments I heard about Chinese fashion designers were about qipao," Yang said, referring to a traditional Chinese dress that is long and fits snugly.

"In their opinion, Chinese fashion and design is all about qipao, I want to do something to change this."

Sometimes, her clients ask her to design a qipao, but she never accepts the request.

"Qipao is very fancy feminine clothing for women, but I just don't like the body-hugging one-piece."

Yang returned to Beijing with two established lines: Elysee Yang, which is considered haute couture, and the ready-to-wear line ZemoElysee.

And word seems to be getting out. Many of her customers are from the United States, Germany, Switzerland and France. Two young women from New York visited her store last year carrying a brochure advertising the store. They told Yang that her brand was named in the brochure as one of China's luxury brands.

"One of the girls bought several Audrey Hepburn-style skirts, featuring the 1950s choke waist," Yang said.

She has more than 1,000 steadfast VIP clients around the country. Her customer base has broadened beyond the 35-year-old category.

Young women can now afford her clothes, and women older than 35 are no longer limited to wearing clothes that are regarded as suitable for their age. Some of them also want to try something new or follow trendy women.

The Elysee Yang line starts at 1,600 yuan ($254) for blouses, overcoats cost more than 3,000 yuan and evening dresses range from 10,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan.

"The middle class in the country is growing. Many of them are keeping in shape and have the confidence to wear different clothes. Sometimes, they also need to dress in unique outfits to attend various social activities," she said.

Yang pointed out that although high-end haute couture has potential in China, many Chinese people consider it expensive. Also, many women haven't learnt when or where to wear high-fashion designs.

Yang recently attended a casual, afternoon tea party in leisure wear. She was surprised to find some young women walking into the cafe dressed in low-cut evening gowns with long trails.

"I don't think it was suitable attire," she said.

For Yang, fashion means standing out from the crowd and presenting designs from the soul, not following others or even the rules of design. She likes to mix and match fabrics she handpicks by roaming through shops in Paris. Yang typically goes to France with her husband twice a year for three weeks at a time.

"I am a perfectionist. Each item from the cheaper, ready-to-wear line is designed by me and made by our own tailors. It took up too much time and energy, and I just want to focus on the designs. I feel more relaxed with the work of high-end haute couture," she said.

yaojing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/10/2012 page10)