From Vera Wang to Mickey Mouse

A cold north wind had Shanghai shivering on Friday, but at Xintiandi the elements could not chill fashionistas' passion for style as they waited to get into the finale show of Shanghai Fashion Week.儲存And their reward for braving the cold was a peak at the latest designs by the queen of the wedding gown: Vera Wang's 2014 wedding collection — making its Asian debut; the 2013 autumn/winter ready-to-wear; and Wang's 2014 spring ready-to-wear collection.Wang continues to innovate with silhouettes that convey a light, airy feel.Friday's wedding dresses featured a sophisticated layering of fabric, jeweled adornments, plus a new mark of modernity in wedding fashion: color.Wang explains that her "recent collections of wedding dresses are tinged with color."Instead of classic white, the Xintiandi audience was treated to wedding dresses in an unusual palette of pink, purple-pink, coral and amaranth. The show started with pink princess gowns straight from a fairy tale, sure to fulfill every girl's dream of a romantic wedding.As the label says, "Pink represents sensibility, sexy; pink is fantasy, delicacy; pink also means cool and strong."Subtle touches such as peony ornaments, butterfly patterns and lace complement perfectly; a silk organza tube top fishtail wedding gown with handmade layers is outlined the petal ornaments at the waist; and a coral silk strapless dress with a handmade lace underlay features beads and embroidery at the hemline.Though the American-born Chinese designer and powerhouse entrepreneur has made a name for herself designing bridal wear that every woman dreams of, Wang's personal style is very much tomboy and almost masculine."Part of the reasons that I can create bridal and evening gowns is that I'm not wedding and evening style myself, so in a way I'm coming from a place that is way more abstract for that," Wang said.The daughter of wealthy immigrants from Shanghai adds that she usually wears tees, leggings, Gothic shoes and boots designed by Martin Margiela, Rick Owens and Comme des Garcons.Wang has opened her China flagship store in Shanghai.Though renowned for her wedding designs, in the last decade, Wang has taken definite steps to expand her creative influences on a woman's closet, going beyond a grand, theatrical dress worn once in a lifetime. Her ready-to-wear line is much more urban, conceptual, and experimental.For the autumn collection, Wang uses bold colors like orange and purple, mixing different textures and geometric patterns to reveal a modern and sexy design. And for spring, Wang opts for a soft, misty feel, exuding elegance and grace."I'm a bit more conceptual on how I dress myself, so every season on the runway is more experimental'," Wang said. "It's a bit frustrating sometimes that I'm not known better for ready-to-wear, so we try every season to push the envelope creatively in different ways and experiment with new ideas, concepts, materials, proportions and architecture."All those elements are important to Wang as a designer and help her to grow every season, forcing her to focus and express her own aesthetic.The free-spirited designer said bridal design is not easy, but it is more formulated."When I design ready-to-wear line, I think of my own creative vision and it's purely about me. When I do bridal, I think of the client and I'm concerned that a movie start who wears my dress that day looks like herself and expresses herself at her best. Same for weddings: I want the brides to feel that I'm really transmitting what they want to look like."At 64, Wang is graceful, youthful and does not look her age. She is passionate and dedicated to shaping an entire world.Born in New York City, she began figure skating at an early age and then turned to fashion. She worked her way up at Vogue magazine, becoming one of its youngest fashion editors. After 16 years of invaluable experience at Vogue, she joined Ralph Lauren in 1987, and observed the power and infrastructure of that kind of luxury brand.While planning her own wedding to Arthur Becker, she found nothing that satisfied her."At that time my father identified a good business opportunity. He said nobody in fashion had paid much attention to the bridal market, so it was his idea to start the business," Wang said."By then I didn't really want my own company and really knew all the responsibilities, complexities that come with a company. I didn't feel up to it. It was my dad who pushed me in this direction."Wang has been always fascinated by things young, new, edgy and cool."I'm not a traditional designer so that's another reason that I do bridal. We have redefined the limits of what a wedding dress can look like," she said.She has since pushed the boundaries of bridal wear and brought an edginess to a traditional business. There has been a bridal tuxedo, mini dress, washed dress, and different kinds of colors and constructions."I do that because when I got married there were not many choices and I wanted to bring choices other women," she mini storageaid.Wang is enthusiastic about her flagship store in Shanghai."Our wedding dresses are probably the top in price and I would certainly not think my dresses will be available to everyone. However, I really hope my designs can inspire Chinese women, even if they can't afford them. I hope they inspire women to be much freer, creative, express themselves and really embrace fashion for their weddings."She said she prefers to use the word "enchanting," not simply glamorous and sexy. "We are not the most sexy brand in an obvious way but much more sensual, artsy, definitely sophisticated," she said.After a lifetime in fashion, Wang knows about fashion's less glamorous side, the hard work, the risks."Anyone in this industry, the journalists, the buyers, the stores, the retailers, the designers — if you don't love this business, you can't stand it because it's way too intense and intensive. It's now getting bigger than ever, and you have to develop more lines so you really need to love it."If you think it's glamorous, it might not be what you think is. It's a growing business so have to be dedicated and passionate."To start a fashion company requires "incredible discipline," Wang said.Mickey Mouse was the muse for Helen Lee's spring/summer 2014 collection.Renowned for bringing creativity to audiences around the world and inspiring people to dream, Disney Consumer Products China invited Lee to join a list of exclusive international designers who have created works for the global icon.Mickey and Minnie Mouse are no strangers to the runway and previous Disney-meets-fashion collaborations have included Dior, D&G and Vivien Tam.The runway show was full of youthful energy.Lee said she found "a sense of innocence and such distinct movement in early animation, so classic and fun."She wanted to capture that feeling on the runway by using a simple color pallet and by mixing soft and stiff fabrics that would move well with the models.The collection includes interesting cuttings and well-done details, as well as iconic denims, custom lace and sailor stripes. White leather, patchwork and Swarovski crystal added a bit of edge that balanced the Mickey and Minnie character prints.The designer said: "I have a great time designing this collection. It's been so fun going to work with Mickey every day!" Shanghai Mode Lingerie is a premium international event for lingerie and swimwear brands in Asia, returning for its ninth edition with a chic and sexy runway show.It showcased more than 10 international brands offering myriad styles of lingerie, including bras, briefs, garter belts, satin corsets, hosiery and robes in a range of fabrics, lace and trim.Swimsuits and bikinis were showcased. The beach lifestyle has inspired both swimwear and lingerie this year. The latest and most innovative products were also displayed at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.The ninth edition Shanghai Mode Lingerie included an international executive brands meeting in a top business club lounge. It was supported by an extensive B2B meeting program and was accessible to all retail players. Fifteen young Swedish designers showcased surprising, creative and delightfully impractical garments inspired by Swedish architecture, folklore and denim. They are among the 2013 (Exit 13) graduating class of the Swedish School of Textiles, invited by the Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai.The strong show featured creative and innovative use of textiles, including neon perspex, plastic and denim.The works, which would be virtually impossible to wear in "real life," showcase what the School of Textiles strives for — producing and enabling advanced technical know-how and individual expression.The Swedish School of Textiles, founded in 1866, is famous for innovation and combining the creativity of art with the ingenuity of technology.Some of Sweden's most successful designers graduated from the school, including Astrid Olsson and Ann Ringstrand.The school contains a full-scale textile manufacturing section and a research section that covers the entire spectrum, from textiles of antiquity to innovative textiles of the future.Raffles 2014 spring/summer show presented 10 emerging designers from Raffles Design Institute's latest graduating class.The runway show offered a wide array of exquisite creations representing entrepreneurship, innovation and empowerment. Whether a couture-like strapless silk gown or sharply cut blazer, mens wear or women's wear, designers deliver "affordable luxury," a key concept.Established in 1994, Raffles Design Institute is a collaboration between Singapore's Raffles Design Institute and Dong Hua University, one of China's most prestigious design colleges.Raffles Design Institute is committed to nurturing creative talents and design management expertise for the arts and design industry. Alumni include stars on the Shanghai fashion scene, including Helen Lee, Li Ling, Wang Hanqing and others.This is the third time Raffles has taken part in Shanghai Fashion Week.self storage