Top Fashion Designer Grace Chen: Pursuing The Most Essential Beauty Of Clothing

From the master of Beijing Institute Of Fashion Technology to the top student of New York Fashion Institute in the world's top fashion hall, from the designer of the Seventh Avenue girls' dress brand ZumZum, the founder of the classic fashion brand Halston of the United States, to the design director and general manager of the first evening dress brand Tadashi of the United States, and then to the self styled expensive silk fashion (Shanghai) Limited company, the fashion designer GraceChen (Chen Yehuai) has always had a dream about dress in the heart.

Her design does not require too much decoration, but the beauty of the essence of dress, such as print, craft, and fabric, must be very particular. She always insists on the principle that clothes should be well worn, and fit is not only for the body, but also for the coordination with the wearer's psychology, life style and so on.

Approaching GraceChen, approaching the most essential beauty.

American competition

Reporter: after graduating from Beijing Institute Of Fashion Technology, why did you choose to go to the United States to develop?

Grace Chen:1995, when I graduated from Beijing Institute Of Fashion Technology, I became a teacher at that time, but I always had the dream of learning abroad. Especially the city of New York and New York Fashion Institute appeals to me very much.

Reporter: can you win the opportunity to study abroad? Should it be related to your usual performance in school?

Grace Chen: I did well in school, and I was always number one.

When I was a graduate student, I was from Professor Li Keyu. She is a senior designer in the field of costume design, especially in the field of stage dress design. She has a great influence on me.

Reporter: how are you doing in the United States?

Grace Chen: I first entered a girl dress brand ZumZum in New York, where I worked as a designer.

American high school graduates will have a prom, students will dress up for the ball, which has also created a big market, ZumZum is aimed at this part of consumers.

After that, I entered Halston as a leading designer. This is an American classic fashion brand.

In 2002, I left New York for Losangeles to work in Tadashi, the most famous evening dress brand in the United States, where I served as design director and managed its development business in China.

In 2005, Tadashi sent me to Shanghai to take charge of China's market development and set up a Chinese team. By 2008, when I left Tadashi, the company's team in Shanghai had developed to more than 200.

Tadashi's R & D center is equivalent to moving to China completely. The team in China has been very strong in design technology, quality and efficiency are better than in the US.

At that time, when I was talking with Du Yuzhou, chairman of the China Textile Industry Association, I said, our mode is in turn internationalized - foreign brands to China, which fully demonstrates the technical strength of the domestic team.

Interviewer: what's your biggest accomplishment in a foreign company?

Grace Chen: has worked in several foreign companies. Apart from learning the design skills and experience, it is more important to understand the American way of life and understand the relationship between fashion design and the market and lifestyle.

At present, we provide design services for many famous American brands, and launch many popular styles, which is directly related to my experience.

Many domestic companies are looking for foreign designers, and I am proud of being a Chinese design team and designing for foreign companies.

Go back to business

Reporter: you have made the position of design director and general manager in a foreign enterprise. It has developed well. Why did you choose to go back to business?

Grace Chen: entrepreneurship is probably an idea of most returnees.

"To serve the motherland" seems to be a bit of a sounding voice, but there is such an idea in mind.

I did work well in the United States and got recognition from everyone. But as a Chinese, I feel I must do something for my own people.

The ultimate goal of studying abroad is to go back to China and to stay abroad for a long time.

I always have a feeling that compared with foreigners, Chinese are still lacking when they dress and dress up. As a fashion designer, they always feel that they should do something.

Of course, another important reason for stimulating my return to business is that there is a huge market potential in China in terms of advanced ordering and dress.

At present, speaking from the economic situation of the whole world and the development of the fashion industry, China's market is originally a future center, and Shanghai will also be the fashion center of the future.

At present, the living standard of domestic consumers is also very high. The demand for clothing is getting higher and higher. Especially the customers we are facing, they have higher requirements for clothes in life, work and social status, but the clothes they can choose now, especially on formal occasions, are relatively few.

Bags can buy LV, but very few clothes to buy Gucci, Prada and other luxury brands, the market has great potential.

Reporter: is it hard to start a business?

GraceChen: no business, I don't know. Starting a business and working in a company are not the same thing. It's very hard.

We have met all the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs.

Reporter: what is the current development of the company?

Grace Chen: since its start in 2009, after two years of development, the company has worked well and the team has expanded rapidly. Now, at the headquarters of Shanghai, it has a team of more than 60 people, and has opened a factory in Hefei, Anhui. There are 8 cooperative factories in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

At present, several large businesses of the company have developed well. On the one hand, we have made OEM for some big names abroad. For example, the famous American brand of evening dress AdriannaPapell, our design is very popular with them, often their explosions. The rate of picking up can reach over 80%. We have opened two boutique boutiques in the US (one in New York and one in Losangeles), and the current sales situation has also made me very satisfied.

The domestic market is mainly based on advanced customization. The brand name is GraceChen. The market potential of this piece is very large. Now we have more than 50 VIP customers, including politicians, business circles and entertainment circles.

We will start formal marketing this year.

In the high-end garment industry in China, we are currently offering product design and OEM services to a number of Brand Company.

Dream of dress

Reporter: in your design idea, there is a gimmick that does not play with traditional culture. How should we understand this?

Grace Chen: some people think that those clothes that are mystifying are called design, and many designers are taking traditional routes. But I always prefer modern art to practicality. Clothes should be beautiful, so they should be well worn.

Well worn is a view that I have always adhered to. It can also be said that it is my personal hobby, which can not be changed.

The clothes I designed do not need too much decoration, but the essence of clothing, such as print, craft and fabric quality, must be very particular and suitable for wearing. Of course, fit is not only for the body, but also for the coordination with the wearer's psychology and life style.

Interviewer: do you value market or art?

Grace Chen: I think the art and the market are not conflicting.

Fashion design itself is not pure art, or its art is only embodied in people's wear, rather than unilateral expression of the designer's idea.

Armani also said that the market is the most important criterion for testing garments.

For example, for me, I expect the recognition of media and experts, but the most fundamental thing is the recognition of consumers.

Reporter: at home and abroad, you are engaged in this line of clothing. How do you feel differently?

Grace Chen: there is a big difference between making clothes abroad and in China.

The clothing industry in foreign countries is very organized, and the market is very clear. Each brand's positioning is very clear. Consumers also know very well what clothes they are suitable for and where to buy clothes.

But the domestic division is not so clear, that is, the ambiguous categories are men's clothing, women's wear, leisure, children's clothing and so on. Many consumers do not know what kind of clothes they should wear.

Abroad, once the brand has identified its domain, it is very difficult to break through, but this is not the case in China. For example, after I came to China, I found a very strange phenomenon. Some low-end brands will soon go to high-end market after development. This is very common in China, but rarely happens in the United States unless it is completely operated by other teams and is not known to others.

In foreign countries, more development models are top-down, first high-end brands, and then low-end brands.

Reporter: what are your plans for future development?

Grace Chen: being the best designer brand in China and becoming a world brand made in China, this is my dream and I am working hard for it.

Product design is my strong point. In the future development, I hope to strengthen the team's market, brand operation and other aspects.

At present, our business is mainly to make product design and advanced customization for domestic and foreign brands, but under conditions ripe, I will introduce my own clothing brand, of course, our way of development is also up and down.