Life

Bag and Baggage

By Gan Tian (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-18 11:59

Carrying a bag can gain you instant entry into the world of fashion, according to Yang Ziming, head designer of China's well-known menswear label Cabbeen. Cabbeen's 2011 spring/summer collection features totes, clutches, bowlers, shoppers, drawstrings, weekenders, duffle bags, messenger bags and backpacks - all jauntily carried by muscular models as they strut their stuff down the catwalk.

Bags - they are the most visible sign that the well-groomed man in China is fashionably confident and coming of age.

More than a decade ago, they were still clutching attach bags and brief cases as declaration of their novel entry into entrepreneurship. Now, Chinese men are opting for more color and style, and subtlety.

Trendy urban males in top- and second-tier cities may even brave the possession of purple and pink clutch bags.

"Bags evolved quickly in Chinese men's fashion. There are now bags that indicate more choices in lifestyle. It was all about work and the burden of supporting a family. Now, with the appearance of weekenders, traveling bags and shopping bags for men, the trend shows more men are beginning to pay attention to their personal lifestyle," Yang says.

In keeping with the trend, Yang's latest collection is all about Play Time.

The runway is designed like a giant watch, with the background music tick-tocking to the theme. The shirts are floral, the pants are loose and every element in the show says, "It is time to play."

"Men's fashion this year will not be dull and boring. It is more imaginative, with lighter colors. All for a delightful time," Yang says.

Another sign of the times is improved tailoring skills. When Yang first started his career 10 years ago, he found nearly all menswear designers in China adopting Western cutting methods for suits and jackets.

"Garments made this way were not suitable for Asian body types. Some tried to learn from Japan, but the Japanese tailoring was too formal, too reserved."

In recent years, designers are turning to more slim-cut tailoring, and Chinese metrosexuals are taking to the tapered shirts, tight pants and body-hugging jackets.

Armed with plenty of foresight, Yang launched Cabbeen Chic in 2007, a high-end label aimed at urban trendsetters. He used three-dimensional tailoring skills in formal suits, pants, vests and footwear and started teaching his clients how to dress with a wardrobe consultancy.

Cabbeen Chic soon attracted a stellar clientele, including screen celebrities such as mainland actor Liu Ye and Hong Kong entertainer Stephen Fung. Dou Xiao, the lead actor in Zhang Yimou's Under the Hawthorn Tree, was wearing Cabbeen Chic outfits during the movie's promotion.

What next? Yang says there are more changes to come in the next 10 years - and this time, it will be in the choice of materials and colors, all of which will reflect changing attitudes towards life and work.