Luxury giants tap into mainland market

They don't make things like they used to

However, despite the space and autonomy given to a few designers by one department store, this model is not the only option. For fledgling designers eager to align themselves with a prestigious retailer but who are also more cost-conscious, multi-brand stores such as Lane Crawford offer an alternative.

Operating on the fashion buyers' system, where a store pays directly for designer items selected by its own team of buyers, the Lane Crawford model provides designers with exposure at minimum expense. The company's Shanghai store, which opened in mid-October and is touted as its biggest, has cherry-picked the work of three young Chinese designers, including Liu Qingyang.

"The knowledge they have about their customers is extraordinary," said Liu. "I've been asked to make certain design changes based on presumed customer needs."

The store has selected 15 items from her 50-piece autumn-winter collection to feature in its new space.

Also included is Liu Min (no relation), another graduate of Saint Martins, whose "classic with a twist" designs have just started to make headlines within fashion circles.

"Lane Crawford offered me a real window and, stylistically, the 10 pieces they have chosen fit so well with the rest of the merchandise," said the designer whose online shop has a fan base in excess of 80,000. "But of course, I would like to have a physical shop of my own in the future."

According to Liu Min, when foreign stores choose young Chinese designers, they are looking for people who can represent Chinese design. "I'm not necessarily talking about designs with Chinese elements, although my works do include some of those," she said. "Designs that reflect the dynamism and diversity of China today - that's what I mean."

By standing behind budding Chinese designers, foreign companies have effectively conveyed an image of their stores as launching pads for tomorrow's fashion stars.

"Whether these designers will sell is a question that only time can answer," said Yu Kun, a fashion editor in Beijing. "But for the moment, it has brought them both some deserved publicity."

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