Trendsetters Galore: From Fan Bingbing, To Rui And Didu, China’s Presence At Paris Fashion Week

Fan Bingbing attends the LuisaViaRoma x Yun Yun Sun event, wearing Giambattista Valli Haute Couture.

Every season, Paris Fashion Week is the stand-out event. This time round, it’s even more so for China.

Embodying a momentous sigh of relief for the reopening of the country’s borders, the nine Chinese designers on the official schedule are reveling in a time of high optimism: a mood shared throughout the event, from emerging trendsetters such as Shanghai-born, Paris-based Didu and schedule newbie Rui, to globally renowned names like Shang Xia and Uma Wang.

“It is a great pleasure to see so many Chinese designers successfully reach the international market. Now is a time for designers to shine,” says London-based Chinese fashion duo Ahalolomay.

It’s not only designers who are representing the mainland this season – the level of key opinion leader (KOL) presence at Paris is seemingly at an all-time high.

Starting off the week on a strong note, Dior immediately went viral on Chinese social media thanks to the attendance of local popstar Liu Yuxin alongside Blackpink’s Jisoo. Details of Liu’s presence at Dior, published under the hashtag #刘雨昕dior迪奥巴黎时装周#, had been read by 44.5 million users on Weibo alone, as of yesterday.

Joining the Chinese signer in making the most of reopen borders, China’s highest-paid actress, X-Men star Fan Bingbing made a rare appearance at the LuisaViaRoma x Yun Yun Sun event, and Schiaparelli’s show on Thursday.

Lesser-known local KOLs have also flocked to the French capital, showing brands’ shared focus on the market – Paris’ Fall 2023 attendees so far include Alice Wang, Cristine Sun (@孙怡静cristine), Large Numéro China’s Fashion Director Audrey Hu, and Dazed China’s Mia Kong.

Turning to designers, in comparison to London’s roster of over 16 Chinese designers on the official schedule, Paris is offering a select, but exceptional few. Continue to read the full article here