The Shanghai Fashion Week (SFW) has come to an end and after numerous runway shows, there were three stand out designers on the eastern fashion scene. We thought we’d treat our readers to a breakdown of the next big designers to hit the global fashion world. Yep, you’re welcome.
Natasha Ivachoff of Missy Skins was born in Beijing and migrated to Australia with her family in the mid-seventies. Ivachoff has worked in fashion for two decades as a design consultant for some of the most popular Australian brands, including sass & bide and Camilla and Marc. She claims that relocating to Australia is the best thing she has ever done due to the opportunity in the fashion space for her. Ivachoff is currently designing her main line for Missy Skins, specialising in leather, and is pleasantly surprised by the response from Chinese consumers. Over the next 12 months, the designer is hoping to expand the business further into China and open a flagship in Shanghai where the brand had its debut. Ivachoff has aspirations to grow a big business within China that has depth, a fantastic story and heritage.
Models walking the Missy Skins runway show at Shanghai Fashion Week 2015. Photo Credit: Missy Skins Official Blog
Born into a family of artists, designer Zhang Na’s creative career path came as no surprise. After studying fashion design at the Xi’an Acadamy of Fine Arts and MOD’ART International, Na has two brands released: Fake Natoo and Re-Clothing Bank. She moved to Shanghai in 2008 where both brands are based and her debut was at SFW, with a very sophisticated collection that represented a series of inventive looks made from Tibetan yak wool. The higher-end line is aimed at fashion-forward Asian women and is sold in over 30 boutiques around China. Zhang Na describes the Fake Natoo woman to be “independent, confident, has her own life and doesn’t care what people think of them, they’re a little artistic”. Na’s second line revolves around giving unsellable items from second-hand stores a new lease on life by re-making them into one-off pieces – in fact, the upcycling concept is what renders Na so unique. Her innovative flair doesn’t always necessarily sit well with the Chinese though, due to cultural beliefs that an individuals fate is carried on through their possessions, but Na is trying to change this perspective by introducing the ‘Re-Clothing Bank’. She believes that this line is more so about carrying on other individuals stories and the histories of the recycled piece’s as opposed to sustainability.
Fake Natoo-张娜 Photo Credit: Chinese Graffiti
Lu Kun, born and raised in a small town on the outskirts of Shanghai spent his upbringing studying art, but it was his pragmatic mother who convinced him to travel down a career path in fashion. The designer has now launched his own brand, Mikumkum, which experienced its’ debut at SFW. His collection resembles a very cutting-edge version of the classic Shanghai-style, which has proven to be very popular with the cities most elite – including many celebrities. Lu Kun states that his line is based on the glamorous era he never experienced: the twenties and thirties. His pieces are inspired by old photographs and movies from these time periods and Kun used the week as a platform to launch the line, described as a newer, ready to wear version targeting the ‘new Shanghai’ – highlighting his aesthetic in high-quality staples of velvet and luxurious silk.
Model’s walking the Mikumkum runway show at Shanghai Fashion Week 2015. Photo Credit: China Fashion Bloggers