First lady fashion: the rise and rise of Peng Liyuan's favourite designer
The Exception brand grew steadily but flew under the media radar until its very public exposure by first lady Peng Liyuan
Few mainlanders had heard of the home-grown designer brand Exception until first lady Peng Liyuan grabbed headlines by wearing a sophisticated black coat and handbag by the company during her maiden overseas trip with President Xi Jinping two years ago.
Peng's preference for domestic designer brands has been a great encouragement for China's apparel industry, which largely consists of agents for foreign brands and companies dedicated to copying Western lines.
But Mao Jihong, president of Mixmind Art & Design, which owns Exception, said that as long as the industry remained overwhelmed by Western aesthetics and values China would face a long haul to build its own global fashion brands.
Mao said Exception won the hearts of high-profile figures by keeping an independent mind and aesthetic. And for now, Exception is living up to its name.
With three brands and about 150 stores nationwide, Mixmind - established by Mao and his former wife Ma Ke in 1996 - has grown in public profile over the past couple of years since Peng put it firmly in the limelight.
