Shanghai lockdown: fashion designers talk about uncertain future amid Covid-19 crisis
- With Shanghai under lockdown and the Shanghai Fashion Week cancelled, we talk to four labels in the city to see how they are coping
- Samuel Yang from Samuel Guì Yang, Shuting Qiu, Pronounce’s Yushan Li and Jun Zhou, and Sultry Virgin’s Qiuge Wang and Edge Xu share their experiences
Shanghai Fashion Week had been gaining momentum, largely thanks to Chinese consumers’ strong spending power and a growing army of Chinese designers.
We talked to four Chinese designers who are regulars at Shanghai Fashion Week about how they are coping with the citywide lockdown, and their hopes and concerns for the future of Shanghai’s fashion industry.
Samuel Yang
The London-based co-founder of Samuel Guì Yang is used to hotel quarantine as he returns for fashion week every season. But this time is a little different for the designer, who is known to mix Chinese and Western cultural references. The brand he founded has participated in Shanghai Fashion Week since 2016.
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How has the Covid outbreak and lockdown affected you personally as well as your brand?
“I arrived on March 1, was quarantined for 21 days, and then entered the citywide lockdown from March 31 until now. I’m currently still in temporary housing, although I originally planned to return to London on April 23.
“Although we are not on the official schedule, we planned our own events according to the timeline, which has been frequently disrupted since March.”
What did you have planned for autumn/winter 2022 and what have you done instead?
“We were planning to do a presentation and release a capsule collection called ‘Look Down’. The words and the gesture are inspired by an American science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin, who published her own interpretation of Tao Te Ching, which Taoist philosophy is based on.
“We want to let people know that it’s important for individuals to keep a balanced mindset however their environment changes, be it the pandemic or policy. I think the theme reflects our thinking as creators, designers and individuals in society. We still want to carry on with the presentation when the lockdown is over.”
Where do you think Shanghai’s fashion scene is going? Do you have plans to make a move on other regions with the ongoing uncertainties?
“The lockdown has surprised Shanghai’s residents, including designers, who had little time to react. There have been designers and platforms that tried online promotions, but with little cohesion, it makes sense that fashion has become a secondary need when people go hungry or suffer from inequalities.
“Our team still believes that China can quickly bounce back from Covid-19, but because this also affects other industries, we are not sure whether the bottom line has shifted. However, given this experience, we are thinking that we should not put our focus on one location. The fashion weeks and retail industry outside China have started getting warmed up, and we are thinking of testing the waters in London, New York or Paris.”
Shuting Qiu
How has the Covid outbreak and lockdown affected you personally as well as your brand?
“It has affected us to a great extent. We have not released the latest season and we could not shoot our lookbook nor attend the physical showroom.
“I do feel anxious as my plans were disrupted and workload was abruptly cut, and it was impossible to plan ahead with the uncertainties. I’ve been doing a lot of drawing, reading and watching movies – things I didn’t have time for.”
What did you have planned for autumn/winter 2022 and what have you done instead?
“This season, I took inspiration from the American painter Florine Stettheimer, who aimed to merge the outside with the inside.
“We were planning to do a physical show during Shanghai Fashion Week and now we may do a digital version of it. Since fashion week has been put off, I’m thinking if and whether we could do some offline activities this summer once the lockdown is lifted.”
Where do you think Shanghai’s fashion scene is going? Do you have plans to make a move on other regions with the ongoing uncertainties?
“We have been focusing on the domestic market for three seasons now, but we really took a hit this time. I’ve been considering attending showrooms in Paris in September because orders from outside China are taking up a certain proportion of our sales.”
Yushan Li
How has the Covid outbreak and lockdown affected you personally as well as your brand?
Li: “I have learned to be flexible and good at finding positivity over the two months. Our brand could not carry many planned activities, which is common among my peers.”
What did you have planned for autumn/winter 2022 and what have you done instead?
Li: “Our theme for autumn/winter 2022 is ‘Modern Nomads’ and we planned to debut during London Fashion Week, but there were also online and offline activities planned for Shanghai Fashion Week. Recently we are focusing on the digital showroom instead.”
Where do you think Shanghai’s fashion scene is going?
Li: “Clothing is a major part of fashion but it doesn’t fully represent fashion. The industry is about lifestyle and the whole package, so we think fashion in the future will be more diverse and more lifestyle-oriented.
“We have always maintained a strong connection with the Chinese market, and have been making steady steps on the global stage as well.
“The effects may only be temporary, but I think the struggle may make entrepreneurs contemplate on a deeper level, including the directions of China’s fashion industry, which is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Qiuge Wang and Edge Xu
Designer duo Qiuge Wang and Edge Xu of Sultry Virgin – launched in late 2020 and built on the vision of defying the male gaze – were the breakout stars of the last fashion week. Continuing on the Y2K aesthetics, autumn/winter 2022 was supposed to be their second season.
How has the Covid outbreak and lockdown affected you personally as well as your brand?
Xu: “I’m currently in Xuhui District and have been lucky to have my boyfriend keeping me company. However, going through social media daily became very depressing with all the shocking news and statements.”
Wang: “The brand is affected in terms of logistics – some clothes and new handbags did not make it into the lookbook shoot – a video shoot of our new collection got delayed, and our showroom was affected. If this continues, manufacturing may also be impacted.
“Personally, my holiday at the end of the season has gone out of the window, but I’ve also done things that I normally don’t have time for, such as painting and learning Italian.”
What did you have planned for autumn/winter 2022 and what have you done instead?
Xu and Wang: “For Sultry Virgin, we were planning a catwalk for fashion week and when it was put on hold, we pivoted to a video with the film date set on April 8, which has been delayed.
“Our concept was inspired from female urban sitcoms such as Sex and the City, Girlfriend and Taiwanese sitcom Pink Lady. We are aiming to create a group of female figures in present times based on attitudes and elements of what we have seen while we grew up. Hopefully we can shoot our show video soon.”
Where do you think Shanghai’s fashion scene is going?
Xu: “In the state of Covid, I reckon everyone is trying to catch up and getting ready for post-Covid life. Maybe people would be more prudent with their spending after all this trauma.”
Wang: “The lockdown is hitting the Chinese economy hard, the supply chain for fashion has been affected, and buyers and designers may be more reserved. As far as how long the lockdown may last, and what kind of measures and restrictions we will see afterward, we do not know, so it’s hard to picture the future.”
