Chinese E-Commerce Powerhouse Vip.com Presents Four Chinese Designers at London Fashion Week for the First Time

     (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/743957/Vip_com_London_Fashion_Week.jpg )

The show was livestreamed via Tencent Fashion and received over 3 million views and shoppers will now be able to purchase select items from the catwalk on Vip.com.

Designer information:

Mukzin 

Founded by Kate Han in 2014, this Hangzhou-based brand draws on traditional Chinese culture but playfully subverts it for a new generation. For the spring/summer collection, she looked to the vibrant, Art Deco influenced packaging and adverts of Chinese ointments and medicines that were produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

For example, the iconic Tiger Balm logo is reimagined across a bold emerald shirt while Dr William's Pink Pills appears alongside a traditional Chinese painting printed onto a sweatshirt dress. "The graphics have such a unique aesthetic but that history of Chinese medicine is disappearing so I wanted to present it in a modern, contemporary way to appeal to the young people in China," says Han.

Bailuyu 

This fresh and light collection takes its inspiration from the deer, which not only features in the brand name (Lu means deer in Chinese) but is also considered a lucky and beautiful animal in Chinese culture. It appears in subtle prints across pretty and romantic tops, in appliques and in an incredible flocked pale sage organza gown. Elsewhere, designers Fu Wen Jie and Fu Su Qin, have used Chinese textiles including beautiful silks and an ancient textile -Garmbiered Guangdong Silk - as well as traditional gold and silver embroidery techniques, considered one of the most prestigious and historical form of craftsmanship in Ningbo, China.

A Life on the Left 

Founded by Lin Qi in 2014 this Guangzhou-based brand looks to traditional Chinese craftsmanship and culture and updates it for a modern audience. In the words of artistic director, UK-trained Kurtson; "Our studio wants to translate these beautiful, hand-crafted techniques into new fashion - that is our responsibility."

This passion for hand-crafted pieces is central to the brand's spring/summer collection which is divided in two sections - the first inspired by the sky, universe and the stars, includes flowing gowns adorned with celestial prints and traditional Chinese decoration and the second an ode to the land using lush floral embroideries and prints which are applied to airy, light long dresses while elsewhere pieces are dyed using natural plant dyes from the garden.

KISSCAT 

One of China's most established makers of premium women's shoes, Kisscat celebrates its 20th anniversary with a collection that fuses ancient Chinese legends with the most cutting-edge technology.

Designer Yin Zi looked to Monkey King, Sun Wukong, the superhero from the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, for inspiration. The collection's three distinct stories start with Monkey King's supernatural beginnings which have inspired sneakers and laceless brogues in high-shine or metallic leathers and stilettoes topped with holographic straps and multi-coloured jewels.

Susan Sun: Vice President of Vip.com, Head of Merchandising said, "Fashion in China now mixes tradition with a modern spirit and the selection of designers coming to London range from established names to the most directional, insider labels about to break through to global industry acclaim. We are so excited to give them the forum to walk their designs onto the international fashion radar. The September show is a wonderful moment in Vip.com's trajectory of creativity in business. It gives us immense pride to be involved in London Fashion Week."

Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive believes the event is about industry influence as much as design exposure: "This debut show by Vip.com highlights the growing creative and business relationship between the fashion industries of the UK and China. There is a growing appetite for innovation and creativity in China, with a lot of international fashion brands having strong presence in the market but also increasingly, with Chinese designers being exported to global markets. These designers are particularly significant to London Fashion Week as many had their education and training here and highlight the vibrance, diversity and openness of our city. We can learn a lot from the fashion industry in China and we are delighted to be working with VIP.com with whom we share the same values, to be able to showcase some of their domestic talent at London Fashion Week."

ABOUT BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL 

The British Fashion Council (BFC) was set up in 1983 to promote British fashion internationally and co-ordinate this promotion through fashion weeks, exhibitions and showcasing events. The BFC now supports designers beginning at college level and extending to talent identification, business support and showcasing schemes to help British designer businesses develop their profiles and business globally and promote British fashion and its influential role in Britain and London. The BFC Colleges Council offers support to students through its Foundation, BA and MA scholarships, links with industry through design competitions and Graduate Preview Day. Talent identification and business support schemes include BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and NEWGEN which includes womenswear, menswear and accessories. The BFC supports Boden's Future British initiative. The BFC also runs and owns charities including the BFC Fashion Arts Foundation, the BFC Fashion Trust and the BFC Education Foundation. Showcasing initiatives and events include London Fashion Week, London Fashion Week Men's, LONDON show ROOMS, International Fashion Showcase, London Fashion Week Festival and the annual celebration of creativity and innovation in the fashion industry: The Fashion Awards.

ABOUT Vip.com  

Vip.com (NYSE: VIPS) is an e-commerce platform established in 2008. Pioneering the flash sales model of "selective brand, deep discount, limited offering", Vip.com covers wide product categories ranging from apparels, shoes & bags, cosmetics, maternal and child products, home goods to foods and more. At present, Vip.com partners with over 6000 selected brands. In 2017, Vip.com reached annual net revenue of $72.88 billion RMB, with 335 million total annual orders and 900 thousand average daily orders. Today, Vip.com records 320 million registered members and 86% repeat purchase rate. Since its IPO on 23^rd March, 2012 in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to 30^thJun. 2018, Vip.com has realized profitability for 23 consecutive quarters. The world's largest online discount retailer and the third largest e-commerce platform in China, Vip.com has established a flash sales model that becomes one of the three major business models in China e-commerce space.

Contact: Ileana Polycarpou, +44-07507676156, [email protected]