Chic Young Blood still shy second time around

By

Bruno Joly

Published
Nov 13, 2012

The second edition of Chic Young Blood, which took place October 26 to 28 in Beijing, China, undoubtedly left some attendees hungry for more. The venue choice of an old abandoned factory in Beijing's art and design 751-D Park area and the live music at the entrance made it look like the organizers were hoping for a bigger crowd.

Officially, the young fashion trade fair and its 110 brands brought in 22,000 visitors - both professional buyers and fashionistas. "There is still a gap between the talk and what is actually being offered. I came to see a show on urban and street fashion but many labels are much more oriented toward design. The extraordinary location fits in with the hype. This show is only in its infancy," said Gérard Rudin, in charge of the Chinese mission to the French Federation of women's ready-to-wear. Half of the space was clearly targeted at young fashion, including brands from the Iconix galaxy. The second section was more focused on women's fashion and ready-to-wear except perhaps for Lee Cooper.

""Our goal is also to provide a platform for young brands. There is still a B2B side but a B2C sector is also there by creating a link between brands and consumers. Which is why we are making an effort to be present on social networks. It is a global phenomenon from boardwear to sportswear to streetwear for the generations born in the 80s and 90s," said Chen Dapeng, executive vice president of the China National Garment Association, co-organizer of Chic and the 2011 launch of Chic Young Blood. "We are here for the first time. But we hope to participate in other shows in the future," said the team of the Chinese menswear brand Depot 3.

Many Chinese exhibitors with Anglo-Saxon brand names also come to Beijing just like industry players go to Paris, France—to meet buyers and especially journalists. In addition, the date change allows the show to run in parallel with the Beijing fashion week, which Mercedes Benz has sponsored for three seasons. Going forward, Chen Dapeng is now working hard on the next edition of Chic, his major fashion trade fair that takes place March 26 to 29. A virtual version is ready to roll out.