Here is an excerpt from an article in the International Herald Tribune, profiling one of China's best-known designers, David Tang (you might better recognise the brand, Shanghai Tang).
It's interesting how he has taken a fairly new Asian brand (started in 1994) and turned it into one of the few global brands to come out of China, with 24 stores worldwide, including Europe and America. However, even though he literally wears his patriotism on his sleeve, the Chinese people seem more in favour of Western clothing and brands.
David Tang is famous for founding the Shanghai Tang label that put Mandarin-collared shirts, cheongsam dresses and other Chinese-style fashion on boutique shelves from New York to Paris.
But one of his big regrets, he says, is the clothes aren't more popular in China.
The 52-year-old Hong Kong fashion mogul was recently watching China's legislature on TV, and the one thing that jumped out at him was most lawmakers were wearing near-identical Western clothes, he said.
"Everyone was in a suit and tie," he complained in an interview with The Associated Press. "That seems to me to jar the very essence of Chinese wanting to have a national identity."
Luckily for India, our politicans prefer the humble dhoti, kurta-pajama and that oddly titled 'Safari suit'. Also, we love our designers and if most people could afford couture, the first place they'd go is Tarun Tahiliani. I wonder if he will be the big daddy of Indian couture abroad? There's time for that yet.
Source: International Herald Tribune
Image courtesy: Businessweek.com
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