Nicely Made in China

This post is also available in: Chinese (Simplified), French

This week we introduce Sichuan-born fashion designer Huang Yue (42).

How long have you been a fashion designer?

I have been a designer for over 10 years. I studied at the the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University.

We opened the studio in Sanlitun 5 years ago and this is where I design and make everything.

Why fashion?

I was an advertising designer for a few years back in Sichuan but fashion had always been my main interest. One day I decided to come to Beijing to study fashion design. But even 10 years ago people did not really know what a fashion designer was. They were not aware it was a real profession. But now the textile industry needs people like us.

What kind of fabrics do you like to use?

I favor natural fabrics: Indian cotton, silk from Hangzhou and from Thailand, linen and cashmere. Nowadays you see a lot of cotton and silk weaved with gold threads, but I still prefer a more natural approach. I like the fabrics that carry a natural character. I love the color saturation of the stuff that comes from India for instance.

How long does it take you to make clothes?

It varies widely – from a week for a simple jacket – I am making a cashmere one as we speak – or a simple silk dress, and as much as a month – up to 6 in some cases – for a very complicated wedding dress that requires a lot of hand sewing.

Who are your clients?

They come from all over the place.  Local clients of course but also French, Singaporean, Japanese, Taiwanese…I was approached to work for large companies but I like my freedom too much and I have not yet found a partnership I want to pursue.   As for the making of the clothes themselves, each client is different and I design according to the individual personality. I design men’s clothes as well as women’s – actually I prefer to design men’s clothes.

How would-you describe your style?

I mix the Chinese traditional way of cutting clothes with a western influence.  Dresses for instance are often based on the qipao from Shanghai and I then add more western details, all this without forgetting elegance of course.

Huang Yue Studio

Tian Shang Fu Zhuang Sheji Gong Zuo Shi

Bei Sanlitun, Jiubajie Xi

(behind 3.3 mansion)

添裳服装设计工作室

北三里屯酒吧街西

Tel: +86 10 6417 1093

Mobile: +86 139 1070 7531

Email: tianshang_hy@sina.com