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Projecting Authenticity with Cultural Heritage: Chinoiserie of Contemporary Chinese Fashion Designer Brands

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Fashion in 21st Century China

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Fashion Business ((SSFB))

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Abstract

In the modern society, the aspiration for authenticity is ubiquitous. It radiates out from soft drink, dressing, or traveling. The globalized fashion world is no exception. In light of this background, this chapter endeavors to explore the Chinoiserie practices of Chinese fashion designer brands by focusing on the notion of “cultural authenticity”. Based on two brand cases, this chapter takes a close look at the new generation of mainland Chinese fashion designer brands obsessed with traditional heritage. The central research issues explored in this chapter include: (1) how do fashion designers of new generation craft brand uniqueness based on Chinese culture in an age of globalization? (2) What features does this uniqueness represent? (3) How do the designer brands strike a balance between internationalism and “Chineseness”? By doing so, the researcher attempts to shed light on operational characteristics of the emerging fashion designer brands and uncover their contribution to the dynamics of Chinese fashion industry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Arts, Beijing Union University, No. 97, North 4th Ring East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yuli Bai

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  1. Yuli Bai
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Union University, Beijing, Beijing, China

    Yuli Bai

  2. Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing, China

    Yingchun Zang

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Bai, Y. (2022). Projecting Authenticity with Cultural Heritage: Chinoiserie of Contemporary Chinese Fashion Designer Brands. In: Bai, Y., Zang, Y. (eds) Fashion in 21st Century China. Springer Series in Fashion Business. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2926-6_2

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