Page 56 - Beauty Prime Magazine

T
“My background in journalism taught me to
look beyond the surface, to seek the stories
that garments can tell.”
– Yuhan Liu
PHOTO: Yuhan Liu, drawing from her rich journalism background,
brings a unique storytelling perspective to the fashion industry, bridging
cultures and narratives through her work.
Photos courtesy of China Fashion Collective
counterparts and clients more easily, so I’m very
grateful for the recognition. This also opened
doors for valuable partnerships, collaborations,
and new opportunities for expansion in both China
and the US. Although the recognition only comes
after 11 years of hard work, I found it inspiring
and motivating to continue the hard work. Being a
better self, a better entrepreneur.
What inspired the creation of The Chi-
na Fashion Collective, and what is the
primary mission you aim to achieve
with this initiative?
I was amazed by the immense talent of Chinese
designers and felt that they need a global platform
like New York Fashion Week to showcase their
creativity. And New York is the perfect place to
bring people and culture together, it’s
one of the most embracing cities in the world.
China Fashion Collective just recently did a New
York Fashion Week show at the iconic Cipriani in
downtown Manhattan, we showcased 60 pieces for
Amazon’s top menswear seller
Coofandy and women’s sleepwear Ekouaer
which turned out to be a big success.
Our mission is to deliver exceptional quality and
design to a global audience, making it accessible
for everyone to experience. In today’s connected
world, boundaries no longer limit creativity.
In what ways does The China Fashion
Collective aim to showcase and inte-
grate Chinese culture and heritage
into the global fashion scene?
• Enpowering emerging Chinese designers on the
global platform;
• Encouraging up-and-coming designers colla-
borate with international talents and designers for
more sparks in the art of fashion;
• Promoting green-fashion/sustainable fashion
concepts to our community.
What are some of the biggest chal-
lenges you have faced in establishing
The China Fashion Collective, and
what opportunities do you see for its
growth in the future?
The biggest challenges we faced were during
the pandemic from 2020 to 2022, when the whole
world, including China Fashion Collective, came
to a standstill. However, as the world recovers,
China’s talents, artists, businesses, designers..are
once again pursuing international visibility and
expanding into global markets. This resurgence
presents an ideal opportunity for China Fashion
Collective as well.
Following the success of our September show,
we’ve already received inquiries for the February
show and branding opportunities for Q4. With so
much on our plate, New York continues to offer
tremendous opportunities for international busi-
nesses like ours.
How does The China Fashion Collec-
tive address sustainability within the
fashion industry, and what steps are
being taken to promote eco-friendly
practices among participating design-
ers?
Good question. One of our clients, Kokolu, is
a brand I’m especially proud to work with. They
produce fashion items such as sneakers, hats, and
tote bags, and more; I’m a huge fan of their produ-
cts—I still use their sneakers and nylon-like tote
bags made entirely from recycled post-consumer
plastic bottles. Kokolu is committed to using only
environmentally friendly materials, and sustai-
nability is truly at the core of their brand. We, on
behalf of Kokolu, worked with
Alexix Ren, one of the most influential persona-
lities on social media (under EWG Management)
to promote the idea of using sustainable-mate-
rial-made fashion items among her 18 million
followers.
Recently I’ve been invited by Amazon Shanghai,
Amazon Shenzhen, SohoWork and other platforms
for panels, and I always take the opportunity to
highlight Kokolu’s story and their dedication to
sustainability. As the fashion industry is one of the
largest contributors to global warming, I believe
China Fashion Collective also has a responsibility
to promote sustainable values to our audience and
partners.
What are your long-term goals for
The China Fashion Collective, and
how do you envision its role evolving
in the global fashion industry over the
next few years?
• Promote sustainability values to designers and
brands;
• Help emerging designers from Asia continue to
gain international visibility;
• Foster more international collaborations;
How do you incorporate elements
of Chinese culture and heritage into
your designs, and what aspects are
most important to you?
Actually many of our designers are Parsons Gra-
ds, or Central Saint Martins Grads, or top design
schools from Asia, many of them are young and
international citizens, only a very small number
of them infuse some Chinese elements into the
design, so that’s probably not our focus :)
56 II BEAUTY PRIME