How Do Trends Filter into China? We Sit Down with Beijing’s c4work to Find Out.

While in Beijing last week, I had the chance to sit down with the guys from c4work. They are a creative bunch led by their creative director Wangyuwei. In addition to their own t-shirt brand iFaction, they also have an online youth magazine called HiLow and a consulting studio. They have worked with the likes of Nike, Google, Li Ning, Lotto, etc. They also have numerous projects they are incubating which includes a concept store, a travel portal and many other creative ideas.

Per usual our conversation shifted to their perceptions and the latest trends with Chinese youth. They obviously have the usual Beijing bias but as two of them are from Sichuan and one is from Anhui, they also have a somewhat larger view of their peers.

I sat down with them to discuss their creative inspiration and other interesting youth trends.

As a fashion designer, where do you get your inspiration from? Also, where are Chinese youth looking for fashion and trend inspiration?

I have been a designer for so long and worked in the industry for so long, I no longer need inspiration. But generally speaking, its a very simple formula for trend influences in China…

• Shanghai looks to Hong Kong
• Hong Kong looks to the USA and Europe
• Beijing looks to Taiwan
• Taiwan looks to Japan

Due to the popularity of Korean soap operas in last few years, Korea has an influence on woman’s fashion in China, especially within Beijing.

So therefore for Beijing fashion, we should be looking to Japan for the trend inspirations. What do you see as the main trend in Beijing?

We really like the more simple preppy British style. We love the style from the new movie The Boat that Rocked. This style is very clean and simple. The post-80s generation gets this style at Uniqlo and the crazier post-90s generation looks to American Apparel.

That is interesting since stylistically the two brands are both fairly simple and basic. Why the generational difference and how do you still express yourself with such simplicity?

It is all in the advertising. The post-90′s Generation is heavily influenced by advertising. The American Apparel ads are very sexy and risky compared with Uniqlo. This appeals to their desire to be more expressive and crazy compared with the post-80′s generation. The post-90′s generation are spoiled and impressionable, but do not have their own opinions. They are lonely and in need of care and guidance. They are waiting to be told what is cool and trendy.

We now have so many ways to express ourselves from our electronics, ring tones, SNS pages, and accessories, so a simple style is a form of self-expression as well. The simple British look allows us to express our desire to be more sophisticated.

Speaking of advertising, what do you view as some of the more successful advertising [in China] as of late?

I think brands that use an integrated approach to advertising and understand their target consumers have been the most interesting. Brands such as Converse and Pepsi have done a good job creating an integrated and creative campaign.

Back to the question of simplicity…we have started to see this as a trend, especially as you referenced with the more simple Japanese/British style of clothing. This backlash was also seen in Japan a few years ago as their designs got more basic. Why do you think this is happening with the youth in China?

In the past as China has opened up to the world, Chinese have liked the loud and flashy. Now we are learning to appreciate the more simple and clean designs, like for example MUJI. We really like the simplicity in their designs. We also like IKEA for the simple nature of their designs. This aligns with our magazine and simplistic design style.

The movie 2012 has really influenced us to live life to the fullest and be conscious towards protecting the environment.We think health is very important. We are conscious about what we eat and staying fit. The movie has also made us question the purpose of saving so much money like how our parents did. It’s like, what are we saving for?

Any final thoughts on China’s post-90′s Generation?

The post-90′s generation are a lonely bunch and that’s why they go online to find friends and build a community. The post-90′s generation also is a group with a lot of pressure to find ways to fund their more lavish lifestyles. They are living beyond their means.