But the brands meet these new expectations

Giordano, Bossini: these two signs have Italian as the sounding of their name. Originating in Hong Kong and the other, the first is "Asian Gap", while the second offers a more urban style. Competing Zara and H & M but without having the "Western" aura, they dress the Chinese middle class. The head of some 700 shops, in mainland China and Taiwan Bossini has expanded its network to the whole of Asia (Viet Nam, Philippines, Korea, Malaysia) and the Middle East, before pushing his pawns to Europe via the Russia, the Romania and the Poland. "It's closer to", fun Pierre-François Le Louët, Director General of the Agency Nelly Rodi, who advises numerous clients in the Middle Kingdom. The profile has nothing exceptional, he added. "Beside the Western brands in very large cities, the local market is in the hands of Chinese operators, generally from Taiwan or is there are refugees who in 1949." Their children, who made their studies in the United States and the Canada, returned to set up factories in mainland China.

After thirty years of market economy, these textile industrialists who work for Westerners to are stung to the game and have created their own labels. Example Bosideng, become the reference of the local sportswear with 12 produced doudounes million each year! Or white-collar, whose strict suits and coats are the customer of the "executive women." "Very inspired by Italian style type Max Mara, these marks mid and high-end offer a wise fashion with a lot of mesh", said Pierre-François Le Louët. Discreet, the Chinese grows the dress discretion while the "male" dare the macho, extroverted, the Versace to Dolce & Gabbana style.

Rise of individualism

These beginnings remain timid. "Build a brand, it is long and complicated and, to date, the priority was to run the plants on behalf of the European and American distributors," said Didier Grumbach, President of the French Federation of couture, couturiers and fashion designers, ready-to-wear nevertheless invites Chinese trademarks to scroll in Paris. But the recession and the decline in consumption in the West could change the equation. To continue to fuel the engine of growth (below 10 since July), the authorities will stimulate their domestic, prognostic market consultant Gerard Roudine, specializing in fashion. "Chinese consumers learn very quickly." "They are becoming more demanding and there has been a strong rise of individualism and elitism," he said. But the brands meet these new expectations. It is also a parade at the outbreak of the costs that it finds on the ground. "Energy, raw materials, wages, lift of the yuan, the Chinese cost to pack, which grows to relocate in the neighbouring countries, Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia." In this context, the mark is a way to create value.

Intellectual property

Several obstacles have so far trained on this path, starting with the weakness of the distribution system. Or the brakes of a psychological nature. "Western brands have a yet unrivalled prestige in the minds of the public." "It is hard to exist for local creators," argued Raphael Le Masne de Chermont, which is at the head of Shanghai Tang, the only internationally established Chinese luxury brand (see below). He sees the sign of the Confucian heritage, where the student must copy his master. But any change, "The Chinese are in ten years that we have done in fifty," added, recalling that many youth attend Western art schools, returned to the country to reappropriate their cultural heritage. With success, as evidenced the high rating of contemporary Chinese artists. Another part to the constitution of marks: the recent evolution of the Chinese on the (difficult) chapter of intellectual property. According to the pattern of Shanghai Tang, the Organization of the Olympic Games made office click. "Station to those who would be allowed to copy the official logos", he said.

Frankie Xie is one of these Chinese fashion designers. A native of Hangzhou (to the South of Shanghai), deemed town for the fineness of its silk, he completed his studies at the famous Japanese Institute Bunka Fukuso Gakuin. Jefen brand he created in 2000, is distributed by about 30 points of sale, in China exclusively, with a turnover in the order of EUR 15 million. Its mode, what he calls himself "easy to wear and trade", expensive, sold some 400 EUR room. Guest of the chambre syndicale since 2006, Jefen is in his fifth Paris parade and also participated in the "fashion weeks" of New York and Milan. "We were the first to scroll in France." Chinese TV has talked a lot about us, it is a good investment. "People tell that it is possible", says the creator.

Based in Paris

High-end women's fashion, the pioneer is undoubtedly Shiatzy Chen, who established his home in 1978 to Taiwan. The creator is now at the head of a group performing some 50 million euros of turnover, with 50 shops own Taiwan and on the continent. A Taipei, Shiatzy Chen building stands between Gucci and Louis Vuitton. And, in 2005, the opening of its "flagship store" of Shanghai on the Bund, was covered by the media as an event of significance and national pride. Shiatzy Chen, who was based in Paris since 2001, paraded for the first time at the Carrousel du Louvre in October. His creations, precious and feminine, more distinguished by the quality of implementation (silk and embroidery work) by the modernity of their inspiration. As his major Western sisters, Shiatzy Chen has extended its brand to the accessories and the universe of the House.

For Didier Grumbach, Chinese creativity is embodied in the person of another young woman, Ma Ke, who paraded this summer in the gardens of the Palais-Royal at the same time as haute couture. "There is the emergence of a real talent", he said. Ma Ke reserve abroad creations of minimalist spirit, marketed under the brand name Wuyong, the Chinese market to simply offer more mundane, sold under the label Exception.