separates their garments from others, making their Chinese and Cantonese identity immediately recognizable. Case Study 2 analyzes Bobblehaus’ growth from blogs as a foundation to the launch of their clothing line, and how they utilize collaborations, popup stores, and participation in social issues prevalent to their community to bring their group together. Attention will also be paid to its name and ethos, in addition to how they create social media and create images to make their designs understandable to their audience.
Literature Review Literature on Chinese Fashion Designers The majority of research on Chinese designers remains exoticized and Othered.5 Little research has been done on the contributions of traditional Chinese values as embodied within a Chinese designer without a Westernized viewpoint, namely due to China’s regard as a country of production rather than that of creativity, but an increasing amount of scholars are detailing the creative shift in the Chinese fashion landscape in the twenty-first century.6 As Asian fashion rose to become a noticeable trend worldwide in the 1990s, Chinese fashion too became embroiled in the global spotlight.7 Despite this, the self-orientalization of Chinese designers was still present in brands such as Shanghai
5
Niessen, Sandra, Anne Marie Leshkowish and Carla Jones. Re-Orienting Fashion: The Globalization of Asian Dress. New York: Berg, 2013. 6 Tsui, Christine, China Fashion: Conversations with Designers. New York: 2009, 1. 7 Niessen, Sandra, Re-Orienting Fashion: The Globalization of Asian Dress, 18.
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