TEMPER

THE R-RATED REVOLUTIONARY ISSUE

TEMPER

letter fro m the editor

Dear. All.

Let me kick this thing off by raising a glass to each and every one of your delish selves currently gazing and gasping (good or bad – you know you subscribed, #evilgrin) at the landslide of letters, lyrics and imageries before you. The eye has to travel, now doesn’t it.

Print is not dead. It’s hot. It’s hip. It’s happening. And after the darkness of global Covid-19 lockdown, we at Temper feel the insatiable urge to make print LIT again. So to get those aesthetic juices flowing again, we bring you Temper Magazine.

To this day, the “Made In China” label comes with its own mindset of Austen-dramatic ad nauseam-repeated prejudgments. When it comes to China at large, we may take it one step further and say that despite its “if I ruled the world” efforts and strides forward in the past decade, the nation remains an enigma to those who are not moving within its restricted confines. Most people are left outside the gates looking in, breathless at the sheer bossdom making its mark on the creative world (good or bad – you know you’re looking, #evilgrin). Focusing on contemporary China through Fashion and Urban Culture, Temper invites you into the hard core of this panting pandemonium and uncover the undercover…

“The R-Rated Revolutionary Issue”. The ultimate palpable seduction of controversial China art, urban underground players, socially R-rated and sustainably revolutionary fashion trends, the newest tidbits from the nation’s New Youth, bridge-burning brands to watch, and many mooore -- #qmusic.

Eager to cut the chords with their native country’s OG rules and regulations, yet not disposing of their upbringing and heritage, those featured in this issue all have taken their creativity for a censorsensitive spin. Outlawed by some, lapped up by Temper.

R u Ready?

Elsbeth van Paridon Editor-in-Chief

LYAN. Design by Li Yiyang, 2020. All rights reserved

CHINA’S LGBT CULTURE IN FASHION: A NON-LABELED ANDROGYNOUS AESTHETIC

For the record and to keep those non glow in the dark peeps at bay: Temper has the signed LGBTQ parental permission slip for the positive-only use of the term “queer” safely stashed in the cash ‘n candy pouch. Keywords at hand: Non-labeled, Deconstructivist, Androgynous| Genderf*ck, Club Kids, queer culture, contemporary art and Chinese elements. A verbal workout with designer Li Yiyang.

Raconteur and cultivator of dandy-flamby style Queer Supreme Quentin Crisp (1908-1999) once mused:

“The consuming desire of most human beings is deliberately to plant their whole life in the hands of some other person. I would describe this method of searching for happiness as immature. Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.”

In combining a celebration of sheer queer culture, fashion and be-bang be-bang weightlifter “guns”, designer Li Yiyang certainly has firmly taken control of his life. The question becomes…

How does the development of China’s fashion scene move toward the maturing of the nation’s LGBT community and culture?

FROM LGBTQ ACTIVISM TO BRAND

Designer, outspoken LGBT activist and fitness fanatic. Li Yiyang (李益阳 in Chinese) was born in a small city somewhere in central China and from an early age onward was highly influenced by his father’s teachings in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. Teenage Li went on to attend the Affiliated Art High School of China Academy of Art (CAA) and graduated with a degree in contemporary art. Currently living in Shanghai, Li set up his own brand — where deconstruvism meets positively constructive art: LYAN.

Li’s silhouettes present a mosaical imagery with his roots, the grounding roots of those central Chinese grasslands, running throughout like a thread made up of reflective badges. From birth to boyhood and an urban residential adult life in which a sexuality by individual choice and a society of non-exclusivity are key.

“My art work or designs are not limited by my choices of medium or subject matter. I relate my work to my life experiences, as well as my personal and social identities. I wish to create art that society can relate to through a shared personal experience.”

cosmetics, of course, it came from the soil, aka Mother Nature Herself. In an age of no beauty bloggers or fashion KOLs to aspire to, Chinese people had to use their own terrain to enhance their looks.

As early as 3000 B.C., Chinese beauty aficionados| and -as began to stain their fingernails with natural sources such as beeswax and egg white, each nail color indicating their status in society.

In the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C, give or take) rouge, or blusher as we know it now, was to be made from the liquid of bright flowers and applied to the cheek. Similarly, grinding rice finely and applying it to one’s face acted as a skin-whitening powder or skin foundation.

In today’s online, digital age, it’s becoming ever more popular for male beauty bloggers to share their skills online. Whether that be in the form of follow-along tutorials, sponsored reviews or blogging.

THE HARD DAXUE DATA OF HARDCORE SKINCARE

We turn to Daxue Consulting for the hard data as the agency in July 2019 reported, “One report released in June of 2018 by Vipshop. com ( 唯品会) and JD.com ( 京东) showed that the Chinese skincare market has reached ten billion RMB. It is estimated that the total value in male skincare will reach RMB15.4 billion. The data collected on Vipshop.com found that 96% of males purchased cosmetics.

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“The sales volume of skincare product purchased by men almost doubles every year. In the male cosmetics era, facial masks ranked first. BB creams, lips and eyebrow pencil also became the primary choice for most men.” Daxue Consulting

The male skincare market size in China expanded at a fast peace and experienced a substantial increase. It can be found that the market experienced explosive stage and now would enter into the maturity stage. At present, men’s products are divided according to the sales scale.

The first group is L’Oreal ( 欧莱雅), Nivea ( 妮 维雅) and Mentholatum (曼秀雷敦), with a scale of more than 500 million.

The second group army includes Goff ( 高夫), Biotherm ( 碧欧泉), Garnier ( 卡尼尔) and Olay Men ( 欧莱雅男士).

CHINA DIGITAL AND THE MADE-UP MEN

Take Chinese-born Lan Haoyi (known as Lan Pu Lan online) as a successful example, he is just one of the hundreds of male bloggers blurring the lines between entertainment and advertising. With 1.4 million followers, foreign beauty brands like Aesop are sponsoring for him to use and promote their products in his tutorials, shot at home in his Beijing bed-sit. Despite the often-nasty comments from those behind the keyboard, the increased online representation means makeup is no longer a “feminine” or even “masculine” thing, it simply just a tool. For everyone to access.

The flawless skin and softly spoken voices of China youth boybands like The TF Boys have perhaps paved the way online vloggers to take male beauty to the next online platform. What’s more, this isn’t just a China trend, K-Pop groups like BTS have popularized male beauty across Asia. Similarly, in Japan, a genderless, androgynous style is popular amongst men, including nail polish and colored contact lenses.

Social media, allowing that exposure to worldwide grooming styles, has helped to break down barriers between male and female beauty. It isn’t just as linear anymore.

Economic growth and personal success for the urban Chinese male seem to be equating to a more elaborate skincare routine. Market demand is prompting international brands like Tom Ford and L’Oréal to create male-specific beauty products.

This new culture is all about self-expression. But comes from humble beginnings.

by Emily Aspinall

Q T The R, From Tùzi (兔子) To Tù (吐):

Eating Disorders In Online China

Q or Cute, that is. The word is universal. It’s a harmless, sweet word; until it’s not. Unfortunately eating disorders are also universal. Yet they are anything other than cute. From Sina Weibo “thin” support groups to vomit tubes sold on Taobao, it’s an R-Rated viral disease on the rise.

It was even recorded, from an interview with BBC that doctors are telling women patients that too much muscle is destined to make them undesirable; if it is being prescribed by a medical professional, it must be true. Right?

They are desperate, and hurtful. Ironically but literally, they eat their victims alive. In the West, it comes in many forms, the two most well-known are Anorexia and Bulimia. Over in the Middle Kingdom, eating disorders are to this day referred to as the “beauty sickness”; anorexia ( 厌食症| yànshízhèng in Chinese) being translated as the “hate to eat disorder.” This is a fairly inaccurate translation, because most women or men who suffer from this kind of disorder do not hate eating food. In fact, they love it.

The struggle is loving food but being afraid to eat it for fear of weighing more than what is socially acceptable in order to be viewed as beautiful. Hence, why it is called the beauty sickness.

Q To The R

Being cute in China is what it’s all about, it’s how many Chinese women prefer to be portrayed. Cute is often considered the equivalent of sexy. Not only is it because most Chinese women look younger than their biological age, but there is also an undercurrent of male-female social roles that draw from the traditional form of the passive female and dominant male. Despite the rising successes of women today, dressing and acting soft, feminine, and cute, in a way, intends to stroke the male ego. Just as fashion is a conduit for sexual-politics, unfortunately so is weight.

As the old academic wisdom goes… With economic growth, often comes a rise in eating disorders; people are more sedentary, but indulge in more food, and therefore gain weight. Usually this reflects an economically successful country, but for those women torn between a skinny, cute-centric society and food oriented socializing, it’s anything but a recipe for success.

Rocking Character, Quirk, and Chinese Whispers: Fun Facts With Kiki Zhu

Zhu’s style functions as a vehement vehicle that uses design and art to infuse a dose of fun and joy into a scenery of chaos. From golden pearls, 1980s style and acrylic to qipao buttons… Behold, it’s the depeche mode on Zhu.

Nailing a look sometimes requires a little help from your own personal style Jesus — i.e. a canonical accessory in jewelry. We’re not saying one must yield to the literally tough as nails punk powers that be/once were, but achieving a fine balance desires one to steer clear of the traditional and add some radical rock abnormality to your dressing discipline. To break bland style silence, one must reach out and touch accessorizing base. We’re talking the new #NORMAL rock and roll jewelry.

Zhu’s design mosaic of opposing sober black ‘n white elegance and loud characteristic quirkiness — one for us to know and for you to find out! — trots out a genderless rock soul with an oversized edge. Like Dave Gahan in his glasses noir and golden boots, one must always over-do things a little. To prove the #Normal hype isn’t all hearsay ( 听说 | tīngshuō in Chinese)…

Temper hits up Zhu in Shanghai and discusses standing out, shì ( 事 “things”) happenings and exaggerating.

LIVING IN THE NOW

Zhu: I’ve been studying art since high school — I mean, who doesn’t like beautiful things?! Whether it concerns the smell of mom’s cooking, the shape of the dress she’s wearing, the sound of tree leaves waving in the wind… It’s art all around.

I felt like I simply had no choice but to learn more about it; I had no choice but to learn how to draw them. And I am still learning.

I always loved arts and crafts; I was always putting something together. Doll dresses, for example. There was this 1997 Chinese movie called “Lawyer, Lawyer” ( 算死草 in Chinese) in which the protagonist sends his wife off to France to study law. Instead, she opts to learn about fashion and design. I thought it looked like fun and so I became a fashion designer. Tadaaah!

Simply because it always proved a difficult feat to find accessories I really liked, I set out to create my own. In that fashion, #Normal came to life.

vegan, one pillar of sustainable practice. However, her product is very highly-priced, which is frowned upon by Chinese consumers, for being so expensive while her materials are not considered rare.

Case in point, rare should not be the scale of luxury. Luxury should be weighed by the level of TLC the planet receives on a daily basis. Just as brands needed to educate Chinese consumers upon first entering the China market, now too is re-education on sustainable luxury an absolute must.

It is not just about labeling the brand as sustainable, but also about doing something that really exhibits a visible change in the ethos of the product and brand; a change that makes a difference, not one just for show.

BUILDING A “SUSTAINABLE BRAND”

A common way to build relationships with

Chinese consumers is through interaction and connection. A story that resonates with an individual’s lifestyle and way of thought is crucial to building a sturdy bridge between consumer and brand. As a result, brands may need to start selling through experiences that promote and embrace sustainable practices. Kering, for example, launched a mini-program on Wechat called “EP&L”, standing for “Environment Profit & Loss” which essentially allows a consumer to see where their buying decision lands on the eco-ethical scale.

It’s unsure as to whether or not this actually impacts buyer decisions, but it’s a step. Right now, the general consensus is that buyers are buying sustainably to appear sustainable, not in actual belief.

This conversation also includes young emerging designers, not just established brands and consumers. Emerging designers in China are low on budget, but trying to make meaningful collections that appeals to a wide audience.

Is sustainability something that should be adopted from the beginning, even if the price point for sustainable goods is too high? Will this work for them or against them since many still refer to vegan leather as unluxurious and undesirable?

If people were to (fore)see the ultimate repercussions wasteful fashion has and will have on the planet, there might be a deeper empathy for sustainability and an invested interest in bettering the manufacturing processes.

The price for sustainable fashion is, however, going to hike even higher, so the largest challenge here for brands is proving that a product was indeed produced sustainably and that it is also worth the price tag. ? too , it eat - ly . ur b ane to k ill arti c u pc a k e . A nd | g ent . R e - dressed the lady you c an have a f o x y f ashion , w hen Be w aver Why This, of course, requires a significant amount of transparency from companies, and a willingness to stand by ethical decision making. So really it’s a joint venture and an oath to the truth, and a desire for the betterment from all parties involved.

All companies are searching for a profit, and sustainable fashion feels like the long road to get there.

If there is such a genuine understanding and demand from the consumer for this type of business practice, then the transparency and higher prices shouldn’t be too much of a commitment.

by Jessica Laiter

Antwerp Collage artist LEBASILLE brings the re-cycled, re-printed, re-purposed booty, 2020. All rights reserved.

to add to the global artistic conversation.”

A number of Chinese artists are outwardly happy to live with the repercussions of their work, despite its potential to unnerve the government.

Take, for example, the street art culture that is graffiti. China in 2019 boasts a massive and ever-evolving underground graffiti culture. This phenomenon is a rather unbelievable one, considering that if you put a poster on a public Chinese wall it will be taken down in minutes.

As Maruma puts it, “China Street Art is huge and there are simply too many people involved to mention. Big name foreign street artists receive invitations to visit China all the time, think Parisian-based Seth. In the next five years, we will see street artists coming out of China who will prove to possess international tagging temptation.”

Chinese artists in the 2010s are in creasin gly creatin g proud and ground brea kin g wor k, with power ful state ments to mat ch, in spite of Great Fire wall and govern ment pressures . No one can predi ct what will ha ppen in the ne xt few years , but excited , one should be. Just envision the greatness of creation and so it shall be.

by Emily Aspinall

Imagery comes courtesy of our favorite “hot mess” LAO XIE XIE, 2020. IG@lao_xie_xie

Imagery comes courtesy of our favorite “hot mess” LAO XIE XIE, 2020. IG@lao_xie_xie

wrong, the deep, down and “dirty” reflections of the soul. I find that each eye has a special streak of its own and that’s what I want to show: One specific personality for every character I put on paper.

My style and imagination come from anywhere: Trips, fashion, personal experiences, but most of all from what I’m feeling in that very moment of painting. The style stems from both the past and the future, from how we first saw things and how we will perceive them. It’s simply a general idea of what things look like from my point of view, a mix of all concepts and inspirations.

WHIMSICAL WORKINGS

TEMPER: WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND BEFORE YOU START CRAYON-ING AWAY “FRONT ROW”? PLUS, AFTERMATH?

Deng: My working style, hmmm… To be honest, live illustrating is a different way to express a notion from the artist’s or fashion designer’s perspective. Fashion has been always a deep inspiration for me and what I do when sketching live, is in fact creating a piece of art within the 10 to 15 minutes a show takes to run from opening design to closing model. Inspired by the music, the ambiance, the colors, the shapes, the textures and a designer’s collection, an unexpected and new take on art comes to live.

I think live illustrations should be incorporated into fashion shows as a fundamental part of the side show because there are so many different ways to express one designer’s disposition. When it’s lights come on on the runway, it’s all about letting myself go with the flow and the feel of the show, taking in the music, listening to the crowd’s hushed hubbub, spotting the lights, tackling the textures, the lines, the accessories, … It’s about spine-tingling imagery catching my eye. And I just start sketching away; a look, a face, a movement at a time.

TEMPER: WHEN DRAWING… STRATEGIZED OR SPONTANEOUS, BUILDUP, COLORS, PROPORTIONS,… ?

Deng: I don’t strategize, the live sketching game is about trying to catch the designer’s viewpoint and get inspired from thereon out. I don’t know anything in terms of colors or proportions before the show starts; I just choose a piece of paper and get all my tools ready. The main ingredient is “emotion”.

I can get inspired by the 1920s, 50s, 80s, Chinese culture, Mexican culture, food, flowers, Indian culture, a Caribbean beach or the colors of the French Riviera. At a show, then, what inspires me is what the designer is trying to convey to his or her audience. And then I just come up with my own interpretation of that. Sometimes I’m actually surprised by the amount of inspirational sources the brain can gather and “transpire”, so to speak!

Temper offers a gritty slash grungy look at contemporary China through a fashionfocused lens. Paired with a deep devotion to the nation’s underground scene and some sustainable savviness.

Escorted by the increasingly strong influence of a new thinking among China’s younger generations regarding individuality and the expression thereof, the fashion scene in the Middle Kingdom is exploding. Inundated with mobile apps, from Alibaba livestreaming to WeChat Mini Programs and Little Red Book shenanigans, influencing (or “Opinion Leading”) their everyday lives and moves, China’s digital Zeitgeist is altering personalities and behaviorisms at the speed of lightning — at the risk of daily life becoming fleeting.

From artisanal fashion design to hip hop and folk culture or LGBTQ and genderless streetwear, China’s Roaring Twenties 2.0 are on the prowl for… “More”. More exclusivity, more inclusivity.

The “Made in China” label is undergoing the ultimate 21st Century makeover — with a subversive twist. This rapidly changing creative landscape is a unique phenomenon that stretches well beyond the mere Summer/Winter collections. It waves the flag for the changes vibrating within China’s society-at-large today. Temper chases the Fashion Dragon.

info@temper-magazine.com @thechinatemper www.thechinatemper.com