How is China Chic represented in clothes? On today’s world stage, outstanding Chinese designers keep emerging and conquering the international fashion circle through combining Chinese aesthetics and Western tailoring techniques. This is a kind of cultural self-confidence and oriental aesthetic unique to China.

“Traditional Chinese culture should keep pace with the times. We emphasize resemblance in spirit instead of in format, and aim to transfer the idea and express the spirit. Extract the core of traditional culture, and use practical materials and techniques to make everyday-wear products,” said Grace Yehuai Chen, founder and chief designer of GRACE CHEN, whose philosophy of fashion design is to modernise traditional culture. Having been practicing Chinese calligraphy since childhood, she cherishes Chinese culture deep in her heart. That is also why she came back from abroad and moved to Shanghai to set up her own brand GRACE CHEN. Instead of seeking Chinese style deliberately, she wants to convey a fashion language with universal aesthetics.

Similarly, Xiaodan Zheng, founder and chief designer of DAN, holds that her philosophy of fashion is derived from China's danqing. While designing clothes, she transforms the complex into the simple rather than simply piling up traditional Chinese elements on clothes. By looking for the beauty of emptiness and symmetry in oriental aesthetics, she wants to show the graceful and exquisite Chinese culture.

“The recent years have seen a surge of Chinese styles and China chic both in China and abroad. What lies behind this is the oriental life and oriental lifestyle,” noted Xiaoliang Xu, president of the Shanghai International Fashion Federation and co-CEO at Fosun International. In November 2021, the tenth edition of Shanghai Haute Couture Week was centered around “oriental life” for the first time ever. As Xu said, the oriental life means an integration between Eastern and Western lifestyles. Chinese and Western styles of elegance can be combined, as people share the same feelings about beauty in life.