Chic wants to create "Chinese version of Bread & Butter"

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Mar 30, 2011

"Do business with fun". The concept is clear, but similar traits could probably already be found at Berlin’s old Tempelhof airport. That is because the organisers of Beijing’s fashion fair Chic (China International Clothing and Accessories Fair) have not hidden the fact that their future ‘Young Blood’ event going to make use of the same elements that made Berlin’s famous trade show Bread & Butter successful.

Organised by the Peking Convention and Exhibition Company, China World Trade Centre and Peking Fashion Expo, the new fair is going to take place from the 27th to 29th of September 2011 at the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre. Backstage at Chic, which is currently happening in Peking, Mr. Zhou, director of the China National Garment Association and sponsor of the event, explains that Dashanzi’s art district surrounding the city centre, with places such as 798 Art Zone, is the perfect location for an event that will be buzzing with music, dance and entertainment”.

Chic’s ambitions for Young Blood are to attract around one hundred international brands, as well as designers and emerging Chinese brands. Four sections have already been announced: Sport & Street, Denim Force, Tasty Must-Haves for the more feminine lines and Urban Soul, where the latter should gather all brands that represent “energy, sexy, unique and fashionable”.

“We have been working on this project for many seasons, said Sun Guowei, director of China World Exhibitions. We believe that the market is ready to welcome this sort of event. There are 400 million Chinese people that can relate to this culture”.

Although the list of attendants is still unknown, except for a few designer names, the organisation hopes to showcase top sports and street wear brands, citing Adidas, Nike, Lacoste and L!ve, giant retailers H&M and Zara, as well as big names in the denim sector such as Levi’s and Wrangler. As for visitors, in addition to entertainers, musicians, artists and bloggers, Chic Young Blood also wishes to attract franchisers and buyers of shopping centres from across China.