Fashion in Multiple Chinas: Chinese Styles in the Transglobal Landscape

Much has been written about the transformation of China from a clothing manufacturing site into a fast-rate, fashion-consuming society. However, little investigation has been made into the making of contemporary Chinese fashion; a process that often involves a borderless entanglement from manufacturing to circulation, to retailing and branding. Recent studies on contemporary Chinese fashion have allowed us some reflection on the subject. Central to these studies is the attempt to make sense of it in the definition of modernity, identity, cultural and creative economy, and global circulation. Revealed within are the tremendous cultural and economic dynamics that are at times challenging to articulate. Precisely, what is Chinese fashion? Whose Chinese fashion is it? Why does it matter - and to whom? These are just some of the questions to unpack before Chinese fashion can be discussed and analysed.