China on the catwalk

Fashion journalists were having to memorize a new set of names this year at New York Fashion Week, and many are Chinese. Gan Tian spotlights the new faces on the runways.

The world is familiar with the likes of Heidi Blum, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, but it may be best if we started remembering these names: Liu Wen, Qin Shupei and Sun Feifei.

Chinese fashion blogger Liu Huiyu has followed all the major international fashion events since 2007, when she found maybe three or four Chinese faces among the models on the catwalks. This year, however, Liu says that the New York 2011 Fashion Week surprised her.

China's supermodels Liu Wen and Qin Shupei were there, as usual, but Liu also spotted newcomers like Chen Bike and Ju Xiaowen.

During the event from Feb 10 to 17, she found more than 20 Chinese models strutting their stuff in New York.

"This has never happened before. Last year, Paris and Milan saw a lot of Chinese models, but it really peaked this year at the New York Fashion Week," she says.

"China power" is hitting the international runways, and the most representative faces belong to Liu Wen, Qin Shupei, Sun Feifei and Xi Mengyao, the quartet already nicknamed "China Girls" by the Chinese media.

They appeared modelling the collections of Jason Wu, Richard Chai Love and Alexander Wang, harbingers of the next wave like the Brazilian models led by Gisele Bundchen.

Liu, the first Asian to model for Victoria's Secret, appeared in nearly all the shows of the fashion week.

Some new faces also impressed the Western fashion world, including Wang Shiqing, Ju Xiaowen, He Hui, Jia Jing, Yang Luxi, Ma Jing, He Zhihui, Jiang Xiaoyi, Huang Xiaomeng, Wang Xiao and Zhu Lin.

And then there was Ju Xiaowen, the 18-year-old who has rocketed to fame since last year. She comes from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, one of China's oldest cities, but the girl is all modern fashionista. She was the cover girl on Harper's Bazaar China for the March issue last year. This year, she has appeared in about 10 shows, showing off collections by DKNY, Libertine and Band of Siders.

On the menswear catwalks, China's top-tier models Zhao Lei, Fu Zhenggang and Zhang Liang also made their marks.

Zhao stepped onto the stage for Richard Chai Original Penguin menswear, Perry Ellis, Andrew Buckler, Siki Im, Loden Dager, Patrick Ervell and Simon Spurr, while Fu took control at Asher Levine and Rad by Rad Hourani.

He Zhi, chief editor of male fashion magazine Leon China, says the new star lineup is largely due to the rise of Chinese-American fashion designers in the United States.

"Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Vivienne Tam are becoming very important fashion designers in Manhattan. When they pick the models, they have a tendency to choose some Chinese faces," he says.

3.1 Phillip Lim's show featured Liu Wen, Qin Shupei and Sun Feifei, and there were nine Chinese models appearing at Vera Wang's show, including supermodel Du Juan.

Most major American fashion labels just cannot ignore China, fast becoming the world's largest market for high-fashion goods. Chinese faces attract attention from those potential buyers.

Tian Xiaolong, general manager of Longteng Supermodels, one of China's top agencies, says Chinese models have been making huge, graceful strides in the fashion industry.

"We see them really working hard. They study English, work out everyday, and absorb fashion information whenever they are free. Some of them even have to pay for their own travel to make it to New York," he says.