Zhao Chenxi, the mastermind behind the ‘Make China Lit Again’ hat and fashion label Fabric Porn, certainly made a splash in the fashion world last year. Spending time in both Xi’an and California while growing up, Zhao accumulated a well-rounded perspective of China and the US. After graduating, he started his label fabric porn in 2019. The collection features tongue-in-cheek pieces inspired by Chinese street culture, paired with Western silhouettes. We catch up with the budding designer to see what’s in store for season three.
What is fabric porn’s mission? What is your biggest inspiration?
As someone who grew up in China, who has experienced both Eastern and Western cultures, I want to bridge the gap, but in a different way. Most of Chinese culture hasn’t been discovered, many just see the China portrayed by Western media. I feel there is a lot of beauty and philosophy in Chinese culture that could help contribute to the world. I want to help express that culture.
Image courtesy of fabric porn
How was your first Shanghai Fashion week?
It was an all-new experience; I’ve never done something like that before. The original plan didn’t end up working out because of unexpected circumstances, so a lot of changes were made. However, we still managed to gain a lot more followers on social media after the livestream, while previous followers gained a deeper understanding about our brand and vision.
How do you feel about copycats on Taobao?
I’ve seen other shops with the same or similar t-shirt designs as ours. Unfortunately, the application process for intellectual property rights is long – it takes three to eight months to get the copyright. I think copycats don’t hurt brands too much as it depends on their target audience. For example, a fellow designer’s brand ranges from RMB1,000-2,000, while copycats are cheap. It’s still not a good feeling, though.
SS2021. Image via @fabric_qorn/Instagram
What can we expect from season three? When will it launch?
I’m currently working on season three; it will be ready by Shanghai Fashion Week in early October. A lot has happened in 2020. There has been so much hate, racism, bad vibes and negative energy. Although there are many different countries, we are all humans living on this Earth. Therefore, the title of the collection will be ‘A Community of Shared Future for Mankind.’ I hope for more positive energy and love. We’re also making suit jackets dedicated to George Floyd, Kobe Bryant and other influential people from this year. For example, the jacket dedicated to Kobe will incorporate 24 and the color way he is known for.
SS2021. Image via @fabric_qorn/Instagram
Do you think the future of fashion is in live-streaming? Are brick and mortar stores dead?
Online shopping is taking up the brick and mortar market, but real stores cannot be replaced. For more expensive pieces, trying them on and feeling the fabric in-store is irreplaceable.
Follow @fabric_qorn on Weibo and Instagram for more info.
[Cover image via Labelhood/Tmall]
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