Broken Bridge Fashion Show Returns to Alibaba's Taobao Maker Festival

HANGZHOU,China,Sept. 16,2019 -- The Broken Bridge Fashion Show returned to the Alibaba Group's Taobao Maker Festival last week,with top international and domestic brands and independent designers premiering special editions,cross-branding and fashion inspired by China's national treasures.

Naomi Campell at the Broken Bridge Fashion Show

Hussein Chalayan showcased his “rising” dress

Up-and-coming designer Chen Peng brought his signature puffer jackets

Designs inspired by China's Dunhuang Murals

Broken Bridge Fashion Show returns to Taobao Maker Festival

The fashion show,this year titled "The Z Show" to reflect its focus on Generation Z's design,lifestyle and culture,kicked off the fourth annual Taobao Maker Festival at scenic Broken Bridge,an attraction spanning Hangzhou's West Lake. The Taobao Maker Festival is an offline event that celebrates the maker spirit of China's young entrepreneurs.

Designers including Chayalan,Koche,Chenpeng,Banxiaoxue,Wang Wanbing,Li-Ning,Particle Fever and Kappa unveiled new or special-edition products. The show's intent was to display youthful and innovative elements that strongly appeal to the appetite of China's young customer,s including Gen Z.

"The Broken Bridge Fashion Show is fast becoming an international event,given its unique Internet DNA and its close ties to e-commerce. It is not a coincidence that these characteristics resonate so well with the Internet-native Generation Z,who not only constitute a major customer base for the fashion,but also a growing group of independent designers who make use of the Taobao platform to showcase their personality and originality," said Chris Tung,Alibaba Group's chief marketing officer.

The show was live-streamed on Alibaba platforms and incorporated the "See Now,Buy Now" function. The fashion show has its roots in the Taobao and Tmall platform,which gives it a unique appeal to millions of young customers in China who are highly receptive to new trends.

Alibaba figures show that 80% of customers buying apparel are in their 20s. In the past year,Taobao has added more than 10,000 young designer stores and,among these,fashion was the largest category. Taobao has become the go-to platform for young designers. At the end of 2018,there were nearly 50,000 independent designers running their businesses on Taobao,most of whom were in their 20s and early 30s.

Avant-garde designer Hussein Chalayan showed off his "rising" dress,and Burberry showed its London Fashion Week collection for the first time in China. Koche,the highly sought-after French brand,sportswear brand Kappa and skateboard culture icon Life's A Beach (LAB) also launched limited editions at the show.

The domestic designers,on the other hand,represent a new wave of China Cool and are making their names on the international fashion stage. In addition,as a Broken Bridge feature,fashion brands staged designs inspired by China's national treasures including the West Lake,the Great Wall,Dunhuang and the Terracotta Warriors,embodying cultural icons in modern classic styles.

Super model Naomi Campbell and streetwear model Adrianne Ho attended the show as special guests. The show also featured a drone rider and Chinese music performance by a robo-band.

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