Li Dangqi, Chairman Of China Fashion Designers Association: Market Pressure Helps Designers Grow

In September 9th, the China Fashion Designers Association and China Fashion Week Organizing Committee announced in Beijing that the number of brands and agencies registered for the 2015 spring summer series of Mercedes Benz China International Fashion Week is at a record high.

By the end of August 25, 2014, a total of 72 brands and organizations had announced that they had participated in the 2015 spring summer series of Mercedes Benz China International Fashion Week, which was held in Beijing from October 25th to November 2nd. The number of brands increased by more than 30% compared with that of the fashion week last year. Women's clothing, men's wear, sportswear, sportswear, denim dress, wedding dress, children's wear, underwear and footwear, make-up, hairstyle design and so on.

"This shows that despite the downward pressure on the domestic market, companies and brands are paying more attention to design, which is an important opportunity for the growth of Chinese fashion designers," said Li DQI, chairman of the China Fashion Designers Association and chairman of the China Fashion Week Organizing Committee.

Q: the number of brands and agencies released by Mercedes Benz China International Fashion Week 2015 spring and summer is at a record high. As chairman of the China Fashion Designers Association and chairman of the China Fashion Week Organizing Committee, how do you view this phenomenon?

Li Dangqi: in recent years, under the influence of the international financial crisis and the adjustment of the domestic economic development mode, the domestic market has been under great pressure. This pressure has prompted more entrepreneurs to realize the importance of design innovation and differentiated development. This is manifested in two aspects: first, the design talents are being further valued; secondly, actively using Fashion Week platform to publish and promote the fashion concepts and market orientation of their brands. This is probably the internal factor of this year's cold market and fashion week fever. We also look forward to the spanformation of China's garment industry through structural adjustment and development mode.

Q: please tell us specifically about the domestic designers who participated in the 2015 spring and summer of this fashion week.

Li Dangqi: since the founding of the China International Fashion Week, China has adhered to the "original and first start" and insisted on the home position of Chinese local designers. At present, there are 8 designers for the Golden Summit Award Announced in this fashion week, as well as 19 top ten fashion designers in China. Moreover, the number of designers who participated in fashion week for the first time accounted for more than 30%.

Q: the Fashion Week held in October last year is the most dense ever released in history, with the largest number of 9 days being released. What are the arrangements for the Organizing Committee of fashion week this year?

Li Dangqi: there were 53 releases of fashion week last year, including 56 fashion brands and agencies at home and abroad, and 51 Chinese and foreign designers. The number of brands and agencies participating in this fashion week has increased by 30% over the same period last year, and 11 are expected to be released one day. The Fashion Week Organizing Committee has decided to meet the needs of brands and agencies to the maximum extent. First, the release schedule of fashion week will be extended for one day, from October 25th to November 2nd. In addition, an announcement site will be added to 751D PARK in Beijing. At this time, 4 official venues will be designated for the fashion week.

Q: in August of this year, the Specialized Committee of China Fashion Designers Association held the 2014 annual working conference. China International Fashion Week and China International Fashion Week became the focus of the conference. What do you think is the core of the development of the two fashion week?

Li Dangqi: the central themes of the 2014 annual working conference of Specialized Committee of China Fashion Designers Association are all related to the issue of fashion innovation. For example, the topic of Fashion Art Committee's "fashion design concept", the academic committee's "design education from college Fashion Week" and the fashion Review Committee's "China Fashion Week features" are put into practice in our fashion week, which is to adhere to the direction of marketization, adhere to inclusiveness and originality, highlight China's fashion brand and original design power, promote the development of independent brand building and designers, and contribute to the construction of textile and garment power.