Covet
Cocoa Cover
iPhones. Everyone (ok, almost everyone) has one. How boring, we say. How homogenous. But also how convenient (the phone’s pretty good, there’s no doubt about that). So how do you make yours stand out from the throng? Put a cover on it. Better yet, choose one from Beijing design collective Veins Design Collaborative (VDC). Showing a wavy graphic pattern rendered in brushstroke-like lines, each case is genuinely really cool. Extra tip: scan the ‘keyword’ on the card that comes with the cover and download the same design as your phone wallpaper. RMB100.
Sweater Love (pictured top)
Long hail the sweater, the garment that thrives in chilly weather, works perfectly with layers and annihilates even the air Siberian winds. Our favorites here in China are those by Cob Originals. Unisex, snug and pretty darn hip, they come in funky typographies and relaxed styles, mixing English and Chinese expressions to seriously fun effect. Pictured above is the ‘You’re Too Mafan’ sweater, whose design was created in collaboration with Shanghai-based artist Grayson Stallings. Must-have item of 2016. RMB480.
Made in China
Modern life has created the need (or want) for countless accessories to complement our attires, from headbands and bracelets to sprout hairpins and lens-less glasses. While some are obviously of questionable taste, others make for statement pieces – the key little details that bring drab looks to life. Items from accessory brand KaKoKo belong to the latter category.
Started by Serbian Marina Zilic, an English teacher who’s been living in Beijing for three years, the venture does subtle, original jewelry pieces that serve as perfect outfit-trimmings. Currently, our favorites from Zilic’s collection are a series of bird-shaped brooches crafted in leather (real and imitation), fabric and buttons.
“I started working on the birds as a hobby, spurned on by the craving for authentic jewelry,” she says. “There’s no rule on how to wear them – just use your imagination.”
KaKoKo is a Serbian expression that means: “some do, some don’t (like).” But it’s hard to think of anyone who wouldn’t fall for these dope little birds. RMB80-100 per badge.
Contact Marina on WeChat @MangoZilic or by email at zilicmarina88@gmail.com
Under the Lens
For fashion types in the know (i.e. those Monocle and Kinfolk readers among you), the Louis Vuitton City Guides collection is a must-have for traveling in style. The guidebooks claim to be 'anti-tourist' by providing off-the-beaten-track info about the hippest hotels, restaurants, nightlife hotspots and cultural districts of major cities around the world. They’ve recently had a digital makeover, and now come in the form of handy apps you can download on your phone or tablet. Among the 25 metropolises featured are, of course, Beijing and Shanghai, which makes this the perfect prop to entertain your folks next time they visit (assuming they are as hip as you of course). In addition to the app, limited-edition box sets of Louis Vuitton’s printed city guides are also available, as well as monogram iPhone 6 and 6+ cases in four different colors. Your Chinese New Year present sorted.
Download now on the Apple App Store and Google Play
Overheard
We looked at how global travelers enjoy summer in Italy. For example, the Chinese pieces, which are traditional Chinese clothes with Italian embellishments and jewels, represent Chinese tourists who arrive in Italy and cannot wait to absorb the local mood and culture
Stefano Gabbana of fashion powerhouse Dolce & Gabbana, on the brand’s spring/summer 2016 collection. The designer, who was in Beijing last November for a promotional event with his partner Dolce, spoke to China Daily about the Chinese inspiration behind some (well, three) of the garments in their most recent line. The outfits do indeed make a ‘China connection,’ with collars in the style of a qipao and toned-down silhouettes that look quite unlike the rest of the frilly, feminine collection. Chinese tourists are no doubt a big chunk of D&G’s customer base, but we doubt that any Chinese traveler visiting Italy would be seen wearing anything like this. So… is this another out-dated and stereotypical view of Asian culture from the West? Yup. Could it also be yet another example of insensitivity from the designers who condemned IVF in March last year? It looks so, sadly.
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