2013 autumn/winter collection of China's cashmere brand 1436, designed by Graeme Black. Photos Provided to China Daily

Some international fashion designers are flocking to China to stamp their mark. Gan Tian finds out that it is a win-win formula for these foreign experts and Chinese brands.

While many Chinese fashion labels are eager to venture into the world, some international fashion designers are eager to enter into China's market. Graeme Black is one of them. The British designer, who used to work with well-known labels like Giorgio Armani and Salvatore Ferragamo, is now the creative director of China's baby cashmere brand 1436. The label's founder and general manager Wang Zhen hired him in November 2011.

"I can't tell you Graeme's salary, but I can assure you, we pay him no less than any other international luxury brand pays for its creative director," Wang says.

Wang says she hired Black because of his expertise in cashmere.

When he was with Giorgio Armani and Salvatore Ferragamo, Black was working on the cashmere products of these labels.

Wang believes 1436 has an added advantage when she approached Black - the label has access to the world's finest cashmere, which is produced in China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Wang was right. Black admits that is the main factor that brought him to China.

1436 launched its 2013 autumn/winter collection in Beijing's Sanlitun recently.

"Besides designing garments, Black is also the consultant of advertising campaigns, interior designs in our boutique stores. We can say he has unified and consolidated our brand's image. That is one of his biggest contributions," Wang says, adding that Black's international background has also benefited the label.

"In 1436, we work very internationally. I live in London and design in Beijing. I am using a factory in India for embroidery. I also go to Italy and Japan for other parts of the work. The advertising campaign for this collection was done in my house in London.

"I am doing this work (for 1436) with much respect," Black says.

He graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1988, and worked for John Galliano and Zandra Rhodes. In 1995, he joined Giorgio Armani, and in 2003, he was appointed as the creative director of Salvatore Ferragamo.

Black selected 1436, the 6-year-old Chinese label as his current career, based mainly on the quality cashmere the brand uses. He says he has many crazy ideas, but he also wonder whether they could be realized.

For 1436's latest collection, Black derived his inspiration from an exhibition in London, which was about the different rugs around the world. Black has incorporated the different styles, shapes and colors of rugs in his creation.

He has also used a special technique named "double jacquard weaving on double sides" for its woolen lines.

Simply speaking, if a consumer buys a cardigan, he or she can wear it both sides - it might be very common in other material, but in cashmere products, it is extremely difficult, because it requires very delicate crafts from weavers. Chinese weavers perfected Black's innovative idea.

After working in China for a period of time, Black says he now knows more about the capability of Chinese factories and their technologies.

He is not the first and only international designer who chose to work for a Chinese fashion label.

Septwolves, founded in 1990 in Fujian province, used to collaborate with French designer Daniel Faret. But unlike Black, Faret was not working exclusively for Septwolves. He was also working for Chinese labels Red Dragonfly and Sundance.

"We were looking for a very serious partner in China. We came here frequently, so we already knew customers' behavior, habits and rules of the Chinese companies," Faret said when he appeared in the label's fashion show in 2009.

Faret has also successfully built a healthy and elegant image for the brand. The label soon attracted five top-tier male celebrities to be its spokesmen, including actors Hu Jun, Chang Chen and director Lu Chuan.

There are other Chinese fashion companies that have hired foreign staff, but most of them are freelance stylists, photographers, or assistants, according to Hu Nan, executive secretary of the China Fashion Association.

Zhang Caili, marketing manager of Guangzhou-based menswear Cabbeen, says her company also uses some foreign stylists.

The China Fashion Association's Hu says foreign designers, involved in a comparatively mature fashion industry, can bring much experience to Chinese fashion labels that are starting to explore the international market.

For instance, 1436's Wang says his label plans to open a boutique in London soon. The location of the boutique is based on Black's advice.

Wong says the ideas Black brings to 1436 not only include the choice of the garments, but also the boutique's interior design, window design and product brochure.

On the other hand, foreign designers say the opportunities within Chinese fashion scene are aplenty. It provides them a wider platform and financial support to showcase their talent to the world.

"Giorgio Armani and Salvatore Ferragamo are all over the world. This brand is very established in China, but we want to bring its design codes and DNA to the world. It is very exciting," Black says.

Contact the writer at gantian@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 07/07/2013 page13)