What's HOT in China with Anne Rush
Five times a year before every market our design director Anne Rush and a member of the design or PD team heads to China to meet with our vendors. While overseas they ensure that production is on schedule, product is meeting quality standards, as well as observing emerging trends in the eastern pacific region. I sat down with Anne on Wednesday to ask her a few questions about her trip as we prepare for Spring 2013.
Inside the Showroom: Can you describe what a typical day is like overseas preparing for an upcoming Market?
Anne: "Our vendors make sure to have ‘first pass’ samples prepared for us to review. I love this part; it’s so great to see something you imagined become a real product. I then work with the team to make any changes to the look, function, or price to make sure each design lives up to the [company] standard, since we are at the factory changes can be made right there. At the end of the day we often go to dinner with our Chinese friends and toast each other as it’s the tradition in China!"
Inside the Showroom: What emerging trends did you spot on the streets and in the factories?
Anne: “The Chinese are really fast at interpreting the latest runway trends into affordable fashion, so every time I go I make sure to walk their showrooms for what’s new. This trip I definitely saw an increased use of faux snakeskin materials, macramé braiding mixed into designs, and micro pave stones around the bezels of colorful stones.”
Inside the Showroom: If you had to name a key color, silhouette, and/or material that will be hot in the upcoming season, what would it be?
Anne: “Deep merlot red is definitely the 'it' color for fall and holiday [otherweise know as ox blood]. I am loving it mixed with grey and crystal. I would be sure to have a choker necklace as the next [trending] silhouette. I am seeing [chokers] done as wires with cool pendants and also in very chunky versions. This is fresh because for awhile now it’s all been about length and layering. The hot material in fashion jewelry is Lucite or plastic. Especially with the Marni collection hitting H&M [last Thursday] I think we'll be seeing more use of wonderful lightweight color in our jewelry.”
Inside the Showroom: Any pearls of wisdom for those traveling to China?
Anne: “Oh my gosh, yes! Authentic Chinese food is not anything like Chinese food here in the US. So be prepared to try new things. China is an incredible place to visit and my best piece of advice is to not expect things to be anything like it is here and you'll be fine. After all it is the other side of the world.”