A Mandarin & General Anachronism
Amidst the slow traffic, the loud laughter of young college students and the hustle and bustle of downtown NYC, lies a rare beauty by the name of Mandarin & General; situated within the vicinity of NYU’s Wasserman Center, Mandarin & General camouflages seamlessly into the concrete jungle.
The well-hidden candidate also carries the most implausible and anachronistic designs – womenswear from the Chinese Republic Era, with the designer Peggy Tan’s own twist, of course. The collection, in all its diversity, has dispelled the common doubt associated with traditional Chinese wear - wearability. Traditional, yet minimal, the pieces bear no burden on one’s visual aesthetics. Those seeking a loud representation from the color spectrum will be disappointed as the collection carries mostly a soft and pastel color palette more suitable for a city’s roaring heat.
Now, forget about Shanghai Tang or Chinatown’s very own Pearl River and embark on a journey to the paradoxically avant-garde and traditional Chinese wear.
Shimmer Velvet Cocktail Dress
Please tell us about your background. Why did you choose fashion design?
I was born in Taiwan and grow up in a family steeped in art and Chinese antiques, where I developed my interest in fine art and culture heritage. I went to Vancouver, Canada for high school, and then headed to New York to study at Parsons School of Design. I graduated with a BFA in Interior Design, this is my first foray into fashion. I want to create a contemporary lifestyle brand with Chinese edge and undertone, and thought I should start with a line of clothing.
What lies behind the name Mandarin & General?
When I was choosing the name for my brand, I wanted something utilitarian that clearly express the brand concept. The word “Mandarin” conveys the idea of something essentially Chinese, and the “General” part takes the brand beyond its Chinese inspiration and also refers to the idea of a "general store."
Cotton Jersey Mandarin Tee
What does a typical design process consist of for Mandarin & General?
I am not a very sketch-oriented person. I spend a lot of time thinking in my head, trying to realize an idea, which often comes from a twist on the ordinary, or a clash of different elements. Once I pin point an idea the rest just follows organically.
It’s been a long while since any designers have attempted to revive and reform the qipao-esque style. Why have you decided to focus on this particular style and why have you chosen to “revolutionize” it?
I have always been intrigue by those eras. China was going through a major transformation and opening up to many outside ideas, therefore it created an interesting co-existence between the old and new. I often felt that today’s world has become very mono-cultured. During the 20’s-30’s, it was a colorful time when many countries were becoming more diverse yet still held onto a lot of its own visual characteristics. I like that a lot and it was one of the major reasons that motivated me to start Mandarin & General. However, my intension is not to re-create the old world, but rather, finding how culture and tradition can evolve and be applied to our contemporary life.
The qipao-esque Republic Dress’ effortless beauty masks the intricate details embedded within each thread and cut. Can you walk us through the details of such creation?
The Republic Dress is constructed base on the traditional one-piece-pattern with no shoulder seams. The main part of the garment body is folded from a single piece of fabric. This is the kind of garment structure used before Chinese started to employ western tailoring techniques, and gives the garment a softer silhouette. I applied this type of traditional construction in most of the pieces in this collection, including the Reversed Sleeves Top. The Reversed Sleeves Top also plays on the idea of Chinese traditional way of extending sleeves at mid-upper-arms instead of shoulders.
The Republic Dress is a very classic piece, but what makes it contemporary is in the proportions of details. I consider it an essential piece of the line because many other pieces evolved from this simple dress. It is the “Polo Shirt” of Mandarin & General.
Republic Dress with Seam Pockets
The styling in each of the collection piece connotes youthful playfulness, yet with an undeniable femininity. Do you direct your own fashion styling? What is the most important thing that you are trying to convey through each of the collection piece?
You must have read my mind!? I think you summed up the collection quite well! Youthful playfulness and an air of laidback attitude is definitely what I am going for. I am doing my own styling right now with help from Thomas Chen (http://emmanuelle-nyc.com), a very good friend of mine whom I admire a lot.
Qipao was neither Han nor body hugging in its inception; under the influence of Beijing styles, qipao was redesigned with more slenderness and higher cuts, as well as infused with certain traditional imageries. Yet you have further deconstructed it to its present form. Perhaps to the disagreement of certain traditionalists, you have trimmed out the flamboyant richness of the traditional qipao, and instead revealed the true essence of it to the world. Why did you impose such changes?
I find qipao interesting not only because of its beauty but also because qipao is a very modern garment. Qipao represents modern China to me. And the most interesting fact about qipao is that it is a unique product of multiple cultures. 30’s is the heyday of qipao. Women in Shanghai follow closely the latest fashion from Paris and adapt those trends in their new qipaos. I believe it is precisely this kind of constant metamorphoses and blend of cultures that enable the popularity of qipao in those days. In a sense, I am attempting to bring qipao back to life by adopting new aesthetic and lifestyle as well. I noticed when designers create Chinese inspired designs they tend to focus on the decorative motifs or the theatrical clichés. I am much more interested in the Chinese garment’s structural details and wearability in contemporary life style, and hope I can provide such alternative to like-minded people.
There exist two opposites, the feminine and the masculine in your collection. For a woman bold enough to don the Republic Dress, she should uphold a certain sophistication that comes only with time and self-transformation. She is confident and sophisticated but enlivened with innate sexiness. To wear the silk tops, she must also assert certain hardedgeness to make the piece come alive. Who constitutes your client base?
Thanks for your kind words about the collection! I like to play with contrasting elements and that translated into the design as well. A lot of my current customers are people in their 20s and 30s working in the creative industry, such as curators and designers. But the line is designed with everyone in mind.
I hope this collection is democratic enough that every girl will be able to adapt it with her own personal style.
Reverse Sleeveless Silk Top
Considering China’s emerging fashion scene as well as the mass potential behind the luxury markets, do you have any plans for expansion abroad? If so, which cities are your targets and what stores will you be willing to collaborate with?
Mandarin & General’s website do ship internationally including China, but I am definitely interested in having some kind of physical presence in China, especially in cities like Shanghai and Beijing.
Click here for the Chinese translation.
Contact Information:
Peggy Tan
Mandarin & General
www.mandarinandgeneral.com
Photos: Mandarin & General
Interview: pH7 THE 3rd