The Next Fashion Powerhouse? China’s Top 25 Most Influential People in Fashion

The global economic recovery is facing question marks, and fashion companies and investors are looking more than ever to China for growth. The much-anticipated listing of Prada of Italy in a multi-billion-dollar IPO in Hong Kong also underscores how the global fashion industry is increasingly turning its focus to capital markets in Greater China to raise money and boost its profile in the fast-growing region.  The list of 25 influential Chinese in global fashion focuses on executives and entrepreneurs that are leading the charge.

Dennis Chan/Qeelin/Hong Kong

Maggie Cheung in Sexy Ad for Qeelin Jewelry, "Tiffany of China"

A rising star in a growing business: Qeelin, dubbed the “Tiffany of China,” opened its first shop in Paris in 2004 as a partnership between Chan and French entrepreneur Guillaume Brochard to create a brand combining Chinese culture and French craftsmanship. Today, it has stores in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, London and Los Angeles.

Chen Nian/Vancl/Beijing

Vancl - one of China’s most successful e-commerce sites that include Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu

Beijing book entrepreneur founded online apparel shopping site Vancl in 2007 and has used aggressive marketing to turn the company into one of the world’s most successful e-commerce websites in an increasingly crowded Chinese field that includes larger incumbents Alibaba Group, Tencent and Baidu. Vancl’s website recently ranked no. 66 in traffic in China and no. 342 in the world. Plans IPO.

Adrian Cheng/Chow Tai Fook/Hong Kong

Hong Kong jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook is planning a $3bn-$4bn IPO in Hong Kong next year

Son of New World Development billionaire founder Cheng Yu-tung is busy leading the family’s Chow Tai Fook jewelry chain upmarket and toward an IPO. Oversaw the launch last year of the “Yun Yi” collection, which means “accumulating wealth.” The designs offer new interpretations of Chinese imperial treasures.  The line and its models made a big splash in Paris earlier this year.

Jack Chiang/Stella/Hong Kong

Upscale Stella Luna operates stores in Thailand, the Philippines, Lebanon and UAE

Co-founder of footwear retailer Stella International. Stella operates in the shadows of rival Belle yet is building heft, too.  Sales last year rose by 30% to $1.3 billion. Although mostly sold in China, its brands are also expanding around the world: upscale Stella Luna operates stores in Thailand, the Philippines, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates and its “What For” shops are in Thailand, and Philippines.

Josephine Chien/Cartier/Shanghai

Cartier’s Flagship Store on Huaihai Road Shanghai

Chien joined Cartier China in October, 2004 after four years with Richemont Asia Pacific’s Taiwan branch. She has led the company’s brisk sales growth in China since 2009. The company has been busy expanding beyond Shanghai in recent years, opening boutique shops in Qingdao, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Changsha, Wuhan and Ningbo. Chien is a graduate of Fu Jen University in Taiwan, with a degree in German.

Veronica Chou/Iconix/Hong Kong

Young and on the move:  Daughter of Hong Kong apparel tycoon is making her own mark as president of Iconix China, a joint venture between Iconix Brands of the U.S. and her family.   Company has launched five Iconix brands into China working with local partners in the past two years, and expects to introduce another five by the end of next year.

Vincent Chow/Chow Sang Sang/Hong Kong

Zhang Ziyi for Chow Sang Sang - China’s Tiffany in the making

Has led Hong Kong-based Chow Sang Sang into the ranks of brands perceived by mainland customers as higher end. Company’s roots trace back to 1934.  Sales in Greater China last year exceeded $1 billion. The company’s stock, whose institutional investors include State Street Corp., Schroder Investment, and Goldman Sachs Group, has gained 71% in the past year, raising the market value of the company to more than $1 billion.

Andre Fu/AFSO/Hong Kong

Designed by one of Asia’s hottest designers, Andre Fu of AFSO,the Upper House Hotel in Hong Kong, sister property to Beijing’s Opposite House,is a haven of calm above the frantic city.

Taiping Carpets by Andre Fu

Born in Hong Kong, Fu founded AFSO in 2000 while still at Cambridge University. Although best known for its designs in hospitality venues, Fu works with Tai Ping Carpets to create a collection under his name. The collection includes wool, silk and cashmere rugs inspired by Chinese calligraphy and labels itself as an haute couture brand.

Gao Dekang/Bosideng/Changshu

Bosideng, China's largest down apparel maker and distributor led by billionaire Gao Dekang, plans to open a flagship store in London, its first in Europe

Gao is revitalizing a mid-level down jacket brand with snazzy designers and a partnership with IDG—which now holds a minority stake Bosideng—and with U.S. partner Iconix.  Bosideng said this month it would spend $31 million to buy property in London and open its first flagship store. Gao also has plenty of wealth to go with his business success: He ranked no. 736 on the 2011 Forbes Billionaires List with wealth of $1.7 billion.

Huang Hanji/L Capital Asia/Shanghai

Huang is the Greater China Head of L Capital Asia, an investment fund founded by LVMH that focuses on the life-style and aspirational goods industries in Asia. The fund targets apparel and leather goods, skin care & cosmetics, watch & jewelry, premium beverages, and department store retailing channels. L Capital Asia has already invested in five companies, including Emperor Watch and Jewelry, where Huang sits on the board. (See related story here.) Before joining L Capital, Huang worked with D.E. Shaw Co., Affinity Equity Partners and Intel Capital.

Jiang Qionger/Shang Xia/Shanghai

The new “made for China” brand “Shang xia” created by world luxury brand Hermès

Chinese designer is making a mark by pioneering efforts to work with Hermes to build up a Chinese brand, Shang Xia. Started career in design as a student of the painter Cheng Shi Fa and the calligrapher Han Tian Hong. Graduated in art and design from Tongji University, before studying at the Decorative Arts School in Paris. As an artist, Ms. Jiang has exhibited in Switzerland, the U.S. and France.  Shang Xia features furniture, teaware, homeware, apparel and jewelry.

Qiu Guanghe/Semir/Wenzhou

Like Metersbonwe’s Zhou Chengjian, Qiu’s Semir has ridden the wave of urbanization and rising income to create a home-grown nationwide fashion chain to meet the demands of young consumers. He also has lofted himself into the ranks of the world’s richest people, ranking no. 879 on our list 2011 Forbes Billionaires List with wealth of $1.4 billion. Holds numerous industry leadership posts. Successfully IPOed in China this year, though shares are off.

Sham Kar Wei/I.T/Hong Kong

Good marketing at Sham’s I.T of Hong Kong has helped to sent the company’s stock up three-fold in the past year, outperforming the Hong Kong’s main stock index and many of his traditional rivals. Already, I.T has 350 stores in Greater China alone, plus Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Philippines, France and Germany. I.T is aiming to grow in many of those markets with a combination of its own brands and in-house ones.

Sheng Baijiao/Belle/Hong Kong

Sheng, as CEO of Belle International, has led China’s top shoe retailer to record success in the past year. Revenue rose by 20% to $3.7 billion on broad strength of its brands: Belle, Staccato and Senda, among others. It also distributes footwear for Geox, Bata and others in China. Sheng has stepped into the role of acting chairman after Tang Yiu suffered a stroke in April. Belle’s success is in its share price: The stock is up by 40% in the past year.

Terry Siu/Rainbow/Macau

The first member of our fashion list to hail from Macau, Siu founded Rainbow in the 1980s and has thrived with its gambling boom. With three decades of retail experience, Siu is working with growing numbers of international brands and expanding in other parts of China with a focus on “second-tier” cities, notably Chengdu. Company aims to list in Hong Kong in the second half of this year.

Alex Wang/Beijing

Chinese haute couture designer has been a hit in the past year at fashion shows in Beijing and Hong Kong. Clients include celebrities Zhang Ziyi, Li Bingbing, Zhao Wei, Gao Yuanyuan, Fan Bingbing and Zhao Wei.

Joe Wong/Gucci/Hong Kong

Hong Kong-born Wong oversees Gucci’s business in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and the mainland.    Prior to Gucci, he served in the Lane Crawford Joyce Group (LCJG) and Esprit.  Joe holds an MBA from University of Strathclyde and a Law Degree with honor from University of London, and is a CPA of Hong Kong. Gucci entered mainland China in 1996, and today has 41 directly operated and owned stores in 29 different cities.

Andrew Wu/LVMH/Shanghai

Shanghai-born Wu, as director of the LVMH Group in China, has helped to turn the French company into a juggernaut in China’s luxury market. Once worked for Canada’s Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs and Maple Leaf Foods before joining LVMH. Has been group director for China since 2005, supervising more than 60 brands. Graduate of York University in Canada, Schulich Business School.

Xia Hua/Eve Group/Beijing

Xia, a Davos participant, chairs Eve Group, which is making a mark in China with men’s brands.  Company led off the Beijing Fashion Show this year.  Brands include Notting Hill, Kevin Kelly and Jaques Pritt.

Jeacy Yan/IDG/Beijing

Yan is a partner in IDG’s consumer goods group and has led its investments in Bosideng International, Rocawear, Doright Fashion and others, helping to move the high-tech investment company’s China business in new directions. Prior to joining IDG, Yan worked at investment banking department of Deutsche Bank’s Hong Kong branch. Yan holds a dual M.S. in Industrial Engineering & Management Science and Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University, along with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and B.A. in Economics from Peking University.

Bryon Yiu/Milan Station/Hong Kong

CEO of Milan Station, a retailer of second-hand bags who has helped opened up high-end fashion to a group of consumers that might not otherwise be able to afford it. Milan Station listed its shares in May in an IPO that was more than 2,100 times oversubscribed. The frenzy was overdone but the underlying success of Milan Station’s business and appeal to consumers wasn’t. Yiu sold second-hand clothing before founding Milan Station, whose current market cap is almost $200 million.

Dillon Zhang and Wang Zhen/Beijing

Size is power: Inner Mongolia Erdos ranks as one of the world’s largest cashmere producers, and this rising power couple is working to improve the quality of its designs. Wang Zhen, daughter of the company chairman Wang Linxiang, runs upscale retailer 1436, while son-in-law Zhang is bringing fresh design and management ideas into the parent organization.

Zhang Yongli

Zhang graduated from the Naval Engineering College, started a career in trading after leaving the military. He entered the apparel industry in early 2002. Zhang’s China Outfitters have gone on to success in his men’s clothing, bringing brands such as Jeep and London Fog successfully into China. Building on the success of Jeep’s several hundred sales points in the country, Zhang is looking to extend the brand into the women’s apparel field.

Wen Zhou/New York

Zhou’s family came to New York from Ningbo when she was 13. Zhou used to help out her mother who worked at a clothing factory. Today she’s the partner of Phillip Lim and runs Aegis, a fabric company she set up when she was 21. Now turning to the China market, 3.1 Phillip Lim had great success with a show in Beijing last year, and plans to open a store in Hong Kong by the end of the year.

2011全球时尚界25华人

王培沂/ 北京
王培沂是服装品牌ALEX WANG 的掌门人兼设计师。王从中央工艺美术学院毕业后曾任职于几家不同风格的大型服装公司，并于2004 年成立ALEX WANG 定制工作室，凭借出色的设计理念和精湛的工艺，王培沂被媒体称为“中国高级定制先锋人物”。王培沂在过去一年中风靡北京和香港的秀场。他与众多演艺明星包括章子怡、赵薇、范冰冰、李冰冰以及高圆圆等合作过。

闫极晟/ 北京
闫极晟是IDG 资本消费品行业投资合伙人。她本人牵头了IDG 资本在波司登、上海同瑞服饰、美国Rocawear 及其他消费品公司的投资，积极帮助IDG 资本这家以高科技投资为主的投资基金在中国转型。加入IDG 资本之前，闫极晟在德意志银行香港分公司的投行部门工作。闫极晟拥有美国西北大学工业工程管理和电机工程双硕士学位以及北京大学经济专业本科学位。

邱光和/ 温州
和美特斯邦威的周成建一样，邱光和利用城市化浪潮创造了一个本土化的国际时尚连锁店，通过全国范围内的5,000 多家销售网点来满足年轻消费者的需求。并使自己成为世界上最富有的人之一，在2011 福布斯全球富豪排行榜上财富数值达到14 亿美元，位列879 名。

陈年/ 北京曾经参与创建卓越网、由图书业起家的陈年，于2007 年创办凡客诚品( 北京) 科技有限公司并出任CEO。其积极的行销手法使凡客诚品在全球电子商务界锋芒毕露。凡客诚品网上流量居中国第66 位，全球第342 名。近期筹划IPO。

陈瑞麟/ 香港
麒麟珠宝是由陈瑞麟与法国企业家Guillaume Brochard合作打造的品牌，致力于中法美学工艺的结合。2004 年,麒麟珠宝的第一家店在巴黎开张。如今麒麟珠宝在香港﹑东京﹑台北﹑伦敦与洛杉矶等时尚中心均有设店。麒麟于2006 年在巴黎推出的Bo Bo 系列熊猫吊饰获得热烈反响。

张永力/ 上海
张永力毕业于海军工程学院，早年从事贸易，2002 年初步入服装行业。张永力和他的同瑞服饰在男装领域取得了可喜的成绩，去年销售额达到1.56 亿美元。公司旗下的品牌包括Jeep， London Fog 和Sideout等。目前Jeep 服饰的店数达到近600 家，张表示Jeep品牌很可能会进军女装领域。

张奕龄 & 王臻夫妇/ 北京
鄂尔多斯服装有限公司是全球最大的羊绒生产商之一。张奕龄和王臻这对重量级夫妇正致力于提高鄂尔多斯羊绒产品的设计质量。董事长王林祥的女儿王臻运营着高级时装零售企业1436，其女婿张奕龄负责将新颖的设计和管理理念引入母公司。鄂尔多斯今年一季度的销售额达到28 亿元，去年同期的销售额为22 亿元。

吴越/ 上海
在上海出生的吴越，作为路威酩轩集团（LVMH）中国区总监，帮助这个法国公司在中国奢侈品市场上越做越强，成为领头羊。在加入路威酩轩集团之前，吴越曾经在加拿大安大略省政府工作，还曾任职于枫叶食品公司。 他从2005 年开始担任路威酩轩中国区总监，管理着60 多个品牌。吴毕业于加拿大约克大学的Schulich 商学院。

沈嘉伟/ 香港
香港I.T 服饰董事长, 负责公司品牌及销售业务。过去一年带领公司股价上涨3 倍，远优于香港主要股票指数及其他传统竞争对手的表现。I.T 服饰目前仅大中华区就有350 家零售店，不包括其在泰国、沙特阿拉伯、澳大利亚、菲律宾、法国和德国的零售店。沈嘉伟自从娶了“香港小姐”邱淑贞之后，身家一路看涨，邱淑贞不但身兼I.T 的形象代言人，还常年陪沈嘉伟到欧洲、日本挑货，带领集团走上潮流的尖端。与邱淑贞私交甚好的张曼玉也为I.T 集团担任形象创作总监，进一步推高I.T 知名度。

周永成/ 香港
周永成的香港珠宝品牌周生生，在内地消费者的眼中已经晋升为高级奢侈品。品牌历史可追溯至1934 年。去年，周生生在大中华地区的营收超过了10 亿美金。其上市公司有美国道富集团公司（State Street Corp.）﹑英国施罗德投资管理公司（Schroder Investment） 以及高盛集团入股。其股价在过去一年内上涨71%，进而使上市公司的市值提升至10 亿美元以上。

郑志刚/ 香港
新世界发展有限公司富豪郑裕彤之子郑志刚率领的周大福珠宝，目前正一步步朝着高端市场和IPO 迈进。周大福去年推出的“蕴颐”系列重新诠释了中国古典华贵之美，今年在巴黎亮相时掀起一番热潮。

周绚文/ 纽约
周绚文十三岁时一家人从宁波搬到了纽约。当初曾在服装厂和母亲同时做工的周绚文，如今是菲利林的合伙人，也仍掌管着从21 岁起就开创的纺织品公司Aegis。菲利林转战中国，曾在北京秀场大获好评，也预计于今年底在香港驻店。周绚文毕业于纽约时装学院。

姚君达/ 香港
米兰站控股有限公司创始人。从事经营二手名牌手袋的零售商，为那些无法负担奢华品牌的消费者提供了高端时尚的产品选择。米兰站于今年五月成功上市，并超过2,000 倍的超额认购。这种疯狂的超额认购并不影响其企业模式的健康发展，企业正式成立之前从事出售二手服
装的业务。目前米兰站的市值达到2 亿美元。

夏华/ 北京
一个专为男人缝制顶级服装的美丽女人。夏华领导的依文企业已在中国的男装品牌崭露头角，并为2011 年北京时装周拉开了帷幕。夏今年参加了达沃斯论坛，并且曾参加在意大利的时装论坛和时装展。目前依文正在与一家香港公司洽谈合资事宜。从中国政法大学毕业后，夏华留校任教，并于1994 年创立北京依文服装服饰有限公司，她从大胆创造的“靓丽人生”花色西装中挖到第一桶金，也由此拉开了引领时尚男装潮流的帷幕。

高德康/ 常熟
高德康通过与时尚设计师的合作正将波司登打造成一个充满活力的中档羽绒服品牌。他还与IDG资本和美国的Iconix 公司成立合资公司，IDG资本同时在波司登持有股份。波司登今年6 月宣布将出资3,100 万美金于伦敦购置物业，并开设其在伦敦的第一家旗舰店。高德康以17亿美金的资产位列今年福布斯全球富豪榜的736 名，因此他有足够的资本出击海外市场。

盛百椒/ 香港
作为百丽国际的首席执行官，盛百椒在过去一年带领中国这家顶尖鞋业零售商取得了巨大的成功。去年公司的销售额达到了37.5 亿美元。其销售的鞋类品牌有Belle, Staccato, Senda 等等。公司还代理其他品牌例如Geox 和Bata 在中国的销售。盛百椒在原董事长邓耀今年4月中风后担任了代理主席一职。百丽国际的成功表现在股票价格上：百丽的股价在过去一年上涨了40%。

傅厚民/ 香港
香港出生，留学英国的傅厚民在2000 年时创立AFSO 设计事务所，当时他还是剑桥大学的学生。虽然AFSO 主打室内设计的项目，但傅厚民也同时与香港的太平地毯集团合作，推出以他的名字命名的地毯系列“Andre Fu Collection”。此系列以中国书法为灵感，涵括了由羊毛﹑羊绒以及丝绸所制的“高级时尚”地毯。Andre Fu Collection 已在巴黎﹑香港和伦敦进行展示。

黄家强/ 香港
现任Gucci 大中华地区总裁的黄家强，在进入Gucci 之前曾任职于Esprit 和连卡佛。香港出生的黄持有英国斯特拉斯克莱德大学（University of Strathclyde）的MBA学位、伦敦大学的法学学位以及香港CPA 执照。Gucci在1996 年进入中国，目前已在29 个城市中有41 家直营店。

萧婉仪/ 澳门
萧婉仪是我们时尚榜第一位来自澳门的服装企业家。 萧女士于1980 年成立了服装零售公司彩虹集团，并使公司发展得异常繁荣。经过30 年零售经验，萧婉仪和她的公司已经拥有越来越多的国际品牌，并且开始在中国不少二线城市发展，尤其是成都。彩虹集团计划今年下半年在香港上市。

黄晗跻/ 上海
法国路威酩轩在中国创立了专注于亚洲生活时尚业的LCapital 投资基金，其领头的便是黄晗跻。L Capital Asia主攻衣饰与皮革﹑美妆美容﹑腕表﹑珠宝﹑高级饮品以及百货内的零售渠道。目前已投资包括英皇钟表珠宝在内的五个公司。同时兼任英皇董事的黄晗跻，曾任职于德劭基金﹑骏麒投资以及英特尔风险投资公司。

曹颖惠/ 香港
香港服饰业大亨的女儿曹颖惠正在建立自己的王国：艾康尼斯中国，由美国艾康尼斯时尚品牌与曹家联手创立。过去两年内，艾康尼斯中国与本地企业合伙，在中国市场内共发起了五个品牌，并在年底前计划再加码五个品牌。

蒋至刚/ 香港
蒋至刚等人创办的九兴控股，虽为中国最大的制鞋公司之一，却是在百丽的影子下运作。九兴控股去年的盈利上升了30% 至84 亿多。Stella 在其主要的中国市场之外，也以另一高档品牌“Stella Luna”系列以及“What For”品牌在国际间发展，跨足泰国﹑菲律宾﹑黎巴嫩以及阿拉伯联合大公国。

蒋琼耳/ 上海
当代青年艺术家蒋琼耳首当其冲为爱马仕打造了其中国品牌“上下”。生于艺术世家的蒋琼耳自小国画师从程十发，书法师从韩天衡，由同济大学艺术设计系毕业后前往法国国家装饰艺术学院深造。蒋琼耳曾以艺术家的身分在瑞士﹑美国和法国等地博物馆展览作品并被收藏，她是第一位参加法国巴黎家具沙龙的中国设计师。“上下”系列包括家具﹑茶具﹑家饰﹑服装配饰以及珠宝首饰等。在与爱马仕创立“上下”之前，蒋琼耳曾担任爱马仕在上海的橱窗设计师。

简雅汶/ 上海
简雅汶曾任职于三家国际知名化妆品集团，在历峰亚太有限公司台湾分公司任职四年后，于2004 年加入卡地亚（中国）。自2009 年起，身为中国区行政总裁的简雅汶一度让卡地亚创造了销售佳绩。卡地亚的版图至今已经扩展至青岛﹑南京﹑成都﹑重庆﹑长沙﹑武汉以及宁波。简雅汶毕业于台湾辅仁大学德语系。