作者序

Fashion is a world of illusion and glamour and is becoming a powerful way of expression for the younger generation in China. It is a complex billion dollar business and according to a global consultancy（McKinsey）-in a few years about 20 per cent of the world's luxury brand sales（$27 billion）will come from China, as the country becomes one of the most valuable fashion markets in the world.

With an appetite for original designs and luxury brands, young Chinese consumers have willingness to mix-and-match new styles and defy norms, represent a growing trend as the country moves away from the factory model and the middle class embraces consumption.

The fashion industry in China is attracting a new genre of fashion professional, educated in the West and heading home after fashion school to start their own labels usually in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xiamen.

The success of this growing industry relies on the talent and vision of those working in it, and while many of China's new crop of designers may havekick-started their careers by heading west, a growing pool of home-grown designers, proud of their cultural heritage, are ready to take to take up the challenge of entering the new and exciting world of fashion.

Open and passionate, China's new generation of garment designers are breaking stereotyped cultural and language barriers were statement outfits and daring fashion looks make their mark on the international fashion runway.

There are many opportunities available to the new fashion graduate in China to become a valuable asset to a fashion company or even start your own. If you do not have the knack for design, remember that fashion can take many forms, and if you have a head for business, you can apply it to your love of fashion, creating a career in fashion retail or management.

What designers will do in the next few years will shape the future of China high fashion.

Susan Dillon

12/11/2013