the Beijinger

Until recently, the local front in the Nike versus adidas war has been played out on the billboards lining Wangfujing and Xidan. The two global brands are also struggling to be the providers of whatever sporting apparel athletes choose, or are instructed, to wear at the Beijing Olympics. The competition between the two brands in the Chinese market heats up with the opening of adidas' flagship store at Sanlitun's village tonight. The Beijinger's Fashion and Beauty Editor Halla Mohieddeen got a chance to take a sneak peek at the store yesterday and gives us her take below. Images by Simon Lim

adidas Brand Center
Daily 10am-10pm. Bldg 11, South Area, Sanlitun Village, 19 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District.
朝阳区三里屯南路19号11幢

Designed to create a village within a city, the striking development in the heart of Sanlitun is slowly taking shape. The boards have come down, and we're now starting to see more of the eclectic mix of structures that will make up the shopping and entertainment district. The first store to throw open its doors is the new adidas Brand Center, adidas' global flagship store.

Boasting 3,170 sqm of floor space, this new store will be adidas’ largest worldwide. What's more, it brings together all the brand's concept lines under one roof, another first for the brand. This means that whether you want shoes, kids clothing, accessories and apparel, or lines such as Y-3 or adidas by Stella McCartney, it's now all available under one roof.

We almost choked on our gongbao jiding when we heard this one, but believe it or not, you'll soon be able to buy clothing from Top Shop in Beijing. And not just any old rags either. We're happy to announce that the Kate Moss for Top Shop collection will soon be sold in the Beijing branch of Lane Crawford. Kate Moss' collections have been doing frightfully well back in Blighty, and will probably sell out in seconds here also. Sharpen those elbows, girls, it'll probably get nasty. For details of how to get to Lane Crawford, see the listing in our online directories.

Other excitement, for fans of posh clothing ... French brand Mushi is having a 50-80% off sale. They're trying to clear out the older stock in order to create some space for the new autumn/winter collection. We can't wait! For details of how to get to the Beijing branch of Mushi, see the listing in our online directories.

Yueshow (the poor man's Yashow) is soon to snog the wrecking ball. Rumour has it that it's going to make way for a Dazhong electronics store. Either way, it'll be chai'd fairly soon. The good news here is that the stall holders are desperately trying to flog whatever stock they've got before time is called, and now is your chance to get the bargain of the century. We've heard rumours of less-than-genuine Crocs being sold for RMB 5 per pair, which some might argue still represents something of a rip off, but there we are. Buy now, or forever hold your peace.

From defensive wall, to Disneyland-esque playground (Badaling), to controversial rave location, the Great Wall of China has gone through many different incarnations since its initial construction in 221 BC. The most unusual, perhaps, took place on Friday, when Karl Lagerfeld and Fendi turned it into what could arguably be described as the longest catwalk in the world.

Set against the backdrop of the Juyongguan Great Wall, the show was bound to be a striking and impressive affair. Held on the ancient structure itself, spotlights lit the catwalk as 88 models strutted its length. Organizers were blessed with crystal clear skies on the night, although the timing did present the problem that the open-air event was, in the words of our mole, “freezing.” Fortunately hot chocolate and brandies were on hand to ward off the winter chill.

image from America's Next Top Model's show at the Workers' Cultural Palace

Yohji Yamamoto Fashion Show in the Forbidden City

With all eyes on China, Beijing-based events seem a sure-fire winner in terms of garnering publicity. Although recent cancellations have been disappointing for event organizers and potential attendees alike, one major international event which did go ahead was a fashion show by Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. Held in a small temple within the Forbidden City complex (the Workers' Cultural Palace to be exact - also the venue at which tonights Olympic Song 100 Day Countdown to the Olympics Party will be taking place), Yamamoto showcased a one-of-a-kind 60 piece Y's collection, and launched the Yohji Yamamoto Fund for Peace. The clothes were then auctioned off at the Beijing hotel on Saturday, with all proceeds going towards the fund, which aims to foster creativity amongst promising Chinese designers by sending them on a 2-year training scholarship to Europe of Japan. The foundation will also sponsor a female Chinese model to debut during Paris Fashion Week.

Astonishing scenes at Shin Kong Place this morning: Whilst the rest of the mall was as eerily quiet and empty as ever, those who made it up to the third floor were greeted with rows of security staff, frantic Shin Kong Place personnel, and perhaps the hippest-clad rabble imaginable, who were screaming, shouting, and at some points, throwing punches at the security staff.

They were all there trying to get their hands on a pair of Diesel’s limited and special edition “Dirty Thirty” jeans. Perhaps it was the extremely limited run of the jeans that caused panic (a mere 30,000 pairs have been released worldwide). Maybe it was the hyper-trendy style that everyone wanted a piece of. We’re putting our money, however, on the fact that these jeans were being sold at RMB 390 – the low price tag is apparently a gesture to thank Diesel’s fans for their loyalty over the past 30 years.

The sad demise of Beijing's push-bikes has been well documented. What was once the land where bicycles reigned supreme has now become a gas-guzzler's dream, or, given Beijing's traffic situation, a nightmare. The trusty bike could yet make a comeback though amongst the affluent and fashionable set as luxury brands pop their insignia on this humble mode of transportation.

Chanel launched their Chanel Cycle as part of their Spring/Summer 2008 range, celebrating the fashion house's heritage (and Coco Chanel's love of sport).

After having been rescheduled about seventy four times (not true), when we first heard that the Nanluogu Xiang Street Festival was slated to take place this weekend, we took the news with a pinch of salt. But, finally, it appears that a Beijing festival will go ahead as planned and that the NLGX Festival is indeed going to get under way tomorrow. The festivities will also flow on over into Saturday.

We’re going to keep details fairly sketchy, partly because they’re a little thin on the ground, but from what we can gather together:

Olympic fever is in full swing, and for those who prefer to give their credit cards a workout, there’s ample opportunity to spend, spend, spend. Many new stores have surfaced in time for the Games, and of these we recommend checking out the following:

Shanghai Tang

This upscale brand has long pushed the hackneyed vision of Chinese design that foreign tourists (particularly moneyed ones) know and love, making the timing for this opening particularly apt. However, the brand has been evolving, and now offers more than dragon-embellished silk qipao and mandarin collar pajamas, which does make the positioning of the new store somewhat disappointing. The stunning Fall/Winter collection isn’t on sale yet, but the gorgeous leather and jade bags (from RMB 4,500) are most certainly worth snapping up, especially given the 30 percent summer discount on selected lines. This is a label to watch, and this larger second store is worth checking out. But if you must insist upon sporting attire, Shanghai Tang has released a “charming” take on a basketball shirt (complete with Chinesey embroidery).

Daily 10am-10pm. 1-2, 1/F, Ritz-Carlton Beijing, 83A Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (5908 8048) Visit the website for more Beijing locations.
潮阳区建国路甲83号丽思卡尔顿酒店大堂层1-2铺

There have been many recent and exciting developments in the world of fashion in Beijing. Fendi hosting a fashion show on the Great Wall, Yohji Yamamoto presenting a collection in the Forbidden City, Nike designing the costumes for the 22 Chinese Sporting Federations and launching their new Sportswear collection here in Beijing to name but a few.

What is perhaps even more exciting is the news that our very own, homegrown fashion brand – Plastered T-Shirts – is set to expand westward. The Beijing-inspired T-shirts, which have been phenomenally successful here, are set to hit the shelves in London.