This September during New York Fashion Week, Chinese clothing brand, Bosideng, showcased a collection designed by their head designer, Zhu Lin. As China’s largest down clothing company, the brand continues to cement itself as the leader in outerwear fashion. The Guild Team was backstage before the show, and we had the opportunity to speak with the designer about this new collection, and what lays ahead for Bosideng.
With this collection, Lin’s goal is to advocate respect for nature while continuing to push the Bosideng aesthetic – one where modern meets traditional. “For this collection, I was inspired by traditional Chinese culture: forms of art and paintings, as well as pictographic characters,” told us designer Lin. “I want to bring this to the United States.”
The primary palette of colors is composed of white, black and gray, with tones of blue, magenta, and red unifying the collection. Functional fabrics such as water and windproof are used together with classic floral patterns and quilting processes. “We created a very athletic line, while using light feathers,” Lin continued. “We focused on using materials that are water-proof in order to match this athletic style.” When discussing what she wanted for people attending the show to experience, and for the consumer to gain from this new collection, Lin responded, “After they see the show, I hope they will pay a visit to China!” she laughed. “I want the consumer to know that the collection is light and leisure-athletic with two functions. It can be used during workouts such as hiking, but also at home, or as casual wear while running errands. All of this without compromising the fashion.”
Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio opened the show in a floral trench coat and a magenta sweater with the pictographic character “牖 (you),” setting the stage for the looks to follow. For the runway show, forty-two looks were sent down the runway as styled by celebrity stylist, Law Roach. Notable attendees included actress Anne Hathaway (wearing Bosideng), actor Jeremy Renner, Wendi Murdoch and more.
Founded in 1976, Bosideng expanded to London in 2012 and began testing the United States market in 2014. When discussing the continued international expansion and growth of the company and its plans, Lin told us: “We definitely have in plan to continue to showcase at New York Fashion Week, as well as Milan Fashion Week. We hope to mix Chinese culture into a collection that features Western staples such as denim. All of this while maintaining the Boisdeng style and aesthetics.” – GM
The Guild Team would like to thank Jarred Keller of HL Group for making this interview possible.
Anne Hathaway and actor Jeremy Renner. NYFW / BOSIDENG. © Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
About Bosideng
Founded in 1976, BOSIDENG focuses on the development, design and production of down jackets. Since its conception, the BOSIDENG design team has devoted themselves to driving the evolution of the down jacket into high performance outerwear. For the past 42 years, BOSIDENG has been trail blazing the outwear category, specializing in downs, fabrics, craftsmanship and layouts. The quality and warmth of the down jacket has garnered attention globally; In 1999, BOSIDENG became the first Chinese clothing brand to enter the Switzerland market, which was the brands first international market. Today, their products are sold in more than 72 countries, including the United States, France, Italy and more. Every BOSIDENG down jacket undergoes 150 procedures and is tested in extreme environments by at least 62 technologists.
Interview by Jonathan Valdez
