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SHANGHAI — As Champagne glasses clinked and heads of industry assembled at The Woolmark Co.’s gala in October to celebrate 50 years of trade with China, six of the country’s most successful designers presented their capsule collections made with Australian merino wool. During the event, the designers were periodically called for press photos, interviews and business introductions, yet between these obligations, they gravitated back to one another, sharing pats on the back, chats and inside jokes.
Perhaps it isn’t surprising that in the emerging pool of contemporary Chinese designers, there is camaraderie and familiarity among the biggest players. The kinship could also be down to the fact that many of them have studied at the same overseas colleges, shared the same manufacturers and suppliers, and worked in the same studios as their careers advanced.
Although many of these successful young Chinese designers studied their craft overseas — this cohort particularly favoring Central Saint Martins in London, many are now returning home to China to set up or promote their labels as the market in their homeland matures.
There is a mix of reasons why this moment in time offers a unique and exciting opportunity for Chinese designers to return home. As the nation’s economy continues

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