THE BRAND
Xander Zhou is a Chinese designer based in Beijing. He made himself a brand and stands for an alternative and visionary view on humanity, gender, and equality. By exploring the relationship between function and form, he embarks on a path on which he must move between non-conformity, wearability, and innovation. This makes the designer unique and gives him the standing he enjoys in the industry. As the first Chinese designer to run at London Fashion Week, he is at the forefront of a whole movement of young Chinese designers on their way to international recognition. Xander Zhou distinguishes his deliberate blurriness between gender boundaries in which he can move freely and thus give accustomed forms and pieces a new context. With his constantly evolving collections, he is both a trendsetter and a synonym for the Chinese generation of a self-confident youth and even further beyond.
HISTORY
After Xander Zhou first studied industrial design in Beijing and then finally turned fashion into his passion in The Hague, he founded his brand in 2007. For the start-up of his brand, however, he returned to Beijing after completing his studies, saying that the circumstances there were much easier for such a project, as there was not the equal need to prove oneself in China, as in Europe or America. As a graduate with the idea of owning your own brand, you have to work your way into the established circles to get settled in the Western industry. This is not the case in China, where there is neither no support for young aspiring artists nor restrictions or borders. Moreover, "Made in China" has recently moved away from the clichè of low quality and exploitation, heading towards higher quality standards, redefining what it means to be a chinese designer. His aesthetics is a blend of streetwear and cou-ture, pushing boundaries of what is considered wearable.
DESIGNER
Xander Zhou, born in 1982, began studying industrial design in China after finishing school. But fashion had always inspired him and so he came to the conclusion to study fashion in the Netherlands, in The Hague. Xanders first experiences were buying a second-hand sewing machine and starting to change his own clothes with it. For him, it was never enough just to distinguish himself by brand, cut, color and combination but it was necessary to transfer his own spirit and thoughts into his clothes to create an overall picture. Since trends - in his opinion - suppress judgment, he tries to stay completely out of the current and instead remains true to his ethos. The vision that Zhou wants to bring closer to his customers is forward-looking and mature yet playful, which is also reflected in his own person. His way of tailoring is characterized by the traditional form of craftsmanship. The approach, however, has a different attitude, since Zhou is inspired by the youth and their "Don´t give a fuck" view of the world. This leads to the fact that he doesn’t see certain things doggedly, can gain some distance and can work with focus and without prejudice. He calls his way of work “Don´t give a fuck-tailoring”. For the young Chinese, authenticity is of the utmost importance and the key to his success. The youth culture behind him, which he is preparing the way for, supports this assumption, which offers Zhou the strength and motivation to continue developing and expressing himself in ever new creativity.