Helen Lee visiting Stockholm - Chinas upcoming star in fashion

Today at Globe Forum in Stockholm Helen Lee - a top fashion designer from Shanghai China - débuts her latest collection for Fall/Winter 2007 entitled “Red Amuse.” See an interview done with her at Berns Salonger: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UObF4vuW7HU] As a child, Helen was interested in Chinese “Yue” Opera and this collection is inspired by a well-known opera “The Butterfly Lovers.” It mixes the spirit of Chinese opera culture with experiences of urban life in a visual showcase that twists the ending of a timeless yet tragic love story. The collection is divided into sets that pair with the scenes of The Butterfly Lovers story: Leaving Home, Forming Friendship, Life at School, Saying Goodbye, Being Apart, Longing to be Together and Happy Ending. Reds, grays and white run through the collection’s pieces. Red expresses the strong emotions that run through the opera’s story. Gray symbolizes the barriers and impediments we all face in our pursuit of happiness. White stands for purity and innocence in one’s soul and in love. Thai silk and cashmere form the basis for the layered, overlapping pieces. Helen adds structure and warmth by employing cotton batten. This material has long been used in Chinese winter clothing but is seldom seen in more formal attire. Signature pieces take the forms of the opera house roof and 斗细 or “Dou Xi” a traditional Chinese wedding hat. And common to all Helen Lee’s collections is a focus on detailing. For Red Amuse, details consist of elements from Yue Opera costumes such as tassels and 如意 or “Ru Yi,” a lucky pattern. Helen speaks of where she found the inspiration for this groundbreaking collection: “In the Summer of 2006, I was visiting the old house my ancestors lived in near Ningbo. I happened to find an old-style fan that was light red in its spine. The yellow cover of the fan was illustrated with a scene from the opera “The Butterfly Lovers.” This took me back to memories of my childhood and how my father first introduced me to this art form. I couldn't help but sing some of the pieces of this classic “Yue” Opera and remember scenes from the tragic love story. I returned to Shanghai and brought this fan with me, resting it on the table next to my bed. For the next several nights I dreamed of the past and of the story from The Butterfly Lovers. Each day I woke up with a feeling of not knowing exactly when and where I was. In the following days, what had been happening in my dreams started to come alive in my daily life – including a story similar to The Butterfly Lovers! That sad sad love story that has made countless people weep was unfolding in my own life but this time with a happy ending.” The Story of The Butterfly Lovers In the year 3 AD during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, girls we not allowed access to education. Not wanted their daughter to be uneducated, two parents dressed their pretty, smart and innocent girl (Zhu Yingtai) like a boy so she could attend a boarding school. While there, she falls in love with a poor but handsome and industrious young man (Liang Shanbo). Their short love affair ends in tragedy when Liang Shanbo dies from despair in not being able to marry Zhu Yingtai. Zhu Yingtai visits the tomb of her deceased lover and through a magical act both their spirits are transformed into a pair of butterflies. About Helen Lee Helen Lee is one of the leading figures in Shanghai’s rapidly emerging fashion scene. A graduate of China’s most prestigious fashion institute, DHU-Lasalle International Design College, Helen’s talent has been recognized by Chinese and International awards, most recently in Spring 2006 with her win as “Best Designer” in the Shanghai International Young Designers Fashion Showcase and then in March 2007 as one of Vouge’s Top 20 Designers in China. After working for several years in Japan, Helen returned to Shanghai starting up a successful denim brand and more recently the popular Shanghai street wear brand, insh. In November 2006 Helen launched a second line under her Chinese name, Li Hong Yan. This premium-level brand takes her designs to a new level of concept, style and sophistication and is quickly making an impact in boutiques throughout China. Helen’s work is regularly featured in publications including Vogue, ELLE and iFlare among others.