Raffles Hotels & Resorts, together with Wendy Yu, Founder of the YU PRIZE, President of Yu Holdings, and Brand Ambassador of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, proudly kicked-off Paris Fashion Week on the evening of September 25 with The New Wave of Chinese Fashion. As part of the official fashion week calendar, the celebratory cocktail event showcased the work of 11 Chinese designers, providing them with the opportunity to engage with fashion industry leaders and media from around the world.
“Wendy Yu is a powerful force of creativity, leading the way in bringing Chinese artistic talent to the world stage; and we are honored to count her as a Raffles brand ambassador,” said Gary Rosen, CEO, Accor Greater China. “As a global leader in luxury hospitality, the Raffles brand has long been synonymous with legendary service, glamour, art, culture, and storied destinations, all of which are inextricably linked to the world of fashion. We are proud to have supported the first YU PRIZE event at Paris Fashion Week, which was an outstanding opportunity to showcase the best of Chinese fashion and artistry as well as promote cultural exchange between China and France. We look forward to following the success of the YU PRIZE designers as they continue to forge their careers.”
With a prime spot on the Paris Fashion Week calendar, The New Wave of Chinese Fashion was hosted by Wendy Yu in the luxurious and elegant setting of Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, in partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week and Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM). Wendy Yu was joined by numerous high-profile fashion industry executives, leaders, influencers, celebrities, and media, as well as representatives of the event’s official partners – OTB Group, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Harrods and Xiaohongshu.
The talented YU PRIZE designers attending The New Wave of Chinese Fashion included Louis Shengtao Chen of LOUIS SHENGTAO CHEN; Di Du of DIDU; Li Gong of 8ON8; Wanbing Huang of AT-ONE-MENT; Haoran Li & Siying Qu of PRIVATE POLICY; Sensen Li of WINDOWSEN; Ming Ma of MING MA; Ruohan Nie of RUOHAN; Yueqi Qi of YUEQI QI; Shuting Qiu of SHUTING QIU; and Mark Wang & Tim Shi of MARRKNULL – each of whom exhibited the most iconic recent works of their brands.
“I have always been passionate about scouting and empowering young talent. I founded the YU PRIZE with the aim to support local creatives globally and really accelerate their careers effectively. I am beyond humbled and grateful that we are able to be part of the official Paris Fashion Week calendar this season, in association with Shanghai Fashion Week and Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, along with our long-term partners – OTB Group, Raffles, Harrods and Xiaohongshu,” said Wendy Yu, Founder of the YU PRIZE, President of Yu Holdings, and Brand Ambassador of Raffles Hotels & Resorts. “As a patron of the creative industry, I see fashion as an art form that enables the celebration of ourselves everyday. These young minds are here to bring newness at all stages of designing, and for this, they should be celebrated.”
Since its inception in 2020, the YU PRIZE has received top-level recognition from media and the fashion industry as a whole. The jury, consisting of industry leaders such as Mary Katrantzou, Madame Lyu, Pascal Morand, Sarah Mower, and Renzo Rosso amongst others, has scouted and empowered 36 groups of Chinese designers to date. The award brings together East and West perspectives to celebrate the power and potential of Chinese design, with the shared vision to discover unparalleled creativity, provide critical support for the domestic fashion industry in China, and offer a platform for international exposure and collaboration.
Raffles is world-renowned for its legacy of supporting art and design – encouraging artists to transcend their craft, while creating places of authentic culture where ideas, inspiration, and imagination lift the soul. Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris is the only hotel in Paris with its own in-house art concierge, providing guests with access to cultural and artistic news, Parisian exhibitions, auctions, live performances, concerts, artist workshops and activities for children as well as personalized tours of the hotel’s private collection of more than 350 distinct works of art.
“Raffles is where its century-old legacy meets avant-garde inspirations, where we seek to curate innovative ideas and extraordinary experiences, with haute couture and extravagant beauty in our repertoire,” said Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles & Orient Express. “With The New Wave of Chinese Fashion at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, we were delighted to play a role in connecting new talents with established traditions, inspiring the creative spirit for generations to come.”
With landmark addresses around the world, including London, Boston, Macau, Singapore, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, and more, Raffles anticipates opportunities to feature cross-collaborations between the promising YU PRIZE designers with local creatives already connected to Raffles hotels in other fields, such as visual art, gastronomy, and other cultural forms, bringing richer and multi-layered experiences to guests and local communities.