str Buzz - Street Fashion & Style

China is the new retail giant – and a fashion-conscious younger generation is bringing a fresh look to its city streets

As the finishing touches are made to the Olympic venues, across Beijing another temple to sport is rising from the ground. Or rather, a temple to sportswear in the form of a colossal Nike shop. International shops and malls are springing up in the city faster than a 100m sprinter.

With China predicted to become the world’s biggest luxury market within the next decade, every well-known international label wants a piece of China’s retail pie. In the Oriental Plaza mall in Beijing, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and MaxMara have all opened sleek new shops. There is a popular conception that the Chinese are obsessed with big brands, and to a great extent this is true, as the obvious logos that emblazon everything from an office worker’s fake Louis Vuitton bag to a teenager’s copycat Kappa tracksuit attest. It’s even possible to determine the popularity of a brand by how heavily it is imitated in one of the country’s malls or markets.

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You might think this is pointless, but you never know when you might need the ability to high jump or back flip into a pair of jeans. It’s especially impressive when you can jump over a fence and into a pair of jeans.. or jump off of a teeter-totter and backflip into a pair of jeans.

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Two young men at Ssamziegil, a fun outdoor shoppoing mall located in the popular artsy neighborhood of Insadong. I like the Oxford shoes on the left and the caramel-colored coat on the right.

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