Mots-clés
800 AQI, Andre Leon Talley, AQI, Beijing air quality, Beijing fashion, Beijing retail, Beijing Street Style, Beijng 2014 LV City Guide, BNC, BRAND NEW CHINA, Chictopia, Chinese designers, Evening, Hong Huang, Hung Huang, iLook, Louis Vuitton City Guide, Luvon by LiuLu, Masha Ma, pollution Pékin, pollution records, records de pollution, Sanlitun North Village, The September issue, Yang Du
This weekend was a record of sorts in Beijing! We broke a yet unseen pollution record according to the World Health Organisation! Where it is considered safe to breathe a level of 25 AQI, we reached… 800! Reuters claims 900 but I must have been asleep. Above 500 we are « off the charts ». Kids are not allowed to play outside in school past 120. To compare Paris is usually hovering at 25/40 and the growth is exponential. 200 is not twice level 100 but about 4 times that, so 800 was indeed historical. Which of course, outside of base considerations like asthma, skin problems or cancer, does not make my search for beauty and style any easier. In the famous words of André Léon Talley in « The September Issue », « It is the famine of beauty honey! My eyes are starving for beauty! » 
My Belles du Jour are doing what we are all doing. Staying put and indoors protected as best they can from the smog. Virtual prisoners trying not to breathe too hard. Then, through my sore throat and stinging eyes I thought of presenting the most interesting boutique in the City. I am currently wrapping up a project I have with the first Beijing issue of the Louis Vuitton City Guide. I had to visit all the most important boutiques in Beijing to write about them. If the city is as diverse and as creative as the great girls that walk in it for my benefit, a boutique is definitely head and shoulders above all else for being the most interesting, the richest and most diverse platform for the talented designers that are Born and Raised in China right now. BRAND NEW CHINA.
Brain child of Hung Huang, the very cool publisher of one of the best fashion magazine in China iLook, correspondent of WWD in China, star on Weibo with as of today 6 526 399 followers. Her mother was the English preceptor to Chairman Mao himself. Proudly Chinese and born within walking distance of the powerful 
politburo, she was raised in the US which gave her a unique double take on what is going on right now in this country.
BNC has been since I arrived in Beijing my go-to, a regular visit to see what is going on and who is doing what in Womenswear, Menswear, Children, Maison, cosmetics, shoes, bags, accessories, sunglasses and even furniture. Absolutely mind-blowing.
Let’s visit.
Nous vivons une époque formidable. La pollution atteint des records historiques, du jamais vu! Presque 800 au compteur ce weekend, et ce n’est pas fini! Pour comparer, disons que Paris est normalement entre 25 et 40, que la montée est exponentielle et que nous sommes aux environs de 30 fois les taux acceptables. Ce qui evidement n’arrange pas mes ballons dans ma chasse aux Belles du Jour et leurs tenues décalées. Je me retrouve coincée. Du coup, comme elles, je suis restée bien tranquillement à l’intérieur mais j’ai quand même fait une petite visite à la boutique la plus importante pour les jeunes créateurs chinois.
Comme je termine un projet pour le premier guide Louis Vuitton City Guide sur Pékin, c’est avec un oeil acéré que je viens de visiter toutes les boutiques phares de la ville, et BNC est tout simplement époustouflante.
BRAND NEW CHINA est la passion d’une des femmes les plus importantes de la mode en Chine. Hong Huang. Editrice-en-Chef du sublime magazine de mode iLook, correspondante à Pékin du quotidien américain WWD, star de Weibo avec 6 526 399 de fans à ce jour. Sa mere était la préceptrice d’anglais de Mao. Elevée aux Etats-Unis, elle a une perspective unique et trés interessante sur les bouleversements de la Chine d’aujourd’hui et plus particulierement sur la mode. 
Profondément attachée à son pays et croyant en la force créative des jeunes designers chinois, elle a investi dans Sanlitun Nord un espace immense et dédié à la création exclusivement Born in China. Mode femme, homme et enfant, objets de la maison, cosmétiques, souliers, sacs, lunettes de soleil, valises ou couvertures d’enfants se cotoient avec pour mot d’ordre: Créativité, originalité et qualité
Magnifique.
Visite.
A little dress by my beloved Chictopia in front of her collection. One of the store’s best selling line of course. 
The familiar stripes from Evening Couture. Just chic.
The quirky sense of humour of Yang Du.
The kids’ corner. Prices might compete with The Gap, the style does not.
Beautiful choices of shoes, sadly big western feet (fr.39+) need not apply.
Exquisite homewear
j’adore cette collection de cols brodés, imprimés, bijoutés à porter comme des colliers. I love this collections of collars embroidered, printed, jewelled to be worn like necklaces.
the strong and elegant collection of Luvon by Liu Lu
Humorous and practical boiled wood accessories.
Les couleurs décalées de Chictopia
The new best selling bag by Yang Du. Easier than last season’s Giraffe and so cool!
voila.
Gabrielle
10:54 am January 14th 2013. 307 AQI. On tient le bon bout.
Ma belle, J’ai tout simplement ador ton « post » aujourd’hui perfectly aligned with Arnaud de la Grange’s article in the Figaro this morning et t’envoie des bouffes d’air vosgien idal comme oxygne pour finir les derniers paragraphes de mon livre sur les New Food Enrepreneurs Kisses dear M*
Des bouffées d’air Vosgiens??? Je prends! Mes yeux piquent depuis 3 jours! Les enfants se mouchent noir! Vite de l’air!
I appreciate the good work you are doing! I’ve really enjoyed reading it. You’ve arouse me a great interest. I’ll investigate it more. Keep up doing it!