Jenny Ji’s Wedded Bliss

Shanghai’s fashion ‘it girl’ Jenny Ji delves into haute couture with a new bridal collection and lingerie line.

On a sunny afternoon as the first signs of spring are emerging in Shanghai, Jenny Ji is seated at a café patio outside her design studio at Red Town. She is glowing; not only because of the day’s fine weather, but also because under her grey wool cardigan is her seven-month-swollen belly.

The Shanghainese fashion designer and founder of La Vie is having her first baby this spring. But that’s not the only new addition in her life lately. Ji, who has been profiled by The New York Times and featured in the China editions of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, recently launched The Wedding – her first bridal gown collection – and is expanding La Vie’s lineup with lingerie and baby apparel.

Since launching her own fashion label in Tianzifang back in 2002, many of Ji’s loyal followers have requested wedding dresses. “Actually, I don’t like most wedding gowns in China. Girls wear the same dresses with huge princess skirts and most brides look the same,” Ji says. “I finally said, ‘Okay, let me give this a try.’”

The Milan-trained fashion designer had one of the most highly anticipated shows at Shanghai Fashion Week in October, where she first introduced The Wedding. White silk, chiffon and lace gowns, prestigiously adorned with Swarovski crystals and Chinese design elements, floated down the runway alongside bright red feminine evening dresses fit for wedding banquets.

Ji’s bridal line is marked with her signature touch – simple elegance and modern Chinese style. One gown that will be featured in a Shiseido cosmetics advertisement is classic white lace with a lavish red ribbon bow around the waist, draping down the gown’s modest train; while another dress has a cutout of the Chinese character for ‘double happiness’ on the lower back, adding a touch of both creativity and traditional auspiciousness.

“A lot of brides come to us and they want too much for themselves. They want a dress that will make them look young, slim, perfect,” Ji says. “But I think girls have to remember, they’re not models and this should be the one time in your life that you should be the most like yourself.

“I always say that fashion is something I can control ... Fashion is something you can do for yourself and choose for yourself.”

“The most important thing is not the clothes. The dress cannot be more beautiful than the bride,” she adds. 

One thing has led to another for Ji. Her idea to delve into lingerie design, for example, wouldn’t have happened if she had not seen brides-to-be having difficulties finding lingerie to complement her gowns’ low backs and distinct shapes.

“There’s no designer lingerie,” says Ji, sorting through her laptop to show mock-ups of some of the 30 lingerie designs coming out in March. “A lot of my customers couldn’t find lingerie that wouldn’t change the shape of the dress. So we thought, why don’t we design wedding and honeymoon lingerie sets?”

On top of that, the La Vie lingerie collection will also include everyday wear and maternity fits. And perhaps, if she weren’t pregnant while working on this line, the latter and baby apparel wouldn’t have come to exist either. “It’s so difficult to find nice maternity lingerie. When you’re pregnant, you still want to be pretty, and not look ugly with a huge belly,” Ji says with a laugh.

These additions to La Vie will also feature a blue Chinese tiger design, the inspiration behind the next season’s collection. This formula of using traditional Chinese cultural symbols – including Beijing opera, Chinese chess, and most recently, peacock feathers – is something that Ji has stayed true to in every fashion collection over the years.

“We pick something traditional and use it in a modern way, make it more fashionable,” Ji says. “We’re proud of our history and culture, and we want to do something to remember them – not just put them away.”

But don’t expect that Ji, who originally studied economics in hopes of becoming a teacher, will be making any qipaos. That just isn’t her style.

“For me, qipaos are too traditional and La Vie is about being modern. I don’t want to go the wrong way,” says Ji.

“I always say that fashion is something I can control. There are so many things you cannot control in your life, like your business, income or relationships. But fashion is something you can do for yourself and choose for yourself.”

La Vie Boutiques are located at Courtyard 7, Lane 210, Taikang Lu, near Sinan Lu. Tel: 6445 3585, or 306 Changle Lu, near Ruijin Lu. Tel: 6384 7378. Web: www.lavie.com.cn.