China’s Top Lookbooker: An Interview with Leopard Z 小豹

The infamous firewall of China has caused not only a political divide amongst netizens of China and the West but also a cultural one, specifically with fashion blogs in this case. Whilst sites like Tumblr, Blogspot and Wordpress are show prominent usage by bloggers in North America and Europe, their Chinese counterparts have had little representation in these fields. Instead, the Chinese end up on  sites like Sina blog etc. Some exceptions however seem to pop up on Western domains, providing a democratic voice of the street from modern China that is far from the logo-obsessed stereotypical parodies of the Chinese. One of them includes Lookbook.

Today’s post will feature Leopard Z, a visionary creative that challenges and defies Asian stereotypes to perpetuate an image that is tough, bold and new. Working as an editor for Chinese street style magazine “Shopping東西”, Leopard is in charge of the music column and photo shoots for the luxury goods. Her photos are evidence of a keen key for fashion with her finger on the pulse of the times. I managed to spend some time with Leopard, in which she tells us what it takes to rise in a competitive fashion industry, what fuels her inspirations and what it means to belong to a country that is slowly being recognized as a cultural and fashion powerhouse.

Leopard Z, thank you very much for meeting up today. To start off our interview, I’d like to take us back to your roots and really to where it all started. Can you briefly describe to me in your own words, who is Leopard Z? 

Leopard Z is a bit of a tomboy: tough, strong, risk-taking. The name was actually a nickname that my friends and family called me that I eventually took on. A Leopard is a swift, agile and nimble predator. It is a symbol of strength, majesty. In other words it possesses all the qualities I aspire to have. 

I grew up in Xi’an, an idyllic, simple city full of history. Although I loved it, at the age of 15 I decided to come to Beijing to pursue a career in music. I first started off with my own punk band, moving a few years later into Emo music as lead female singer. We released an album, did a country-wide tour and attended many musical festivals. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Emo culture is not fully accepted by the majority of society, we decided to disband and I gave up on my childhood dream. I’ve also studied fashion design at a community college. 

In terms of interests, I have a deep and profound obsession for music and fashion. I remember one point of my life, I secluded and indulged myself in the world of music for two years. During this time, I devoted myself completely to music with the rest spent on eating and sleeping. Downloading hundreds of new songs everyday, I would listen with particular attention to each song selecting only the best.

Can you tell us about your professional life and what its like living as a creative professional in Beijing?

So just to start off, I’m an editor as well as a music column writer for a street-style magazine. I’m also in charge of taking pictures for the magazine’s luxury goods’ page as well as picture editor. I learn something everyday whilst on my job, slowly becoming more comfortable with the daily tasks that I need to do. In all necessity, I think it is important to use every opportunity to express what I have learned, in the hope that through my efforts, I am able to influence and contribute a change in aesthetics for China’s younger generation.

Competition is fierce is in a city like Beijing. You have to devote almost of all of your time and energy in order to earn some sort of decent return be that pay or recognition. However, it is my penchant for music and fashion that keeps me working for very long hours without any qualms. At the moment, my home is extremely far from the office so it takes me about six hours to travel back and forth. Everyday, I wake up at 4:30 and arrive home at 9 in order to fit within my work schedule.

Growing up and learning about the ways of the world, can you tell us which pieces of work that you have come across or studied that have profoundly impacted you. 

Regarding the medium of art, I am very much music-oriented. If you want me to list my favorite songs, then you might need to get out a very large sheet of paper to write everything down! I curate my songs based on what I like best. However, there are a few rules that I set for myself:  example, there will be no more than five songs from a band, and no more than 2 songs from an album. 

Recently, the musical genres I like are Synth Pop, Disco techno dance, Indie Rock, New Wave  Electronics, Post-punk and Acid Techno.  Andy Warhol has also influenced me greatly. His attitude and philosophy towards life really fascinated me more than his paintings and movies. Irvine Welsh and Jack Kerouac are also my favorite authors. 

Besides listening to music, movies also play an important role in my life. Some days, I try to make some time to watch two or three movies everyday just to vicariously experience another life that is different from reality. Nietzsche once used terms “Dionysian” and “Apollonian” to symbolize the binary between drunken ecstasy / enthusiasm and rationalism. To me, the creative reverie  and imagination from movies and the spirit of rock music ties in with this Dionysian term because it moves and stirs very deep instincts within me.

Your portfolio on Lookbook are often very  elaborate with staging, lighting, outfit etc. Can you tell us about the creative process that goes behind these photos? 

In actual fact, the creative process of the photo shoots is quite straightforward. Before any execution, I always have a clear idea of my theme, specifically which of my sides that I want photographed, personality, feeling etc. I’ve had both friends and family as well as professionals photograph me, though each photographer may a give different interpretation of who I am. The down side of professional photographers are that their vision and conception of who you are through hair style, costume, makeup and place may not be true to your identity. 

Yes, I can see what you mean. But despite this variability, I’ve noticed that generally that the woman in your photos is  strong and determined, contrasting greatly with the stereotypical “obedient Chinese girl”. Does this assessment seem true?

You are absolutely right. In fact, I always want to be different from stereotype. Andy Warhol once said: “Be a bad kid in a good environment or be a good kid in a bad environment, either way you’ll stand out and increase your likelihood of being successful”. This is the philosophy behind this aesthetic. 

How would you describe Beijing fashion- both in terms of street and on the runway?

Beijing’s street fashion can be divided into four groups: The first are those that the individualists, whose aesthetics are fueled by their personal desires. They dress without any thought about the outside world with garments that can be cheap, branded or DIY. Given the sheer scope of their dress code, it’s often hard, even for experienced stylists to recognize the outfit’s category and brand. The second group are often trend watchdogs, who are on top of the hottest international trends. They are diligent in updating their wardrobe. This is often based on the newest fashion shows, product launches and brands. Next are the eccentric, famously or rather infamously known for their abnormal and scary personality. I think they are very adventurous, even though they may receive stares from pedestrians passing by… They stand out from the ordinary and try to differentiate themselves through costume, hair etc. Oftentimes, they venture forth to new areas that other people wouldn’t even dare to try. Lastly, there are the trademark and logo-obsessed. This type of fashion consumer applies often to the rich of China. Virtually everything they own is branded. For them, price is first, brand is second, third is style. 

Regarding the consumption of luxury goods, I consider Shanghai to be the only other city that can compete with Beijing. However, there are some profound differences between the two cities, especially regarding young people and their conception of luxury consumption. From what I can see„ young people in Shanghai worship brands much more than people in Beijing who prefer the  practicality and design of products. 

Beijing is obviously a city teeming with cultural energies. Can you tell us some places that you go to inspire yourself? 

For the places that give me inspiration, I would definitely say the big party of the electric rock clubs in Beijing. Because the themes keep on changing, the party is hosted in different places. My favorite one was the party beside the Forbidden City—Candy, Star live.

I don’t have a place where I frequent regularly… But if you asked me to recommend some places to experience Beijing’s night life, I would definitely tell you that Sanlitun, Houhai and the Worker’s Stadium are good places to go. 

What are your favorite local and foreign websites/blogs that you read? 

http://sangbleu.com -An independent magazine in Switzerland.

You channel a lot of influences within your photos. I am particularly interested in one of your photos titled “Leopard Pattern” (see above). Can you tell us the story behind this photo and its outfit, from concept to execution?

“Leopard Pattern” was executed and finished with the help of a few friends in their studio. The hairstyle really impressed! Kudos to my friend who works at Toni&Guy! As for the story behind it, nothing was done on purpose, I just wanted to be anti-traditional in this photo. Also, I wanted there to be a the clash between traditional and modern culture, the feeling of loss, and the binding of morals. The essence behind “Leopard Pattern” is “beauty lost under constraint”.

Who are some of your favorite designers at the moment? What is about their work that fascinates you?

Alexander McQueen is my favorite designer. I felt very sorry for his passing away. His works have inspired my style and his ideas will always have a special place in my heart. I also like Gareth Pugh’s struggle between lightness and darkness and the combination of geometric figures in his designs. He is a designer who features a lot of surrealist elements. In fact many costumes in my photos are influenced by him. I also love Junya Watanabe, whose simplicity is different from my usual aesthetic. I like the monotone palette and sophisticated cutting of his designs, they are easy yet elegant.

 

Regarding your photo “Kicking and Screaming” (see above), you comment that fashion is “[n]ot just Chanel, Dior Prada” and that the “whole world is catching up” to Chinese fashion. What did you mean by this? 

Maybe its because my English is bad, but the interpretation is slightly off. What I meant is that “the whole world is catching up to Chinese fashion”. That sentence was really based on inspirations during that time which included  Karl Lagerfeld’s “Chanel - Paris Shanghai “A Fantasy”, Dior’s Lady Blue, and Fudong Yang’s photograph series for Prada. The fact that all of these big fashion houses have adopted this oriental theme illustrates that Chinese design is sweeping across the world.

Chinese fashion designer Xander Zhou has said that “design is an international thing”, and that “designers shouldn’t have a nationality”. What do you make out of all of this?  

I agree with Xander. Designers shouldn’t be bounded or stereo-typed by nationality. But once you actually think about it, what have we done that is culturally significant in modern times? Besides the cultural heritage that we have inherited from our ancestors, Chinese society is influenced nowadays by Westerners, hence these designers are left with no choice but to subject themselves to these . If Chinese designers want to garner an international reputation , we as designers need to create something that is situated in the present moment of modern Chinese culture. I hope that one day is not far.

China is currently going through a profound modern transformation. What do you see in the future?

I believe China’s future is bright, especially given the profound economic growth and subsequent influence in recent years. China is now maturing after years of rapid transformation. But no matter which profession or field many of us are in, teamwork and coordination is crucial. Thus, we need to cooperate in order to improve problems around us, harmony is the prerequisite to the sustainable growth in our society.

I think if an inspired young person looking foreward wants to do something extraordinary, he needs to express his talents through producing work that shows his passion, vitality and inspiration. If you have a plan in your head and you carry it out with your energy and talent, the dream will be realized!

You can catch Leopard’s blog here!

Image Source: lookbook.com/leopard

Credit: Alice Guo