Photo of the day: Designer Dreams

We’re running a photo series this week called “Beauty Talks” by Nicole Chan — exploring the shifting standards of female beauty in a rapidly changing China.

In 1978, Deng Xiaoping became leader of an impoverished China, still smoldering from the destructive Cultural Revolution. But in three decades of “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” economic reform, the People’s Republic of China has become the world’s largest economy and the largest emerging market for luxury goods. Terms like 暴发户 (baofahu, overnight millionaire) and 土豪 (tuhao, crass rich) describe a new type of consumer: one who has money and is eager to show it. In the classic tension between old bourgeois and the nouveau riche, super rich Chinese often partake in conspicuous consumption by stacking on easily recognizable designer brands to flaunt their wealth. Some of the most popular luxury clothing and accessory brands include Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Hermes, and Gucci.

Model: Song Jie (Larissa)

Photo Assistants: Richard Lewei Huang, Harry Lee