Domestic menswear brand Notting Hill did not disappoint spectators as the first show on Thursday, March 24, 2011 to kick off China Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 in Beijing.

Notting Hill presented an incredible collection for mall-goers at Shin Kong Place shopping center. Celebrities attending the event included actor Zhang Hanyu, model-turned-designer Ma Yanli, hosts Jingwei and Luyu, and Wang Zhongjun, Chairman of Huayi Brothers Media Corp., China's largest private entertainment group.

"Designed in China, made around the world, people will see Notting Hill blooming all over the world in the near future," said Xia Hua, Chairwoman of Beijing-based Eve Enterprise Group, which manufactures the menswear brand.

Unlike colorful menswear collections presented at recent international fashion events, Notting Hill offered attire in a natural palette dominated by traditional tones of gray, beige and black, while occasional bright yellow or red on accessories delivered a fresh accent.

The big surprise of the night was seeing the last model prance down the catwalk with a baby in a back carrier.

"No one can resist the innocent smile of a baby," Xia said, noting that she wanted to pass on a note of love and peace amid the turbulent world situation with the war in Libya and the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

"Actually, I am very emotional today," Xia said. "It is not easy for a Chinese brand (to get so far). Many people want to be here today watching the show. I don't think they are merely stunned by the fashionable lineup of the first show of the week. They are also touched by the spirit brought by the Chinese brand. There are wars and disasters, but innocent smiles and craving for beauty are eternal and drive us to move forward."

"As for the baby, the first show in his life has brought us so much joy and inspiration."

Designer Ma Yanli highly praised Notting Hill's new fashionable and wearable collection.

"China will soon see one of its own competitive menswear brands in the international arena," Ma said.

Observing the show in great detail as an industry professional, Ma said she believed that to create the best design, a fashion designer should know what to put in and what to take out, especially when it comes to menswear.

"We saw some breakthroughs in this excellent collection which had no redundancies," Ma said.

Meng Fei, a model who has collaborated with Notting Hill for years, told CRI that the brand was "always graceful, chic and noble."

"It is no far cry from the standard in this collection, but people will see better work in sewing techniques and the choice of materials," Meng said.

Lancy from 25 also held a fashion show on Thursday, which attracted celebrity fashionistas such as Zhang Ziyi.

China Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 will run seven days until March 31. About 40 brands, 20 renowned designers and 300 emerging fashion designers are scheduled to present their collections during 29 shows and seven contests.

IMG Fashion, which produces and represents the world's leading fashion events, has built a partnership with the fashion event to support emerging Chinese designers.

China Fashion Week is sponsored by Mercedes Benz and global logistics company DHL, which started cooperating with the event this year.

China Fashion Week started in 1997. Although it cannot compare in scale to prominent fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, the event has gradually reached beyond China's borders and become more active on a global level.