Nowadays, fashion designers seem to prefer to look backwards in search for inspiration. Apparently, the more we move forward, the more we want to return to our roots.

This season, Shanghai Tang goes "urban nomad."

On the leafy lawns of the Xijiao Guesthouse last weekend, Shanghai Tang showcased its 2004 autumn/winter collection in an explosion of color and ornamentation. A number of celebrities attended the fashion gala, including the newly crowned Athens Olympic Games 110-meter hurdling champion, Liu Xiang.

Inspired by the lifestyle of Mongolian and Tibetan nomads, the show was an excursion into the way of life of people who live in some of the most barren and far-flung regions of the world: the dominant use of animal skins for outerwear; the exuberant use of color and ornamentation to counteract the harshness and difficulties of everyday life; the use of vents and flaps in clothing to accommodate easy mounting on horseback; the penchant for wearing large amounts of jewelry and amulets as talismans.

Accessories - such as hats and belts - were highlighted, borrowing diverse elements from the nomadic tradition. Coral, turquoise, jade and silver beads figured lavishly as buttons and ornaments on jackets, handbags and sweaters.

The vivid prints on the clothing mirror the riotous and gorgeous palette favored by the Tibetan people, while fur, shearling and leather jackets recall the animal-skin coats favored by the nomads.

Shanghai Tang has become a well-established brand in Hong Kong, New York and London. So far, it has opened two stores in the city, one on Maoming Road and the other in Xintiandi. Shanghai Tang is part of the Richemont Group which has some of the world's most famous luxury brands, including Alfred Dunhill and Cartier.

Since its inception in 1994, Shanghai Tang's creations have highlighted some vital elements of Chinese culture in its designs, such as calligraphy and the art of the Miao minority in Yunnan Province. The Chinese elements are woven together into a modern East-meets-West chic.

Joanne Ooi, marketing and creative director of Shanghai Tang, says the brand has a broad appeal to both foreigners and Chinese people because "it encourages people to wear fashions in Chinese style in a modern way - they can also combine with other items in your wardrobe."

(eastday.com October 13, 2004)