Black, white and green dominated the catwalk at China International Fashion Week.
The event ends today in Beijing with the "China Fashion Golden Prize" awards ceremony, the highest honor for Chinese fashion designers.
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Ma Yanli's Maryma line.
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But the global financial crisis cast deep shadows over the event, while pure colors and simple designs replaced the previous flamboyant hues and decorative elements in most collections.
Take Aimer's grand lingerie show, for instance. With the theme of "new simplicity", the latest Aimer "Discovery" collection left out sweet floral prints and expensive crystals, cut down on complicated pleats and lace, and turned to low-key colors like purple, green, white and black.
"In the past we put more emphasis on visual effects and luxurious materials for our collection," said Zhang Rongming, the president of Aimer group, one of the most successful lingerie brands in China. "But now we need to find a new expression."
Rational consumption has become a theme for many designers. Xu Yanzhen, designer of the "Discovery" collection, said that through her designs she wanted to promote a simple lifestyle.
"Fashion doesn't mean buying luxurious products, but looking for a natural and simple way of living," Xu said.
Even Erdos, the high-end cashmere brand, has changed its haughty image and is offering a trendy collection with affordable prices.
Meanwhile, international brands that usually comprise 20 percent of shows at China Fashion Week, were absent this time from the catwalk.
There were just two foreign shows during fashion week this time around - Australia's Merino "Woolmark Prize" Collection show and South Korean designer Lea Song's "Ready to Wear" show.
