For a long time， Chinese production has been synonymous with corner-cutting and cheap goods. Few Western luxury brands were willing to admit how much of their stock was manufactured there. However， that perception is slowly changing as many homegrown brands-high-end womens label Uma Wang， Mary Ching shoes and Sept-wolves menswear， to name a few-focus on quality craftsmanship， often with a traditional bent and sophisticated designs.

These brands are starting to make inroads with the most fashion-forward of the countrys sizable luxury hungry population. “Younger Chinese women are very discerning and want things that others dont have，” said Lionel Derimais， photographer and blogger who has charted the rise of such brands on his three-year-old site Nicely Made in China. “Everybodys got a Louis Vuitton bag or a Gucci. These girls want something different and very often its a Chinese brand.”

“ln the first 30 years of economic development， we didnt have the opportunity to pursue this desire. It was basic needs-no more hunger and cold，” explained Shang Xias CEO and artistic director Jiang Qiong Er. “Now weve started to go back to our cultural roots. In the last five years， people have realized the importance of creativity and quality in China.”

Driven by many of the same instincts as Ms. Jiang， Alison Yeung founded her luxury shoe line， Mary Ching， in Shanghai four years ago. The globe-trotting daughter of a former Cantonese diplomat is active and impassioned， like a stiletto-shod mash up of vintage Spice Girl and Manolo Blahnik. “My mission is to change the perceptions associated with made in China，” she explained. “We source local materials， like water snake. My concept is 100% made in China.” She added， “lts the same as with Japan 50 years ago. Things made there were considered cheap and bad quality. Now they produce the best in the world.”

This nascent made-in-China pride reflects the cultural revolution currently under way in the worlds most populous nation. A great many of its white-collar workers under 35 are only children-the result of the countrys strict one-child policy enacted in 1979-with their disposable income boosted by gifts from doting families. “Theyve never known hardship， theyre fiercely nationalistic and very proud of the modern， emerging China taking its place on the global stage，” noted Nick Debnam， Asia Pacific chairman of financial advisory firm KPMG China， who has studied this phenomenon， “They now have money to spend， and they would like to associate with brands like Shang Xia.”

Chinas stylish new first lady， Peng Liyuan， wears mostly domestic labels， and has boosted their profile and profits much as first lady Michelle Obamas cheerleading did for J. Crew and Jason Wu， One of Ms. Pengs favorites is Exception de Mixmind， whose designer， Ma Ke， was invited in 2008 to present a collection at the haute couture shows in Paris. The brand now has 50 stores in China. Ms. Mas work is reminiscent of fashion-forward Western designers like Rick Owens and Dries Van Noten， but she uses traditional Chinese dyeing and weaving techniques.

The multimillion-dollar question， of course， is how to make product that appeals to both domestic and international sensibilities. Ms. Yeung， who was educated at English schools and attended Londons prestigious design school Central Saint Martins， makes it a point to emphasize the cross-cultural appeal of her designs. She said her shoes fuse Chinese opulence with British eccentricity. She devotes 10% of each collection to styles for Asian consumers， The rest of her wares are available world-wide.

Thirty-eight-year-old menswear brand Bosideng， which has more than 11，000 Chinese stores， is also making a big play for Western customers. The company recently opened a flagship， at a cost of over $50 million， on Londons South Molton Street. However， the product inside the London store is different from the labels domestic range， and the logo is changed. That clothing， manufactured largely in Europe， is a pricier riff on Bosidengs classic aesthetic， combining British tailoring with a few Chinese touches.

Soon， though， loyalists in China wont need to book a ticket to Europe to browse the London stores collection. Within two seasons， Bosideng will make the European designs available on its home shores-a unique instance of East-meets-West-meets-East-again.

長期以来，中国制造一直是偷工减料和廉价商品的同义词。过去，几乎没有哪个西方奢侈品品牌愿意承认自己有多少货品是在中国生产的。不过，随着很多中国本土品牌专注于高质量的做工，常集传统元素与精致的设计于一体，人们的这一观念正在慢慢改变——例如高端女装品牌王汁、女鞋品牌贞和男装品牌七匹狼等。

这些品牌逐渐开始吸引中国庞大的奢侈品消费群体中那些最前卫的时尚人士。摄影师、博主里昂耐尔·德里迈在其开设了三年的网站Nicely Made in China上记述了这类中国本土高端品牌的崛起：“年轻的中国女性非常有眼光，她们想要与众不同的东西。（这些女孩们）每个人都已有一个路易·威登或古驰的包包，她们想要与众不同的东西，而这些东西往往是中国品牌。”

“上下”的首席执行官及艺术总监蒋琼耳解释说：“经济发展的头30年，我们没有机会追求这样的愿望。当时我们只有基本的需求——不再挨饿受冻。如今我们开始回归我们的文化根源。在过去五年中，人们已经认识到创意和质量在中国的重要性。”

受到与蒋琼耳类似的一些本能的驱使，杨贞四年前在上海建立了自己的奢侈鞋类品牌“贞”。这个周游世界的前广东外交官的女儿精力充沛、充满激情，总是穿着细高跟鞋，结合了古典辣妹和莫罗·伯拉尼克的风格。她解释说：“我的使命是改变人们对‘中国制造的印象，我们使用本土的材料，比如水蛇皮;我的理念是，100%的中国制造。”她补充说：“就像是50年前的日本一样，当时日本生产的产品被认为价格便宜、质量低下，而现在日本却在生产世界最好的产品。”

这种新出现的、对“中国制造”的骄傲感反映出了这个世界人口最多的国家正在发生着文化革命。中国35岁以下的职场白领很多都是独生子——这是中国1979年开始严格实施一胎政策的结果——他们的可支配收入还因为溺爱他们的家人的馈赠而得到提升。金融咨询公司毕马威中国亚太地区董事长戴力行研究过这一现象，他说：“他们从来没吃过苦，他们非常民族主义，对于在全球舞台赢得一席之地的、现代的、兴起的中国感到非常骄傲;他们现在有钱花，他们想要与上下这样的品牌产生关联。”

中国时尚的新第一夫人彭丽媛主要穿着国产品牌，这极大地提振了国产品牌的影响力和利润，就像美国第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马为J.Crew和Jason Wu带来的宣传效应一样。彭丽媛最钟爱的品牌是例外，这一品牌的设计师马可2008年曾被邀请在巴黎的高级时装秀上展示其产品系列。例外在中国有50家专卖店。马可的作品让人联想起前卫的西方设计师，比如瑞克·欧文斯和德赖斯·范·诺顿，不过她使用的是中国的染色和纺织技术。

当然，一个价值数百万美元的问题是：如何設计出能够同时吸引中国和国外顾客的产品。在英国接受教育，曾就读于伦敦久负盛名的设计学校中央圣马丁艺术与设计学院的杨贞给出了答案。她认为强调设计中的跨文化吸引力非常重要。她说她的鞋子将中国式的奢华和英国式的古怪融合在了一起。在每个系列的鞋子中，杨贞会专门拿出10%按照亚洲消费者喜欢的样式进行设计，剩下的样式走的都是国际路线。

已有38年历史的男装品牌波司登也开始迎合西方顾客。该品牌在中国有超过11000家门店。波司登最近在伦敦南莫尔顿街斥资5000万美元开设了一家旗舰店。然而，伦敦门店内销售的商品和该品牌在国内销售的不同，品牌标识也发生了变化。伦敦门店内销售的服饰大都在欧洲制造，比波司登的经典款式稍贵，将英式剪裁和中国风格融为一体。

不过很快，国内的波司登忠实粉丝就无需预订机票到欧洲去浏览其伦敦门店的商品了。波司登国内门店在两季之内就能看到欧洲的设计。这是一个不同寻常的“东方遇见西方然后又重回东方”的例子。

The ability of the Kangaroo袋鼠的能力

The zoo built a special eight-foot-high enclosure for its newly acquired kangaroo， but the next morning the animal was found hopping around outside. The height of the fence was increased to 15 feet， but the kangaroo got out again. Exasperated， the zoo director had the height increased to 30 feet， but the kangaroo still escaped. A giraffe asked the kangaroo， “How high do you think theyll build the fence？” “I dont know， ” said the kangaroo. “Maybe a thousand feet if they keep leaving the gate unlocked.”

动物园为刚引进的袋鼠建了一个特殊的八英尺高的围墙。但是第二天早上，人们发现这动物在围墙外面蹦跳着。于是围墙高度增加到十五英尺，但袋鼠还是跑了出来。动物园经理甚感恼火，又叫人把围墙高度加到三十英尺，但袋鼠还是逃了出来。一个长颈鹿问袋鼠：“你认为他们会把围墙建到多高？” “我不知道，”袋鼠说，“如果他们继续开着大门，可能要修到一千英尺吧。”