Star power meets Chinese energy

Chinese actress Yang Mi joins Michael Kors' latest promotional project, Young China[Photo/China Daily]

On a recent, terribly smoggy afternoon, Michael Kors sat down to talk about his latest project, Young China, and his new flagship store in Beijing.

Looking out the window of our meeting room on the 22nd floor of the Rosewood Hotel, I could not help sighing at the sight of the gray lanes of old buildings along the capital's East Third Ring Road.

"You should choose a better day to open the store here," I say.

But the 56-year-old fashion designer looked high-spirited, raising his voice to say: "Oh, let's forget about pollution. I love the exciting current of the hustle and bustle that runs through Beijing.

"It's an amazing city, because you have so much useful energy. You have this mixture of what's next, what's new and the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. I can go to a hutong (traditional alley) and 10 minutes later I can see skyscrapers. There's so much heritage built into the city and yet, with its tall, glassy skyscrapers and thriving population, it's almost like glimpsing into a mirror of the future."

The New York-based designer could not hide his enthusiasm about the emerging market. That's why he's decided to open his largest flagship store in Asia in Beijing's China Central Place and also collaborate with Vogue China to do a multimedia exhibition celebrating the next generation of Chinese talent.