NEW YORK, Jan 7, 2008 / FW/ — Already a sought-after designer since 1993 in Hong Kong, Kin Yeung’s 2001 debut under the tents at Bryant Park during the Spring 2002 New York season paved the way for the opening of the Blanc de Chine flagship store at 673 Fifth Avenue in 2005.

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The store was such a big success, that in 2006, the three-story flagship located at 673 Fifth Avenue was awarded Contract Magazine’s Best Retail Interior design award.

Debuting at the tents in Bryant Park in Sep 2001 during the Spring 2002 New York season, Kin Yeung’s (the designer behind the label Blanc de Chine) perfect sense of proportion and balance caught the eyes of the Big Apple’s fashionistas.

Serene, as in Zen-like, Blanc de Chine’s Fifth Avenue location features décor that was designed to reflect the garments such as bamboo screens, floor to ceiling glass windows and an eye-catching three-story spiral staircase.

In these quiet surroundings, Kin Yeung’s creations take center stage. Beginning with best quality fabrics, the garments indulge all five senses – from the soft silks that is cool to the touch, to the impeccable proportions as the dress transitions from 2-D (as in still in a hanger) to 3-D, when the woman wears it, to intellectual stimulations as the wearer realize that Kin Yeung has woven an element from ancient China to a modern silhouette.

But it’s not just the clothes that turn heads amongst the world-class elite. The concepts behind Blanc de Chine are what started it all. When Blanc de Chine founder Kin Yeung first came up with the idea of Blanc de Chine in the late 1980’s, he was trying to fill a void in the luxury market.

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“Blanc de Chine started as a design workshop with a mission to go beyond the cliché, taking inspiration from the wealth of Chinese culture, art, history, and philosophy. Blanc de Chine was the first design house to make a serious effort in translating the cultural values of Zen Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism into garment collections that serve a contemporary lifestyle,” the businessman and real estate developer-turned designer told the Wall Street Journal in 2007.

Blanc de Chine has gained the attention of many celebrities, from singers to athletes to movie stars, including Gloria and Emilio Estefan, country sensation Alison Kraus, Armand Assante, Eva Longoria, Katie Lee Joel, Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies), Yankee’s manager Joe Torre, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi, and Michelle Yeoh.

“When I am on the red carpet and would like to present the subtleties of the Orient, Blanc de Chine creations with its charm and elegance helps me do simply that,” says Yeoh.

[MARI DAVIS]