Breath of the Times
Every year during the second week of June, a week-long Fashion Week is held in Bentley, a southern city in the Bayer Federation.
This wasn't a common practice before, but since people started holding summer product launches at Bentley in recent years, this trend and atmosphere has gradually emerged.
People who come from all over the country and even the world have no idea why they flock here to hold various fashion shows. The reason is simple: to save money.
Hiring a few models, or even supermodels, for a single fashion show is too expensive, but if many companies or individuals work together, the price will be significantly cheaper.
Gradually, more and more people joined, its influence grew, and it gradually spread, becoming an important festival in the fashion industry.
But it doesn't matter if you don't know, since these things are still far removed from the lives of ordinary people.
Lin Qi took a train for two days to get here. Considering the various discomforts of long-distance train travel, he booked a private carriage. However, he still felt tired after arriving at his destination. He suppressed his fatigue in the cramped space, feeling mentally exhausted.
From the moment he got off the train, a long-lost vitality appeared in him. He rarely went to a bar, had some drinks, and slept until the next morning after returning to the hotel.
The ringing of the telephone by his bedside startled him awake. Looking at the noisy phone, he sighed and picked up the receiver.
"You're late, Lin Qi!" came the angry voice from the Sai Weiruila immediately. They had agreed to have breakfast together this morning, and then go to Li Bao to see the latest designer pieces and have some accessories customized for the girl for the second half of the year.
For a poor person, as long as their clothes are not so worn out that they would feel obviously ashamed or embarrassed, they will not throw them away or buy new ones.
Because they need to save money to cover daily bills or to prepare for unexpected situations.
As for fashion and trends, they are probably just worthless, colorful, and impractical things in their eyes.
This is a more common attitude towards life. In some ways, the lives of ordinary people are the mainstream because they are the majority.
But regardless of the average person's attitude towards life, fashion remains fashion, and trends remain trends, just as technological advancements are purely for the purpose of better serving a small group of people.
Fashion and trends are not things that the Working Class and ordinary families need to care about.
An earring worth a few hundred dollars might only be worn once or twice by its owner from the moment it's created until it's completely forgotten. Ordinary people can't do that; only the rich can. That's fashion, that's trend.
Sai Weiruila's family provided her with ample resources to enjoy these things, and she was initially quite happy, but Lin Qi's lateness made her somewhat angry.
This was the first time she had made an appointment with someone and the other person was late.
Everyone used to be punctual, except for Lin Qi! Lin Qi got out of bed with a perfunctory smile, took a shower, changed into some ordinary clothes, and then went to the hotel restaurant.
Ten o'clock, a very peculiar time.
If it's too late, then for the Federal, before 9:30 is still considered "morning," and 10:00 is only half an hour from 9:30, so it's not too late.
But to say it's early is a bit of a stretch; it's almost noon, so it's really not early.
Lin Qi took an apple from the table for breakfast and sat down next to the girl.
The girl looked at him and repeated what she had said before, "You're late!"
Lin Qi shrugged. "Yes, I'm late."
The girl stared at Lin Qi with wide eyes. She should have been very angry, but Lin Qi didn't apologize to her like a gentleman, and seemed somewhat indifferent to her feelings.
Strangely enough, the girl's anger gradually subsided, and she even made some excuses for Lin Qi, such as "He must be very tired after traveling for two days to come and be with me" or "The hotel bed may have kept him up all night, but that's not his fault" or even "Actually, it's already very kind of him to take the time to be with me, so I shouldn't be so difficult to deal with."
In short, she wasn't angry anymore. She stood up, took Lin Qi's hand, and naturally linked arms with him. "Let's go. Don't keep those designers waiting too long."
"They definitely won't mind!" Lin Qi said somewhat vaguely while munching on an apple.
Indeed, that was the case. They agreed to meet at 10 o'clock, but Sai Weiruila and Lin Qi didn't arrive until 10:40. They should have been very annoyed, but the two Li Bao designers didn't feel offended at all. On the contrary, they felt very honored.
Because Sai Weiruila was Wo Delike's daughter, the girl had been trying to avoid this situation, but she could never quite manage it.
"I've heard you have some bold designs..."
The girl quickly became engrossed in the experience. As a well-known luxury brand in the Federal, Li Bao naturally offered high-end services. In fact, most high-end brands offer "high-end services," which are not available to ordinary customers.
Professional designers will tailor-make products that match the image and temperament of their distinguished guests, and each product will be handmade to produce only one piece, rather than being mass-produced, to ensure the uniqueness of each high-end item.
As for the products that can be seen in stores or catalogs, in the eyes of truly elite consumers, they are probably no different from clothes and accessories that cost 99 cents each on the street.
This is a rather lengthy process. Two of Li Bao's top designers are introducing their design concepts and showcasing some works that are currently only on paper.
This year is a special year. The Federal has shed its past escapism and begun to integrate into the international environment. This thing, which seems to be far removed from people's lives, is actually quietly affecting everyone's life.
People may not notice that all the skirts this year are shorter and bolder than in previous years.
Most safety shorts now feature lace trim at the hem, and some women's underwear has broken away from all previous styles in terms of color and design; everything has become bolder...
We have the courage to overcome our past fears of the world and integrate into it, and naturally we can break down some outdated ideas and make everything new and trendy.
Fashion is both far away and near, just like politics.
It wasn't until noon that Sai Weiruila's discussion with the designers ended. She had ordered a lot of odds and ends, mostly various kinds of jewelry.
The designers will continue to create their designs and then send the final drafts to Sai Weiruila. Only after the final design is approved will the custom-made products be made by hand, which is a very long process.
In just over an hour, the girl spent more than 70,000 yuan, and this money was only for those odds and ends—things that could be described as side dishes, not the main course.
The original intention of Li Bao's management was to invite the two to lunch together. They booked a very high-end private restaurant. The fact that Li Bao's jewelry could be worn by Wo Delike's daughter was, in some ways, more effective than advertising.
People trust celebrities' choices, just as some stars and politicians have their own Private Doctor and have publicly stated that they have purchased private commercial Medical Insurance.
People always say they won't be influenced by others to make important choices, but they are influenced time and time again.
After lunch, the two were invited to participate in three fashion shows starting in the afternoon. All sorts of astonishing things appeared on the runway, just like the theme that this Fashion Week did not show: bold and avant-garde.
Everyone's face was filled with a very special expression, like a smile, a beautiful appreciation of this era.
There was also some confusion, a sense of helplessness and bewilderment.
On the fifth day of Bentley Fashion Week, a very special show that Lin Qi was particularly interested in began.
The organizer is a relatively well-known yet emerging fashion brand from the Federal. They have always fallen short of the top tier, lacking both depth and innovation, but this time, they will completely change.
Lin Qi was very enthusiastic, which made Sai Weiruila, who was sitting next to him, a little suspicious. "What's your relationship with this company?" But she quickly denied the question.
Based on my interactions with Lin Qi over this period, he doesn't seem to be the type to follow trends closely. His clothes are somewhat old-fashioned, too conservative and mature, lacking variety. He's not the kind of person who's at the forefront of fashion.
"Perhaps you recognize one of the models in this fashion show?"
The girl looked at him with a questioning gaze, but Lin Qi simply smiled and explained, "I am one of the shareholders of this brand. What you see today will shatter many people's perceptions in certain areas!"
"I'm really looking forward to it!" the girl exclaimed, intrigued. "Can you give me a little hint?"
Lin Qi shook his head; it was best to preserve this mystery until the very end.
A dozen minutes later, almost everyone who was supposed to come had arrived, and those who didn't want to come would no longer show up. The change in lighting also signaled the start of the event.
As is customary, the brand's spokesperson or an important figure in the company should say a few words at this time, but what people got in return was a few roars of beasts! The roars of beasts, the roars of lions, made the glamorous trendsetters on both sides of the runway change color the moment they rang out. Without needing to take poison, the ladies' faces turned as white as snow, and some even stood up and ran outside.
Sai Weiruila also gripped Lin Qi's hand tightly. This kind of pure pressure from a higher level of the food chain made people tremble with fear!
Lin Qi comforted her for a while, and fortunately, people soon saw some cages containing lions and other wild animals being pushed out from backstage.
These cages were placed behind the runway, like a backdrop.
Sometimes, in order to reflect the design concept of certain fashion works, designers will constantly change the backdrop to make the runway environment more in line with their design ideas.
However, the entire Federal has never put wild beasts on the show stage before!
The caged beasts paced restlessly in their cages, looking at the large crowd below, occasionally letting out a roar as if venting their emotions.
The theme of this show is "wild"!