While many designers are adding Chinese touches to modern Western silhouettes, Parisian designer Sheilla Sidney is doing just the opposite. In her debut collection, which is about to hit the market later this month, she blends exotic African fabric with traditional Chinese styles.

The collection was unveiled recently at a Solid Vodka party at the Vue Bar of Hyatt on the Bund. That Friday night the bar, with its spectacular view, was packed with fashionable young people who all had great enthusiasm for Sidney's innovative outfits.

The idea of blending two contrasting cultures might sound like a bold idea; the result, however, is surprisingly harmonious.

It's a practical, easy-to-wear collection, with elegant, feminine dresses, suits with low-waist pants for women and casual, sexy shirts for men.

Many of them are wardrobe basics, with a touch of luxury given by the unique "wax" print fabric from Africa.

The African fabric is made of cotton and features bright colors and intriguing patterns. It is said to be printed using a unique mechanical process developed to imitate the handmade Indonesian batik and it is very popular in Africa.

Sidney's designs combine all kinds of natural, light fabrics that the designer has sourced from the local fabric markets (silk, cotton, linen ...) and wax.

She uses wax to decorate the clothes. She even makes traditional Chinese knot buttons out of this unique fabric.

In one signature design, she works with Thai silk as the main fabric of a one-piece, a line dress inspired by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) outfits, and cleverly replaces the dragon embroidery at the hems and the collar with colorful wax.

Sidney names her collection "Habesha," which, according to her, means "to mix" in a local dialect from Ethiopia.

Born in Guyana with Haitian parents, Sidney was brought up in Paris, the capital of style and design.

A trip to Shanghai to visit her friends in 2006 changed her life - she was a marketing executive in the airline industry, now she's a fashion designer.

"I fell in love with the local fabric markets immediately," she recalls.

"And I happened to bring some African wax with me. One day, when I walked in a fabric market, the idea came to me all in a sudden - why not integrate Chinese style with wax?

"I've really wanted to become a fashion designer for a long time," says the 31-year-old.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't do it in France because the market there is already saturated. I think China is a great place to realize my dream because people here are quite open to new things."

Sidney visited China a further 10 times that year before she finally decided to make the move.

The young designer labels herself a self-taught fashion designer, who draws inspiration from reading, traveling and simply, "looking around." Her design philosophy is to "look at a Chinese piece and to envision it as a new piece combining African inspiration." It certainly works.

At first glance, her clothes are chic and classic at the same time. "My designs are not difficult to wear at all," she says. "They are perfect for anyone, and any occasions, whether it is for a formal meeting in the day or for a cocktail party with friends."

That is why she purposefully chose girls from different countries and of different races to be her models for the fashion show.

A silk dress is reasonably priced at around 800 yuan (US$112); a coat is about 1,000 yuan and a party dress with more complicated embroidery will cost about 1,500 yuan.

The Habesha collections will be available at a store at Tianzi Fang, Taikang Road by the end of the month.

(Shanghai Daily March 17, 2008)