Fancy owning a pair of gloves by a favorite designer of both Lady Gaga and Rihanna? Or how about shoes created by a woman who counts David Bowie as a regular client? Or maybe a scarf similar to those Michelle Obama is often seen modeling? If the answer is yes to one, two or all of the above, then you really don't want to miss an ongoing fashion project at Xintiandi in Shanghai.

Entitled East to East, the initiative has invited more than 40 fashion designers from the East End of London in the UK to present their unique creations for Shanghai audiences. During the project, an exhibition, which includes some 100 products by 28 designers, is on view until April 11 (1/F, Lane 123 Xingye Road).

Meanwhile a pop-up store (B1/F, Xintiandi Style, 245 Madang Road) is selling products by the participant designers until April 16.

First-ever showcase

"I feel excited to be bringing the fashions of East London to China for the first time," said Mei-Hui Liu, one of the co-curators of the exhibition. As a witness to the English capital's transformation from an economically stagnant city, to a vibrant cultural hub over the past few decades, the Taiwan-born designer established her own brand, Victim Fashion Street, after moving to the East London in 1999.

She has also started a social platform known for its monthly Secret Rendez-Vous parties for fashion designers in the city.

Featuring vintage fabrics and laces, Victim Fashion Street is a regular participant on the stage of London Fashion Week (LFW) and the biennale Estethica exhibition of LFW, which promotes principles such as fair-trade, organic and recycled materials.

Victim Fashion Street is highlighting several of its latest designs in Shanghai. Among them is a dress made of Victorian lace and frills with balls of cloth hanging beneath the hemline. Most of the fabric used in the dress is secondhand, and according to Liu, the balls are adorned with illustrations of real events happened in her daughter's childhood.

Big names

Natacha Marro moved to the East End of London from Nice in France in 1992 to study footwear design at the world-renowned Cordwainers College. Her brand has now been linked with international names such as Angelina Jolie, David Bowie, and Lady Gaga.

"Creating shoes for me is like dressing up. Once you put on an outfit or a pair of shoes, you have decided on the person you wish to be for that moment. Nothing can stop you," said Marro, who loves to use complicated production techniques in her designs. Visitors can also appreciate Marro's vertiginous heels and wedges at the exhibition.

"They are super comfortable, and you can even run in them, despite their height," Liu commented on Marro's shoes.

And one of Marro's biggest admirers, queen of pop Lady Gaga, is also a client of another exhibitor at the Xintiandi show, glove maker Laura Shepherd.

Glovedup, founded by Shepherd, boasts ingenious designs and typically high-quality British craftsmanship. Shepherd's creations have frequently featured in leading style magazines like Vogue and i-D, and have been bought by pop stars including Madonna and Rihanna.

Corss-media talent

In Marro's words, "The East End of London is where you can find the best mix of people and everything is possible there." And she believes this explains the birth of recent cross-media and cross-boundary fashion design initiatives in the capital.

Taiwan-born Hsiao-Chi Tsai studied mixed-media textiles at the Royal College of Art in London and has since been acclaimed for her sculptures, many sited in prominent locations including the Royal Botanic Kew Gardens, the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Purcell Room, also in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and which is used for the International Poetry Festival. On view at the exhibition are several examples of Tsai's fashion accessories, such as hats and necklaces and which share the same artistic sensibilities the designer infuses her sculptural works with.

Milliner Noel Stewart has long been regarded as one of the most avant-garde designers in London, a man whose hats and other accessories make use of a wide range of media and who draws on the influence of architecture and modern art. 

Also on view is The Rodnik Band, which is not only a fashion brand but also a musical collective group. And each new season's collection launch is accompanied by the release of original music by the band. Owing to the multiple pop art elements in their work, designer Philip Colbert is widely referred to as the "godson of Andy Warhol."