“I only wear black,” Vader told me when I asked him about the outfits that he had brought to this photo shoot. And he wasn’t kidding (white doesn’t count)–the main pieces here are all monotone, but the details he has down pat. “My style changes all the time," he says. “Last summer, it was formal and high-fashion. This year, I am dressing more casually and more ‘urban.’” Though he claims this, he hasn’t steered clear of high end couture, not just yet. His whimsical tee, by none other than Dior Homme, was a find at I.T. Preppy go-to label Fred Perry’s crossover project with Comme des Garcons culminated in his practical carry-all bag (bag lovers, drool now), which he also found at the same urban fashionista playground. Pairing shorts with this look (by kitterick, available at Seven Days) instead of the expected black pants gives his ensemble a playful demeanor, as do sneakers from Giordano Concepts. Pulling the entire look together is his reliable 5cm jacket, found on the racks of i.t . “As the old saying goes, "Shanghai carries a Haipai culture," Vader says. "Haipai in a sense equals a mixing between East and West, obvious when the city is developing so quickly.” This creative gentleman, when not knee-deep in work that spans advertising, film, music and fashion or hanging out at The Shelter, likes to skip town to catch the sales in Hong Kong and Japan to keep his wardrobe updated. But when in Shanghai, he turns to Changle Lu and Xinle Lu for one-of-a-kind pieces from independent designers. And it’s important for Vader to find just the right pieces to compliment his look, for “my clothes help me to claim my lifestyle and my attitude towards fashion.” See Style listings online for contact information on shops listed in Fashionista.

Name: Vader Yu
Occupation: Art Director
Nationality: Chinese
Fashionista by Emily Chu
Photographer: Mao Dou
Studio: Ringier Studio