This week’s highlights are all frequent collaborators with solid co-branded release strategies.
For the streetwear scene that’s Arch by Roaringwild’s partnership with 25-year-old photographer from Deyang, Sichuan province, Jipeng Qi (戚霁鹏) otherwise known as Tuweinluzai, and FMACM has followed up on its DHL collaboration with a tie-up with Chinese art brand Control Club.
All our selected news bites are local, with brands joining forces to not only capitalize on the rising pride of China’s Gen Z, but also to nurture domestic talent.
For instance, Jacques Wei has worked with Nanjing’s Nound Nound store on a temporary pop-up that runs until June 30.
For our verdict on these collaborations, check out the below. Subscribe to the Collabs & Drops newsletter here to receive this news and more straight to your inbox.
Arch by Roaringwild x Tuweiniuzai#
Date
June 15
Product
Rodeo collection
Social context
On Weibo, #Arch By Roaring Wild has been read 4.37 million times, but has only prompted 933 organic discussions. Found on Instagram as @bloodonbody, Tuweiniuzai has 1,118 followers, and 6,126 on Xiaohongshu. On the latter platform, #Arch has 1.2 million views, with lots of Gen Z users posting outfit pics.
Verdict
From Uniqlo tapping the IP of deceased artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, to Dior x Kenny Scharf and Jimmy Choo x Eric Haze, clothing brands are forever reinterpreting art, bringing that creativity to the fashion industry.
As Roaringwild’s stylish younger brother brand, sporting a more avant-garde urban aesthetic, Arch is the perfect match for emerging photographer talent Tuweiniuzai, who produced the images for this ready-to-wear collection.
Both the support of a domestic talent and celebration of the arts will likely make this a hit among Roaringwild’s cult fanbase, as well as enhance the brand’s cultural capital.
FMACM x Control Club#
Date
June 15
Product
Clothing and accessories capsule
Social context
FMACM has 76,000 fans on Weibo, 6,569 followers on instagram, and 8,861 on Xioahongshu. The #FMACM hashtag has 2 million views on Xiaohongshu and 53.31 million on Weibo. Control Club has 2,150 fans on Weibo.
Verdict
Known as a youth-focused brand, FMACM has a distinct collaboration strategy. In Q4 2022, it became the first Chinese fashion brand to collaborate on a clothing collection with DHL.
Gen Z consumers want to wear clothes that reflect their interests, which has fuelled an art-fashion collab boom, and this latest FMACM feeds this trend. As an art label founded by artist Zhang Ding, Control Club brings new creativity to the FMACM brand.
Control Club is known for presenting visual and sound installations, and celebrating music and the arts. This latest collection enables FMACM to showcase its support of these artistic endeavors in the mainland.
As engagement for this collaboration is low, the collection injects new creativity into the brand’s oeuvre, and enables both names to work on creating value, rather than aiming for marketing exposure.
Jacques Wei x Nound Nound#
Date
May 27 to June 30
Product
Muse pop-up in Nanjing City as a preview of Jacques Wei’s Fall 2023 collection
Social context
Jacques Wei has 4,782 followers on Instagram, 9,336 on Weibo, and 7,862 on Xiaohongshu; #jacqueswei# has been read 404,000 times on Weibo, and 3.7 million times on Xiaohongshu. Nound Nound, on the other hand, has 3,091 followers on Xiaohongshu.
Verdict
Following on from its Mytheresa collaboration as part of the China Designer Programme, Jacques Wei continues their focus on retail with this Nound Nound pop-up which runs until the end of June.
The Shanghai Fashion Week designer, part of an ecosystem of Chinese independent designers that is on the up, gained recognition through the Mytheresa launch less than two months ago.
Though this isn’t a trending collaboration, it’s one that will invite consumers to physically be introduced to Jacques Wei via a platform that will appeal to consumers with similar tastes.
Nound Nound is a stylish brick-and-mortar fashion store that often works with brands on exclusive pop-ups, as well as supports local designers who are regularly stocked in-store, including the likes of Shushu/Tong and Zhong Zixin.