Mowalola, Knwls: how international designers can enter China

Emerging fashion design talents face numerous challenges entering China’s market, where consumers gravitate toward heritage luxury houses like Hermès and Chanel. The scale and diversity of the country’s retail and fashion landscape mean independent overseas labels find strategizing entry perplexing. Even some of fashion’s most prolific designers, such as Richard Quinn, Molly Goddard, or Collina Strada, do not sell directly to China currently. Despite boasting a long-established East Asian fan base, hot Kanye West-approved brand Mowalola made its debut only months ago with its Miss Sixty collaboration hitting Shanghai’s ENG Concept store. But for brands looking to unlock new growth amid luxury’s subdued spending outlook — the global market for personal luxury goods shrank by approximately 50 million consumers last year, according to management consultancy Bain — there has never been a better moment to seize the China opportunity. Jing Daily asked how foreign independent labels could best expand in this challenging yet lucrative market. Build buzz “Before expanding your presence, you need to focus on building awareness,” says Laura Darmon, buyer and head of business development at China’s ENG Concept store. “This includes launching a presence on Redbook (Xiaohongshu), creating a strong community, and taking a long-term approach rather than relying on a single launch.” Independent designers Mowalola and Knwls recently entered China slowly, having grown fan bases on Gen Z favorite Xiaohongshu. The former’s Xiaohongshu hashtag is at almost 1 million reads and the latter’s is at 3.7 million. Maintaining a consistent presence at the four major fashion weeks helps nurture attention on China’s social media channels — mainstream media titles from i-D China to Vogue China cover each event. Moreover, designers should utilize KOL partnerships to boost engagement, along with curating pop-ups or events in cities populated by Chinese diaspora, especially students. Chopova Lowena, for example, hosted a sample sale last month in London that went viral on Chinese platforms thanks to the brand’s fan base hailing from East Asia — on Xiaohongshu, #chopovalowena is at 4.7 million views. One plus one equals three “As an outsider to the market, I’ll probably be needing help from a local agent/APAC sales representative who has a general knowledge of the market, and a healthy connection with the buyers,” London-based Chinese designer Oscar Ouyang tells Jing Daily. Partnering with brick-and-mortar retailers on pop-ups across the mainland can be an effective, low-risk strategy for independent designers to test the waters. That is how both Mowalola and Knwls debuted, working with multi-brand retailer ENG Concept on exclusive pop-ups and in the latter’s case, an exclusive collaborative collection. Knwls Co-creative Director Alexandre Arsenault tells Jing Daily, “As a small brand it is pretty difficult to get a grasp of the industry in China, and to get people to connect to the brand from such a distance. ENG has always been incredible to us and helped us understand the market since we started working with them a few years back.” ENG Concept’s Darmon says the partnership formula can raise targeted, impactful awareness among local consumers. “Collaborations can help expand your customer base,” she says. “For instance, partnering with a popular music collective, or a well-known local artist can create unique opportunities to connect with new audiences and strengthen your brand’s presence in the market.” Carefully curated wholesale Overseas brands need to consider the consumer behavior when selecting retailers. In China, more than half of all retail sales are conducted through mobile devices, versus 15% in the US and under 5% in India. E-commerce is therefore essential. However, discovering locations that sell to a brand’s target consumers, where they can physically be introduced to products, is the safest place to start. Maintaining tight distribution is key to longevity, Darmon says. “Avoid aiming for rapid growth, especially given the current challenging economic environment,” she adds. “Be cautious not to oversaturate the market, as this could lead to a temporary peak, followed by discounts and eventual brand devaluation. I’ve observed many brands experiencing initial success, then expanding too aggressively without carefully managing their distribution, or brand positioning.” The powerhouse e-commerce retailers such as Tmall or Taobao, for example, aggressively discount across the board during shopping festivals such as Singles’ Day (Double 11) — a strategy that could derail smaller businesses. “Ensure that your future partners are aligned on pricing and discount strategies,” Darmon says. “Additionally, do not rush into opening a Tmall store before fully understanding their discounting practices and return policies.” She also advises keeping in mind that opening proprietary channels can sometimes disadvantage wholesale partners. Through carefully selected partnerships, localized social media marketing, and a future-proof retail strategy, independent designers will be best positioned to access mainland China’s revenue potential.

How can independent designers enter China?

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How can independent designers enter China?