Liu Yuxin Ray-Bans, Rolls-Royce’s Art Program, And Local Streetwear: China Collabs Of The Week

In true streetwear fashion, the past week has given us more luxe athleisure crossovers in China. Li-Ning dropped its first Moose Knuckles collaboration, Gramicci joined hands with Randomevent again, and Penfield opened a pop-up shop that wonderfully reflects the outerwear brand’s easy breezy lifestyle. Streetwear aside, on October 5, Rolls-Royce will reveal the outcome of its debut Art Program, featuring virtual design talent Scarlett Yang. As the Spirit of Ecstasy Jury said in a statement, “The work of the nominated designers demonstrates a compelling mix of experimental and traditional; hands-on process and industrial technology; as well as nuanced design thinking and the capacity to respond intelligently to a brief.” It’s an art program that bridges “tradition and innovation,” thus making boundary-pushing designer Yang an ideal candidate. The Central Saint Martins graduate focuses primarily on the tactility of various unusual fabrics such as algae extract and silk cocoon protein. Made for this particular project, Yang’s work inspired by Rolls-Royce and the Spirit of Ecstasy — the figurine on the bonnet of every one of the brand’s world-famous motor cars — will all be revealed tomorrow. For weekly updates on China’s brand collaboration news, make sure to subscribe to the Collabs and Drops newsletter. RAY-BAN X LIU YUXIN LAUNCH DATE: Pre-sale September 29 TREND: KOL-led line VERDICT: As Ray-Ban’s Chinese ambassador, Chinese music artist Liu Yuxin is a natural choice for the sunglasses brand’s co-branded KOL collection. The hashtag #Ray-Ban Greater China Brand Spokesperson Liu Yuxin# has been read by 5.5 million and discussed by 343k on the day of publication alone, proving the power of Chinese fanbases. LI-NING X MOOSE KNUCKLES LAUNCH DATE: October 1 TREND: High-end sportswear VERDICT: An east-west fusion of high-tech streetwear, the first collaboration between these two names is a line of luxury athleisure. The Song Dynasty-inspired pieces feature a unique, limited-edition monogram that combines both brands' logos, sure to be a hit among streetwear fanatics. Meanwhile, the incorporation of music artists Ma Boqian and Li Sidani will also help to drive online traction. GRAMICCI X RANDOMEVENT LAUNCH DATE: October 2 TREND: Local streetwear VERDICT: Collaborations have helped Randomevent gain exposure while providing its partners with Chinese engagement and authority on the scene. Akin to other streetwear names, Randomevent has pushed out so many collaborative collections in 2022 alone, lending its playful aesthetic to global names like Lacoste and Reebok. Gramicci's new line builds on the success of its previous series with Randomevent and is expected to resonate particularly well in Asia being a Japanese brand. PENFIELD X OHO LAUNCH DATE: September 29 to October 4 TREND: Photogenic pop-up store VERDICT: In collaboration with OHO, Penfield's latest pop-up store in China features the outdoor lifestyle brand's collection in a leafy setting, made to be photographed and enjoyed by consumers. It positions Penfield as more than an outdoor brand — serving as an insiders club for well-dressed Gen Zers and millennials. SCARLETT YANG X ROLLS-ROYCE LAUNCH DATE: October 5 TREND: Established luxury + emerging talent = cultural capital² VERDICT: A new art program by Rolls-Royce, the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge champions emerging design talent on the global stage. It's commonplace for luxury car names to incorporate art collaborations to uphold cultural capital, yet this also proves its innovation in the tech space as Scarlett Yang is known for extremely clever virtual designs and incorporating unusual, never-before-used fabrication. Check out Jing Daily’s weekly Collabs and Drops newsletter — a 360-degree lowdown on the world of collaboration. For more analysis on the latest collaborations, sign up here.

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Liu Yuxin Ray-Bans, Rolls-Royce’s Art Program, And Local Streetwear: China Collabs Of The Week