$1k on a skirt? Gen Zers are in

London’s international crowd of indie kids came together on Saturday last week, forming a six-hour queue south of the River Thames in Deptford, not to search for bargains, but to spend hundreds of British pounds, instead of thousands, on Chopova Lowena. The sustainability-driven folklore-come-sportswear brand’s sample sale went viral in global fashion circles, shining a spotlight on a valuable pocket of new luxury consumers. Fans flocked mainly for the label’s signature best-selling Carabiner skirt, which ordinarily retails for upwards of $1,000 but was being sold at around half price — evidently, young consumers are willing to splurge on brands they are obsessed with. A few days later, the brand was honored with the British Fashion Awards’ Foundation Award 2024, which had previously gone to Nensi Dojaka (2021), SS Daley (2022), and Conner Ives (2023). Despite being an independent “emerging” designer label – it was founded in in 2017 by Central Saint Martins graduates Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena – the English-Bulgarian brand has generated 12.4 million posts on TikTok and 4.5 million reads on Xiaohongshu, as well as amassed 244,000 followers on Instagram. Having started out in a studio in London’s South Bermondsey, Chopova Lowena has grown to become a favorite among young fashion-forward millennials and Gen Zers, and has built an A-list fan base including Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and K-pop stars. Hero maximalism East Asia in particular has proven fertile ground for Chopova Lowena. “The design style is a mixing and matching of different materials and fabrics to create an aesthetic that really speaks for itself,” creative consultant and ex-GQ China fashion editor Lysander Zhang says on the brand’s popularity in China. “It’s really different from the ‘quiet luxury’ trend, but the majority of people [on Xiaohongshu] are seeking something that can easily draw attention.” Chopova Lowena’s aesthetic embodies the “chaotic customization” trend, the antithesis of “quiet luxury,” which has blossomed thanks to Gen Z’s growing love of maximalism. Whether it’s prints or fabrics, the brand is a concoction of beautiful chaos. Yet, beyond representing a trend that’s thriving, the brand has honed in on its signature item, the tartan “Carabiner” kilt, showing how important it is for luxury brands to have a hero product. From Tokyo to Shanghai Crafted from upcycled Bulgarian fabrics, the designers created their first 30 skirt orders for retailer Matchesfashion by hand. Over the past five years, the skirt has become a classic among the East Asian style set, and is often spotted in Shanghai and Tokyo. Since the 1980s, tartan skirts have been a key element of the grunge style of the fashion subculture in Tokyo’s Harajuku district. From clashing bold shades to its punk edge, Chopova Lowena’s oeuvre exudes the vibrancy that contemporary Asian fashionistas are well acquainted with. “Compared to other brands, it is more colourful and attractive to young people,” says Shanghai-based influencer Winter Chaomox. “It helps that they also use popular K-pop idols in their marketing.” A cohort of young South Korean singers have donned Carabiner skirts, including Tomorrow X Together member Soobin (13 million Instagram followers), Sieun from Stayc, Ryujin from Itzy, and 19-year-old Nmixx rapper Jiwoo, to name just a few. The members of girl group Illit recently wore them for a Vogue Korea cover. Cult collabs Another key strategy that luxury houses can learn from Chopova Lowena is the ability to understand what consumers want from collaborations. In September this year, the brand launched the Gel-Quantum 360 VIII Asics sneakers, hitting the “chaotic customization” trend sweet spot. Also in 2024, it launched a Hello Kitty collaboration for the Sanrio IP’s 50th anniversary, and a handbag designed to carry Hellmann’s mayonnaise, poking fun at the condiment being a necessity in England. As well as these mainstream partnerships, Chopova Lowena has met the needs of its more niche cult following by collaborating with Isabella Burley’s Climax Books, a distributor of hard-to-find ephemera, periodicals, erotica, VHS tapes, anthologies and books on art, photography and counterculture. A hit for its collision of two artistic worlds, the co-branded merchandise has been donned by mega-famous rapper Lil Uzi Vert, and the hoodie’s sold out. Most new-era designers have struggled this year. The likes of Calvin Luo, The Vampire’s Wife, Nicholas Kirkwood, Christopher Kane all shuttered their brands since 2023 due to subdued luxury spending, and the challenging business of keeping a brand running. From the power of the Carabiner, to the bold championing of weird and wonderful outsiders, Chopova Lowena has a grasp on young fashion-forward luxury consumers in Asia and elsewhere, which bodes well for its future.

$1k on a skirt? Gen Zers are in

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Published December 06, 2024

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$1k on a skirt? Gen Zers are in