The variety of brand collaborations in China this week shows the dynamism that combining two identities can create.
Beverage brands are the stars of the show, with streetwear leader Randomevent co-creating an enticing hang-out spot for fans thanks to its collaboration with domestic coffee brand Slab Town, and world-famous Danish brewer Carlsberg joining forces with label FMACM on a capsule, following in the footsteps of DHL.
In other news, Clot presented a collab-heavy collection at Shanghai Fashion Week over the weekend, and announced a new global partnership with Adidas, having officially moved on from its Nike era.
Read on for our verdict on these, and subscribe to the Collabs & Drops newsletter here to receive these updates straight to your inbox every Tuesday.
Clot x Multiple Designers#
Details
“Change The Generation” collection, Spring 2024
Social context
On Weibo, where Clot has 230,000 fans, #ClotSS24 has amassed 1.5 million reads so far.
Verdict
- Unveiled at Shanghai Fashion week, the creative, collaborative collection by Clot founder Edison Chen and American fashion designer Humberto Leon is intended to showcase Clot’s support of emerging local talents in fashion.
- The collection includes items from collaborations with four Chinese design talents, Sankuanz, Staffonly, Pronounce, and Caroline Hu.
- From music producer Marsix (Liu Jialiang) performing at the show, to Bolin Li filling the arena with his ink-painted paper lanterns and parasols, and Bruce Lee providing design inspiration, the presentation embraced Chinese culture from several angles.
Randomevent x Slab Town#
Details
New store in Shanghai’s Haisu Cultural Plaza, opened in collaboration with coffee brand Slab Town
Social context
On Weibo, #slabtowncoffee has 3.3 million reads, and #Randomevent has 110 million.
Verdict
- Placing coffee pit-stops in brick-and-mortar locations has become a common way to encourage customers to shop for longer, while also enhancing stores’ streetwear cred as hang-out spots.
- Slab Town is able to boost its reputation among Chinese Gen Z consumers via this collab with popular streetwear name Randomevent.
- Slab Town has previously collaborated with Adidas, and has cool merchandise, which is compatible with Randomevent's brand image.
Carlsberg X FMACM#
Details
Clothing collection
Social context
The hashtag #FMACMXCarlsberg has low engagement, with just four organic discussions on Weibo, though the beverage brand is not active on the platform.
Verdict
- As a world-famous lager brand, Carlsberg is an effective partner for FMACM to co-create ironic streetwear merchandise that leverages mainstream cultural capital.
- Back in April, Carlsberg's CEO said that China’s post-pandemic economic recovery was benefiting the company. The company posted 4.9 percent growth in Q1 in Asia.
- This is a playful collaboration that targets young adults, FMACM's largest consumer-base.