'Designed-in-China' fashion goes abroad
July 28, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
YOUNG fashion company Seven Days based in Minhang recently opened an outlet in Florence, Italy, trying to take a new message to foreign consumer: "Made in China" is becoming "Designed in China."
For three decades, parent Xintianlong Group turned out clothing for global labels, like Armani and Zara.
After the global financial crisis, when Xintianlong lost almost half its normal orders, the company joined the growing ranks of Chinese manufacturers trying to salvage profit and move up the value chain by developing their own brands.
"In fact, even before the economic downturn, we were aware of new opportunities," said Zhang Longjiang, director of Seven Days. "In 2007, we sold US$2 million of fabrics to a top brand in Europe, and later discovered that finished pants made from those fabrics were sold for more than 100 million euros (US$122.4 million)."
There's no profit sitting in the shadows, Zhang said.
"Hillary Clinton wore suits made of our fabric during the 2008 presidential campaign, but no one knew Xintianlong at all," he said.
In 2008, Xintianlong founded Seven Days as a conduit for domestic designed clothing, with an online fashion platform at www.7d.com.cn to offer custom-made apparel to consumers.
Seven Days has since opened 18 domestic outlets offering more than 30 brands of garments and accessories.
The labels on the clothing sold in Seven Days outlets bear the names of domestic designers, giving consumers the chance to follow the styles set by favorite designers.
Seven Days nurtures designers with an array of services, from fabrics to promotion, from retailing to logistics. It even provides free studios where they can work with any of more than 10,000 different types of fabric.
Seven Days said its market research shows that domestic designers badly need such a platform.
"Shanghai, in fact, has many outstanding fashion designers, but many of them are quitting their dreams in a very tough market, which is a shame," said Yi Hui, general manager of Seven Days.
Yi said many designers have tried to open their own shops in downtown areas such as Maoming Road and Changle Road. When they open for business, they struggle under high rent costs and lack of marketing expertise. Often they have trouble even finding factories to make their clothes because their orders are so small. "Many of these stores survive only two or three months," Yi said. "But that's not for lack of some really nice designs."
Xintianlong has invested about 100 million yuan in Seven Days, which now employs about 300 people and supports more than 50 brands. "When Seven Days was first founded, more than 30 designers came to us," Yi said. "Every day we get more coming in."
It's been a godsend to designers like Chen Wen, founder of the brand Chenwen Studio. He said his annual sales have increased from less than 1 million yuan (US$158,000) to more than 30 million yuan since his alliance with Seven Days. Chen has won an award as one of the "10 Best Fashion Designers in China."
"Platforms for designers, such as Seven Days, offer us great potential to pursue our creativity," said Chen.
The new outlet in Florence has been open only four months, but its prospects are promising, Seven Days said. Plans are afoot to open outlets in France, Japan and the United States.
To distinguish "Designed-in-China" fashion, many of the fashion creators incorporate Chinese patterns and colors taken from ancient china and jade ware.
For three decades, parent Xintianlong Group turned out clothing for global labels, like Armani and Zara.
After the global financial crisis, when Xintianlong lost almost half its normal orders, the company joined the growing ranks of Chinese manufacturers trying to salvage profit and move up the value chain by developing their own brands.
"In fact, even before the economic downturn, we were aware of new opportunities," said Zhang Longjiang, director of Seven Days. "In 2007, we sold US$2 million of fabrics to a top brand in Europe, and later discovered that finished pants made from those fabrics were sold for more than 100 million euros (US$122.4 million)."
There's no profit sitting in the shadows, Zhang said.
"Hillary Clinton wore suits made of our fabric during the 2008 presidential campaign, but no one knew Xintianlong at all," he said.
In 2008, Xintianlong founded Seven Days as a conduit for domestic designed clothing, with an online fashion platform at www.7d.com.cn to offer custom-made apparel to consumers.
Seven Days has since opened 18 domestic outlets offering more than 30 brands of garments and accessories.
The labels on the clothing sold in Seven Days outlets bear the names of domestic designers, giving consumers the chance to follow the styles set by favorite designers.
Seven Days nurtures designers with an array of services, from fabrics to promotion, from retailing to logistics. It even provides free studios where they can work with any of more than 10,000 different types of fabric.
Seven Days said its market research shows that domestic designers badly need such a platform.
"Shanghai, in fact, has many outstanding fashion designers, but many of them are quitting their dreams in a very tough market, which is a shame," said Yi Hui, general manager of Seven Days.
Yi said many designers have tried to open their own shops in downtown areas such as Maoming Road and Changle Road. When they open for business, they struggle under high rent costs and lack of marketing expertise. Often they have trouble even finding factories to make their clothes because their orders are so small. "Many of these stores survive only two or three months," Yi said. "But that's not for lack of some really nice designs."
Xintianlong has invested about 100 million yuan in Seven Days, which now employs about 300 people and supports more than 50 brands. "When Seven Days was first founded, more than 30 designers came to us," Yi said. "Every day we get more coming in."
It's been a godsend to designers like Chen Wen, founder of the brand Chenwen Studio. He said his annual sales have increased from less than 1 million yuan (US$158,000) to more than 30 million yuan since his alliance with Seven Days. Chen has won an award as one of the "10 Best Fashion Designers in China."
"Platforms for designers, such as Seven Days, offer us great potential to pursue our creativity," said Chen.
The new outlet in Florence has been open only four months, but its prospects are promising, Seven Days said. Plans are afoot to open outlets in France, Japan and the United States.
To distinguish "Designed-in-China" fashion, many of the fashion creators incorporate Chinese patterns and colors taken from ancient china and jade ware.
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