US style blends with 鈥楳ade in China鈥 fashion
Print Edition
Retro baseball T-shirts, aviator jackets and baggy hoodies await visitors entering a design workshop in Quanzhou, east China鈥檚 Fujian Province.
However, there鈥檚 something distinctive about these classic American-style apparel 鈥 they feature exquisite embroideries of Chinese cultural motifs.
As China鈥檚 middle-class consumers expand in number and mature in taste, more and more homegrown manufacturers have now transcended imitating Western brands to become trendsetters of the Chinese consumer market.
鈥淵oung consumers in China today are enthusiastic about 鈥楳ade in China鈥 products, which has created opportunities for domestic designer brands,鈥 said Hong Jiyun, director of retail operations at Shishi Guuka E-commerce Co Ltd in Fujian.
Earlier this year, Guuka released a new series of clothing designs in collaboration with Coca-Cola. The iconic red and white logo of Coca-Cola is inscribed on jackets and hoodies through traditional Chinese hand embroidery, showcasing an innovative fusion of Chinese cultural elements and international IP.
鈥淒omestic brands that combine international trends with traditional Chinese culture and history are well received by Generation Z in China,鈥 Hong said.
鈥淐hinese youth appreciate the attitude of being real and free in life, which perfectly matches the style of American campus clothing such as baggy jackets and jeans,鈥 said Liao Shaoping, CEO of JKCY, a costume brand, adding that designs like Chinese landscape paintings on American-style baseball jackets are very popular in China.
With Chinese hip-hop artists springing up in talent shows in recent years, American hip-hop culture has become increasingly popular among youngsters in China.
鈥淭hey have global awareness and are proud of their national culture,鈥 said Yang Jianfei, director of the Department of Cultural Industries Management, Communication University of China. 鈥淐hinese youth feel at ease to express themselves with rap songs. Many Chinese universities and schools have also adapted Chinese cultural stories into hip-hop lyrics to earn the appreciation of Gen Z.鈥
Yang added that Gen Z in China has shown openness and inclusiveness to American pop culture, and also demonstrated an interest in exploring domestic Chinese brands, which have exerted a powerful influence on Chinese fashion design.
Gen Z consumers, who were born and raised during the era of China鈥檚 rapid economic growth, take pride in Chinese tradition and identity, and are also open to Western cultures, said Zhang Qing, founder of Key Solution, a consulting firm based in Beijing.
鈥淐onfident young consumers go with the quality of the product and their own feelings, instead of falling for the myth of big brands.鈥
He believes that with the continuous growth of China鈥檚 economy and consumer market, the trend of 鈥楳ade in China鈥 fashion will gain momentum, attracting more consumers both at home and abroad.
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