Inside unique hype collection7/7/2023 Avenue & Sonįounders: Stephen Khou, Jeremy Hu, Boss Xie and Dan Leungīio: Just like every authentic skate brand, Shanghai’s Avenue & Son is the work of four professional Chinese skaters. With its finger fully on the pulse of what Chinese streetwear fanatics are shopping for, it’s a match made in heaven for Soulgoods to be Nike’s first local collaborator. The first ever drop, for example, promoted Chinese pop star Teresa Tang, along with musical inspirations such as old school hip-hop group The Fantastic Five, punk rock singer Darby Crash and Prince. The whole ethos was to evolve the dated, and slightly negative connotations of the label “Made In China” into something stylish. Within two years of launching, it had already become one of the most known multi-brand streetwear stores in the mainland. The Dunk Highs were thus a moment in history. Photo: Soulgoodsīio: Famous for being a Beijing-based clothing brand and retailer, Soulgoods made headlines in 2022 for being the first Chinese name to collaborate with Nike. RoaringwildĪ shot from the Fall 2022 lookbook. As such, now is the ultimate moment to introduce the most exciting players on China’s burgeoning scene. With these sportswear brands instilling confidence in Chinese streetwear, global awareness of them is growing day by day. Now, it’s not that they are No.1 or 2 sales drivers, they’re the boss.” Even Wilson and Salomon, which are historically American and French, respectively, are wholly now owned by Chinese corporations (both owned by Anta group). Global sportswear names such as Reebok, Fila, Adidas, and Puma are all increasingly collaborating with these Gen Z-loved local labels, as a result of a growing number of influential Chinese headquarters.Īs iconic sneakerhead Jeff Staple said in a 2022 interview with Jing Daily, “China is becoming a main sales driver for these brands, so collaborations get green-lit way more often than they did in the past. Driven by a combination of national pride in “Made In China,” internet trends, and the eclectic pockets of subcultures present in such a populated nation, there is a rising number of local streetwear brands gaining a cult following.įrom Roaringwild and Sankuanz, to Randomevent and Melting Sadness, the names-to-know might not appear to have millions of Weibo followers, but their popularity comes from the community and foreign brands partnering with them and Europe’s hip-hop history not resonating in China in the same way. When it comes to streetwear consumption, China’s Generation Z are steering a culture that’s taking a different shape to the West. A leader in the space, Supreme might have arrived in China for the first time in November 2022, via Dover Street Market Beijing, but it’s far from being the mainland’s introduction to streetwear. It’s hardly even necessary to label it a global phenomenon. Streetwear has evolved from a subcultural movement to a mainstream fashion trend.
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