The Tamesis
To gain more attention from men in China, Xu recommends brands invest in events to share behind-the-scenes insights — not just of fashion shows, but also details about brand concepts, fabrics and silhouettes. “Male consumers are more like brand believers,” she said. “They’re not just buying to ‘see’ it, they want to hear what the brand thinks and believes.”
On the other hand, a lack of groundbreaking menswear means less competition, which Damon says provides opportunities for designers with a strong point of view. “If you really love menswear and focus on it, you can be the only choice,” she said. Darmon lists Untitlab, known for its bold, quirky footwear (recently made famous by Alexander Skarsgård wearing the brand’s fisherman boots), as one of the brands to watch, as is Structura, which produces simple, sporty menswear. “It brings something super new to the table as far as patterns go.”
Other brands are deepening their sports-focused offerings to compete. 8ON8 plans to focus more on sportswear to attract male consumers based on long-term cooperation with companies such as Asics. “8ON8 itself has a strong sports DNA,” Gong said. “In the future, for young Chinese men, I will pay more attention to improving their [those] Aesthetics trump functionality. “
Potential of foreign players
In the first quarter, many brands launched a series of activities in the Chinese market, including Maison Margiela, which chose Shanghai as its first fashion show outside Paris, showing menswear, womenswear and its Artisanal series, and Ralph Lauren, which opened a flagship store in Chengdu. CEO Patrice Louvet said the brand’s Chinese business is expected to grow by “at least double digits.”
Although the success of menswear in China is not guaranteed, the country still offers a large and dynamic market that many are eager to enter. The French Men’s Wear Alliance strategically entered Shanghai this season and set up a dedicated showroom to showcase four French designers: Baziszt, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Egonlab and Coltesse. It is hoped that these menswear brands will be able to develop their business in the Chinese market as part of their long-term expansion plans. “Interesting brands are more likely to do good business in Asia than other brands [they can in] “In Europe,” said Guillaume Ruby, the federation’s communications director, adding that designers were surprised by how many local buyers expressed interest in their collections. “In Europe it takes more time.”
Even so, global brands may struggle to gain traction without a firm grasp of local markets. Element’s Zhu warns against treating China as a market. “When developing foreign brands in China, you need to have a deep understanding of China’s national conditions and market. The environment, climate and food in different cities are very different,” he said. “As the most economically developed city in China, Shanghai has a high degree of internationalization. Some men in Shanghai often travel or study abroad, so their consumption habits are also relatively international. But such men are only a small part of Shanghai, and residents of each city have different lifestyles and consumption views.”
Ruby advises brands to keep an open and flexible attitude when entering the Chinese menswear market. “For example, you can enter through partnerships, or through deals with large retailers,” he said. “Remember, this is not a small market, so you need to be prepared in terms of production and delivery. Things happen faster here.”
