SHANGHAI — At the renovated Rockbund retail complex here, Labelhood, the city’s fashion retailer and emerging Chinese designer support scheme, is gearing up for its spring 2024 edition, during which it will present 20 shows, a series of talks and exhibitions and pop-up initiatives during Shanghai Fashion Week.
Tasha Liu, its founder, said this season’s Labelhood will feature a segment that spotlights emerging menswear labels, a program launched with GQ China more than seven years ago that jump-started careers for menswear labels such as Pronounce, Chen Peng and Staffonly.
“We think people are interested in seeing an updated version of the masculinity narrative again, as exemplified by Chinese summer blockbuster films,” explained Liu.
To highlight the initiative, Liu invited Chinese designer Xander Zhou to curate the “A.I.volution” menswear exhibition, and a series of talks hosted by WSJ Magazine’s Chinese edition. Three menswear designer brands, including recent Central Saint Martins graduate Chen Sifan, Ponder.er and Redemptive, will present their latest runway shows under the program.
Labelhood’s venue at Rockbund.
“We only have three brands showing this season because most menswear labels want to follow the global menswear schedule, which is in January and June. But we think it’s important to put forth this concept of the Chinese menswear designer,” added Liu.
Despite a softer market reality, Liu remains upbeat that the local menswear market has the potential to produce the next global star.
“After some market research, we realized that menswear is still in its early stages of development,” said Liu.
“There are not that many menswear-focused multibrand stores. SKP-S and Assemble by Réel, and our store Labelhood Men, are the only few that come to mind. The reality is, fashion boutiques in China want less purely menswear labels because Chinese men are less receptive to trying new things than female shoppers,” she concluded.
“But no matter what kind of conclusions the market will come to today, we want to provide better support for these fledgling menswear designers,” added Liu.
During the COVID-19 years, Labelhood added the slogan “be a ‘COVID’ entrepreneur” to its company mantra. By creating a venture with star label Shushu/Tong, the company expanded its business to retail operations by quickly opening two stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou for the label. Shushu/Tong will debut its first Shenzhen store at the MixC shopping mall this November.
For Liu, a harsh business climate does not necessarily mean the “high-quality consumer market” will disappear. “These kinds of customers will want more brand interaction. That’s why I always encourage designers, even in the most tough environments, to not retreat, but to invest smartly to craft a brand image because brand building takes time,” said Liu.
Apart from Shushu/Tong, Liu believes that labels such as Oude Waag and Swaying have the potential to become the next Chinese label that sits next to international contemporary brands in the country’s shopping malls.
“How to open 10 stores in China is different from opening one or two stores. Even between markets such as Shanghai and Hangzhou, the market preferences are completely different,” explained Liu.
“We realized that most designer labels represent the identity of the Chinese south, which means they are at a disadvantage in colder markets up north and their supply chain, their familiarity with fabrics and what it means to have a market-friendly product means up north,” said Liu. “This is what I mean by commercialization. A brand has to have the agility to correct course when they enter new markets.”
Liu believes that Chinese designer labels need to amplify design and brand values, especially with more global players entering the playing field.
“I’ve always said that a lot of Chinese apparel companies should be seen as retail operations masters because they can sell and sell even though the products are subpar. We need to learn from them in this area, because these are topics that seasoned designer brands will have to confront once they enter the mainstream,” added Liu.
As for Labelhood’s fashion week-long showcase, which the company calls Pioneer Fashion & Arts Festival, Liu is eager to hear what the returning global press has to say about the local talents.
“I always say that the pandemic prevented us from connecting physically, but Chinese designers have always been international to begin with,” said Liu. “I would like to see what the international guests think of our overall competitiveness, how we tackle nuanced cultural topics, and if we have a chance in the global market.”
