Creativity of east challenges Western labels

SEOUL: Fashion brands from South Korea, China and Japan are becoming serious rivals of their Western peers as Asian consumers become increasingly confident in their own style and take pride in buying home-grown labels.

Asian consumers are the world’s biggest spenders on high-end fashion, representing around half of total buyers.

Most of them are under 35, Internet-savvy and increasingly on the hunt for small, cool, original brands that will make them stand out and look different from their parents, fashion executives and retailers say.

Asian brands are attracting attention as they experiment with new textiles and materials, facilitated by their local manufacturing base. This growing threat from the east is likely to add misery to big luxury brands such as Prada, Kering’s Bottega Veneta and Tod’s, already suffering from plunging sales, partly due to excessive price increases, over-exposure in certain markets such as China and mega-brand fatigue.

Chinese fashion brands, such as Ms Min and Comme moi, are the fastest-growing contemporary design labels sold at department store Lane Crawford, which has outlets throughout China and Hong Kong, its Chairman Andrew Keith told Reuters. Lane Crawford also sells Korean menswear brands such as Woo Young Mi.

“You sense there is a pride about seeing China develop its own creative community and seeing China emerge as a creative force,” Keith said.

Lane Crawford has seen its pool of Chinese labels grow over the past four years to more than 30, from just four. Twenty per cent of Chinese-designed clothes bought online are shipped outside of China “mainly to Chinese nationals living abroad who want access to these brands”, Keith said.

He estimates that his average customer in mainland China is 25 while in Hong Kong the average age is 35-40.

Also high on Asians’ shopping list are Japanese brands, Sacai and Tsumori Chisato. Lady Gaga regularly wears Japan’s Roggykei, created in 2006 by two graduates from Osaka College of Design.

Budding fashion

Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai all have fast-expanding fashion weeks, sponsored by local industrial groups, showing dozens of budding brands. Some labels have also moved West and started showing at Milan and Paris fashion weeks and opened shops there.

Beijing-based designer Guo Pei, whose yellow long cape dress was worn by Rihanna at the Met Gala in 2015, started showing at Paris Couture week in January, while Chinese shoe brand Stella Luna has three free-standing shops in Paris.

Chinese-born designer Yiqing Yin, whose creations are sold in China, New York and Paris, has won several fashion awards and has been hailed by international fashion press as one of the most promising designers of her generation.

Popular Korean brand SJYP, run by duo Steve Jung and Yoni Pai, sells in Europe and the USA, including at Selfridges in London and Opening Ceremony in New York and Los Angeles, while Chinese-born Uma Wang, sells in China and in Europe, including at l’Eclaireur in Paris. She also shows at Milan Fashion week.

“Before many Asians thought luxury goods had to come from the West,” said Lee Seo-hyun, president of Samsung C&T’s fashion division and daughter of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee. “But they are becoming more sophisticated and discerning and now more people are interested in local designers who have their own point of view and unique style.”

Samsung C&T, affiliated to Samsung Electronics, is one of the biggest corporate investors in Seoul’s up-and-coming fashion scene. It gives $100,000 to two or three designers to help them develop their collection annually and since 2005 has invested $2.7 million in 19 design teams through Samsung Fashion & Design Fund.

Samsung’s fashion unit has a stable of brands, ranging from Korean brand Bean Pole to Belgian fashion label Ann Demeulemeester.

Erwan Rambourr, author, and luxury goods analyst at HSBC, says Asian brands, even if they are small and not widely distributed yet, are fast becoming competitors for Western brands.

Korean cosmetics have long been popular with Chinese customers and Rambourg notes that popular South Korean television series such as My Love From The Star and Descendents Of The Sun, and Korean pop music acts such as Big Bang and Girls’ Generation, have helped boost South Korea’s image as a trend-setter throughout Asia.

Korean pop culture is closer to Chinese culture, says Rambourg.

“Koreans’ self-esteem and self-confidence has been boosted by the power of ‘K culture’ and this is also why Korean and other Asian brands have started to become more popular,” said Sung-Joo Kim, one of Korea’s most high-profile female entrepreneurs.

Kim, who previously developed Gucci’s Korean business, also pointed out that Asian brands cater better to Asian women’s more petite shape than Western brands.

“Can we make ‘made in Asia, designed in Asia’ become cool, I think yes we can because the stigma that Asian brands had is disappearing and we have all the right ingredients and the manufacturing base,” said Joowon Park, director at Seoul-based Simone Fashion Company. It manufactures for Western brands including Coach, Michael Kors and

Kate Spade.

Asian brands are also attracting interest from Western buyers. Awaiting a flight back to Paris at Seoul airport, Maximilien, 39, who works in fashion advertising, bought a $400 studded bag for his wife from Korean brand Youk Shim Won, with a girl in funky sunglasses painted on one side.

“This is so original, don’t you think?” he said.