CASE: Championing UK fashion designers in China

supporting UK fashion talent in china

The British Fashion Council’s China Partnerships Strategy is a core part of the organisation’s commitment to helping British designer businesses access the Chinese market.

Launche in 2018, the Strategy is focused on three key areas:

• Support for emerging talent with mentoring on the Chinese market
• Partnerships of Fashion Weeks: stimulating demand through content and access, in relevant cases supplying that demand through retail partnerships in the UK and China.
• Network development of investors, creatives, influencers, media, retailers and high-net worth individuals to partner with British designer businesses on local growth strategies

For 2019, Roksanda and Peter Pilotto launched a standalone showroom within Chinese fashion trade show Ontimeshow in March.

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The trip aimed to support the brands’ business development in-market, giving the designers the opportunity to meet key retailers from China and the wider Asian region as well as interact with media, stylists, opinion leaders, creative industry influencers and high-net worth individuals.

The legacy from the March 2019 activation is to pave the way to involve a larger number of designers with the support of new and existing commercial partners.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) also celebrated British designer businesses already in market with an event on  29th March at The Middle House. British-based designer businesses in Shanghai hosting catwalk shows included Jamie Wei Huang, Minki, Xu Zhi and Jenny Packham who closed the official Shanghai Fashion Week calendar while ASAI, DANSHAN, Feng Chen Wang, Gayeon Lee, Linda Farrow, Marta Jakubowski, Teatum Jones and Xiao Li participated in showrooms or events.

Caroline Rush, CEO British Fashion Council commented:

“China has always been an important part of our strategy. Last year we relaunched our China Partnerships Strategy as there is an increasing appetite from British brands to have a presence in market and vice versa.”

Yeli Gu, Founder Ontimeshow said:

‍“We are very honoured to cooperate with the British Fashion Council to provide British designers with personalised display space and quality buyer resources. This is a very important step to promote the professionalism and internationalisation of Ontimeshow.”

The BFC thanked the Department for International Trade for its support towards this activation.

The BFC Ambassadorial President David Beckham launched the organisation’s China Partnerships Strategy supported by Stephanie Phair, BFC Chair; Dylan Jones, BFC Chair of Menswear and Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive.

At the event, guests included Xia Ding, President of JD International Fashion; Paul David Haouzi, President & Executive Director Trinity Group; Claire Chung, China General Manager Yoox Net-A-Porter, Patrick Tsang, Chairman Tsang Group and Judy Liu, Managing Director China Farfetch.

At the event deals worth £500,000 were confirmed including JD.com and Ruyi’s co-sponsorship of the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund, JD.com’s support for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and support from Britain’s Department of International Trade.

The development of the BFC’s China Fashion Business Network is a key pillar for the organisation.

Many attendees at the lunch pledged their support to assist the BFC create a network of credible partners across investment, licensing, manufacturing, property, communications and retail in China.

As reported on the BFC website, David Beckham, BFC Ambassadorial President said:

“The opportunity in China for connecting creatively and driving investment into British fashion is huge. Today we are able to show real commitment from Chinese businesses to future fashion leaders in the UK and in parallel, share our experience, knowledge and platforms with emerging Chinese designers.”

Stephanie Phair, BFC Chair commented:

“There is growing appetite for British fashion in China... We look forward to working with all our existing and new Chinese partners as well as with David, whose support and network are instrumental in promoting the best of British fashion.”