Mapping China: Fashion - Keep Developing

To stay successful in China it is necessary to keep on developing, surprise your clients and outstand the crowd. Markus Boer knows the key to keep his customers satisfied with him, by triggering them during every visit. The fact he is a western entrepreneur is not enough anymore, in 2015.

Markus Boer: ‘Being a Westerner, is not enough anymore’

Years ago you could tell the ragged Chinese everything about fashion. They took every advice from the developed West for granted. Those days are gone; nowadays you have to come up with a good product and a good background, says designer Markus Boer from MB ID.

Markus Boer, from the southern Dutch province of Limburg, is living in Beijing for six years now, with his Chinese wife. He is leading a flourishing enterprise. His wife focuses on women fashion, Boer is specialized at how to dress the modern Chinese man.

"This used to be quite easy”, he says in his newly renovated boutique, centrally located behind the popular Sanlitun. "Because I was the expert, and they did all I advised. Those times have changed. The Chinese who are my customers read the main fashion magazines, travel to Europe and are up-to-date on contemporary fashion trends. And, most importantly, have developed their own style. Not every Armani suit is automatically accepted, nowadays."

Boer, who has the old-fashioned craft of tailoring as passion, is a fine example of a self-made man. When he arrived in Beijing, he went on a scooter along other tailors who worked at one of the many fabrics markets.

The work of ancient Chinese masters, combined with traditional English and Italian artisans in which Boer was already interested, proved to be a successful combination.

His reputation grew more and more and he climbed his way up into the Chinese fashion scene. "When I sold my first suit, for 300 euros, I jumped in the air", he recalls. Meanwhile, he had weekly dealings with customers who put their Ferrari or Bentley on the sidewalk in front of his business. Good is not good enough anymore. But vintage fabrics from Italy, made entirely by hand, are. Nowadays suits are not sold at a lower price than 1500 euro, and they go beyond that price, he says.

Biggest difference with before: you must prove yourself much more. "Only if you're really unique, if you make products which competitors cannot, you can be successful, he thinks. ,,The fact you are a westerner, is now no longer a guarantee for success anymore. "

And that's not the only problem. Also finding a location for doing business is very difficult, especially in the larger cities. "Smaller designers can make wonderful products, but most of the time they are not able to do a million euro investment. And that is what you need to start here. "

Unless you find someone to work with. "For example by renting space in their showroom to display your collection to potential customers. Then you know, after a while, if business goes okay, if people like your products. Then you may take a new step. If I meet a promising person with products I like, which also match well with what I do, then I certainly would not rule out a partnership. "

Boer nowadays also puts his focus on fur, one of the latest trends in the fashion-conscious Chinese industry. ,, They love it", he laughs. ,,Wearing fur does not always have a negative image. Just look at the past. People bought a beautiful fur coat for life, and being proud to wear it is in our culture different from the Chinese. For men there is a lot of potential in fur. This year I will launch my first menswear collection. After great success with the ladies it’s now about the men! "

Still, it is important that you give them good advice. About the material, but also about where they can wear it. "If a wealthy Chinese goes to Europe, I'll point out to him there is quite some resistance against fur, so there will be a certain risk. "

Chinese are very interested in a good and honest story, besides the fact they want good quality articles of course. "And to my clientele, I happily do so in a charming setting. An espresso bar next to my boutique where you can drink a delicious cup of coffee during the day, and in the evening a nice glass of champagne. It's about the big picture that you offer and no longer just a product that you sell. As I said: you must keep doing your best in China to stand out in the fashion market. "

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