Mapping China: Fashion - Where to Start?

The first location to enter the Chinese fashion market would normally be Shanghai, Beijing – or Hongkong. Though it’s the most logical option, it is not necessarily the best one, thinks Eva de Laat, owner of Studio Eva de Laat, who is especially specialized in wearable technology, a new emerging market in China.

Eva de Laat: ‘Starting in a smaller city can be good’

She works in Shanghai and Beijing, but is also more often visiting smaller cities in China. Dutch textile developer Eva de Laat thinks it has advantages for entrepreneurs in the fashion industry who want to enter the Chinese market, to start just there.

Eva de Laat is already living more than six years in China, and travels a lot for her work across the country. From Chengdu to Dalian, from Xiamen to Chongqing. The textile developer, from the Dutch province of Brabant, is specialized in ‘wearable technology’ which can refer to, for example wifi or GPS in clothing. With this you can, just to give another example, make payments by your clothes.

She also tries to explore the limits in ‘active wear’, textiles and wearable technologies by combining advanced production techniques with innovative fabrics.

"Such applications will become much more important in the future", she says. ,,The times that a sweater or blouse is just to wear, are gone soon. The thoughts about the use of clothing are changing. Techniques are also developed nowadays to make it possible that the color of clothes can change, and also the size and shape. Self-cleaning clothes, it will also be possibly in the future. "

Because she is operating across the whole country – though her focus is primarily on the two major cities on the east coast – she knows what the market looks like in the country. And where the opportunities are for ambitious entrepreneurs who want to bring their products to the People's Republic.

"What you see a lot these days”, she continues, "is that young Chinese designers first try their luck in the smaller towns. For example, they first go ten months to Xiamen to work, and if it goes well, they can still move to a city like Beijing."

For Dutch entrepreneurs this could also be a good step, she expects. "Especially if they have no experience. Because then it is very difficult to work well in the big cities immediately. The advantage is that the people in the largest cities are more accustomed to working with foreigners. But there is also much more competition, and that makes it hard for many to enter the market as a rookie. Also important to mention: you really have to live here to succeed. Business from a distance is for sure impossible. "

To operate independently also brings many obstacles. For that reason, many designers work together, to be stronger and more efficient. Danube Fashion Office, a collaboration between Chinese and Hungarian designers, is an excellent example. De Laat is also working with this formula.

"In a team of designers from China and another country like France or Italy. Many people must also work that way here in order to achieve success. I really wonder how many designers would succeed themselves, with their own brand, to get their collection in the market. Not many, I assume."

Besides this, working in China will remain a matter of trial and error. ,,The advantage of working with the Chinese, not least in the fashion industry, is that they are very open, quickly want to try everything - where you encounter more skepticism in the West and people are much more reticent. "

But there is also a pitfall. "Sometimes things go well, but sometimes not at all and it can have considerable consequences, including financially. I can say that this is also a matter of getting experience - and believe me, after six years, I am still surprised regularly. It is important that you are very aware of the country where you work. You must keep asking yourself why you are in China or why you want to be here. In general, you can never have success in six months, but will have to sit here three or five years at least to succeed. "

Or even longer. "China is very interesting, and depending on the product, you can be very successful here. But it is a matter of patience, and a good preparation. The RVO has a lot of useful data available, and an organization like DutchCulture, who knows the market and has many contacts, can also give lots of advice and help. This is crucial, because without these ‘sponsors’ it will be very difficult."

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