Millennials push Chinese streetwear to new heights as they seek ways to express themselves
With money to spend and a willingness to take more risks than their global counterparts, China’s post-’80s generation is blurring fashion’s boundaries, some taking their cues from supermodels such as Ju Xiaowen and Liu Wen
On the streets of Shanghai, it is increasingly common to see teenagers and twenty-somethings sporting white T-shirts emblazoned with “Supreme” logos, hoodies with exaggerated lengths made popular by Vetements, and the restrained, monochromatic urban aesthetic of brands such as Off White.
The merging of designer fashion and streetwear is a worldwide phenomenon, but in China the lines between high fashion, fast fashion, niche brands and youth culture are blurring at breakneck speed.
According to Lane Crawford buyer Jillian Xin, this is happening so quickly because China has fewer established “fashion codes” to break down, as it is a relatively new fashion market.
“Streetwear in China used to be largely limited to sportswear, but I think there’s been a lot more experimentation and blurring of boundaries recently – mixing high/low, old/new, girl/boy,” Xin says.
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She says it is easier for Chinese luxury consumers to become streetwear consumers because of their relative youth. “In many ways, I think streetwear has always influenced high fashion in China, because luxury consumers here are younger, digitally savvy and more open-minded [than in the West]. Their reference points have been street fashion and pop culture from the very beginning.”