How Chinese puffer jacket maker Bosideng plans to go global: innovate, collaborate and rebrand

Gao Dekang once revealed to a British newspaper that he started Bosideng in 1976 with no money and eight sewing machines. That vision encapsulates the brand’s meticulous attention to craft, as each of its down jackets undergoes 150 steps and is tested by 62 skilled technicians before release.

Bosideng has evolved to be a household go-to in China for technical, weather-resistant outerwear. The company, as a conglomerate, also manufactures down jackets for brands like The North Face, Adidas and Columbia Sportswear.

Yet, Dekang’s attempt to establish an international presence has been a somewhat tumultuous journey. In 2017, it was forced to close the London flagship after five years as well as thousands of stockists in China, due to plummeting sales figures and a reportedly weak brand image. All of this triggered Dekang to rethink Bosideng’s image, consequently turning his sights to luxury’s new breed of high-spending millennials, Generation Zs and puffer jacket-obsessed hypebeasts. Enter the rebrand.

Senior analyst at Chinese fashion trade media Ladymax Drizzie Zuo describes Bosideng’s 2018 upgrading plan. “The brand started to enhance creativity and link with fashion by staging shows at fashion weeks,” she says. “The price has also been rising with price ranges from 1,000 yuan (US$142) to 10,000 yuan.”

Bosideng started with a show in New York for spring/summer 2019, opened by model Alessandra Ambrossio, which was followed by Milan for spring/summer 2020, opened by Kendall Jenner. Then, a couple of months later in December 2019, came the #JPLovesBosideng Jean Paul Gaultier collaboration.

Two weeks ago, the brand showcased at a third fashion week, in London. Bosideng was one of the only Chinese labels there, following China’s coronavirus lockdown and consequent cancellations from designers like Angel Chen, Caroline Hu and British-Chinese designer Asai, who manufactures his clothes in Shanghai.

As an act of support, Bosideng donated 150,000 jackets worth 300 million yuan to provide warmth for heroes helping fight the epidemic in China. So this London debut became a force of optimistic solidarity, with a red sign welcoming guests to write good luck messages at the door, and Chinese flags covering the seats and faces of every model. Dekang tells the Post, “London Fashion Week was an unforgettable experience for us. Guests from all countries were cheering for China, sending blessings to the Chinese.”

The clothes hinted to Gen Z, with very Instagrammable aesthetics: down jackets were styled with neon and metallic hues, chunky rugged platforms, utility belts and logos. The brand is not only refreshing its look, though. “Our overall strategy has been to focus on the main product,” Dekang says. “Through the comprehensive integration of high quality resources, we have continued to improve products and services with innovative ideas and craftsmanship.”

The technicalities of outerwear have always been Bosideng’s forte, and as utility wear is merging with high fashion, there’s a newer aesthetic appeal. In China, for example, CBNData has predicted that the winter jacket business will increase by nearly US$20 billion in the 2020s. Similarly in the US, according to Euromonitor International, the outdoor apparel market is valued at more than US$6.7 billion, compared to US$5.1 billion in 2013, and the UK has also seen sales jump 22 per cent between 2013 and 2017.

This thriving market brings competition for Bosideng, with names like Moncler, Canada Goose and The North Face leading the way. The high fashion world has followed suit, from Balenciaga’s experimental cocoon-like silhouettes to Fendi’s reversible monogram styles.

Brand collaborations have also proved successful among the new generation of luxury consumers, which inspired Bosideng’s major Jean Paul Gaultier project of December last year. Moncler’s unstoppable two-year-old Genius strategy is responsible for much of the brand’s success among millennial and Gen Z, welcoming the likes of Craig Green, Simone Rocha and Hiroshi Fujiwara to design a collection, and most recently adding J.W. Anderson, Rimowa and MATE.BIKE.

Zhu says that Bosideng is taking inspiration from the collaboration model and the strategies of its pioneers, not as a competitor but just reaping the benefits of utility wear trends. “Brands like Moncler and The North Face inaugurated the niche market of puffer jackets in the first place, linking them to fashion. Before 2015, the puffer jacket wasn’t really justified by the high fashion circle.” She says Moncler had nothing to do with fashion before Remo Ruffini bought it in 2003, suggesting that Bosideng’s stylish rebrand has potential to succeed regardless of its past.

Naturally, we tend to compare the brands striving to attain the same goal, yet author of Fashion China and Jing Daily features editor Gemma Williams says we don’t need to, in this instance. “I don’t believe Bosideng wants, or even needs to, rival brands like The North Face or Moncler; they are all incredibly different market propositions in terms of design innovation, reputation and business models,” she says. “Bosideng is an apparel conglomerate with nine separate lines and an impressive retail network all over mainland China.”

Dekang ends by saying, “Bosideng has continuously researched fashion trends, connecting with young markets by strengthening design, research, development capabilities and making our designs more fashionable.

“When we combine this with our 43 years of dedicated research and development in the down jacket field, Bosideng hopes to give the world some more surprises.”