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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3038883/will-fourtry-do-fashion-what-rap-china-did-hip-hop News & Trends
Will Fourtry do for fashion what The Rap of China did for hip-hop? Watch Angelababy and Kris Wu run a hip Tokyo boutique in new iQiyi reality show
The Rap of China popularised hip-hop with Chinese millennials – iQiyi’s new reality series Fourtry promises the same for street style, tasking celebrities Angelababy and K-pop’s Kris Wu with running a hipster Harajuku boutique
Got style if you want it: The cast of iQiyi’s new reality show, Fourtry. Photo: China Brand Insider
This article was originally written by Sky Canaves for China Brand Insider.
Among the many brands featured so far on the three seasons of iQiyi’s hit The Rap of China, the one that arguably benefited the most was not an official sponsor, and did not pay to have its wares placed on the series. The American streetwear label Supreme, favoured by lead celebrity judge Kris Wu and contestants on the show, has gone from being a little-known name to an iconic must-have brand for young Chinese since the competition show made its debut in mid-2017, fuelling a broader frenzy for designer streetwear and trainers.
The production team behind The Rap of China is back with a hotly anticipated new show that will put streetwear and other Chinese fashion trends front and Centre. Fourtry (潮流合伙人) will star two of China’s most popular celebrities, Kris Wu (48 million Weibo followers) and Angelababy (101 million followers), and others as they attempt to operate a boutique in Tokyo’s hip Harajuku district, a global centre of street style. The series will provide a prominent platform to showcase China’s “national tide” designers and gauge their potential for success in an overseas setting.
“As a leader of pop culture trends with growing influence over young audiences, iQiyi believes that Fourtry, which has a strong focus on original Chinese designs, will provide audiences with a brand-new perspective on the diversity and inclusiveness of cultural trends and redefine the role of the Chinese pop-culture trends and influence,” said William Chan, senior vice-president of iQiyi and executive producer of the series. Fourtry recently wrapped up shooting in Tokyo and is planned for release later this year as an iQiyi exclusive (watch a trailer below).
The celebrity managers of the Fourtry pop-up shop will choose from among thousands of trending products from around the world in the store’s 24,000-square-foot (2,230-square-metre) stockroom as they seek to reach a 30-day revenue target of 10 million yen (US$92,000). Among the labels spotted on the show’s social media are the big-name Puma x Balmain collaboration and indie glasses brand Gentle Monster from South Korea.
But the brand presence on Fourtry will not be limited to fashion. The show’s title sponsor is mobile phone maker Vivo, a brand that has taken a very active role over the years in China’s reality programming. Its products will enjoy prominent placement onscreen as the show’s stars use Vivo phones, and the store will include a “Vivo look corner” to showcase photos taken by celebrities as they run the business, capturing highlights of their experiences.
Other sponsors include Lancôme, Pepsi, Ikea, Mazda and Chivas, highlighting global brands’ recognition of the potential for a broader impact among the show’s target audience that goes far beyond fashion.
Another major sponsor is Aomygod, an e-commerce platform focused on high-end products from overseas. Aomygod will be authorised to sell Fourtry-branded clothing and other products, and will have the opportunity to collaborate with other fashion brand partners of the show to sell items that appear in the Fourtry store on screen, according to iQiyi.