SHU SHU TONG
BRAND AND FASHION DESIGNERS , S
SHU SHU TONG IS A CLOTHING BRAND BASED IN SHANGHAI, MUCH LOVED BY GEN-Z
The brand was founded by a couple of designers Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang in 2015. The GenZ duo combines a bold aesthetic with a “girly” style at the heart of their research. The garments have won over Lane Crafordford from the first season, while the stocklist is growing worldwide. Opening ceremony from Dover Street market up to 10 Corso Como.
SHUSHU/TONG: THE DESIGNERS
Shanghai designer couple Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang, both graduates of the London College of Fashion, describe their aesthetic as “bold and feminine”. They developed their skills at Simone Rocha and Gareth Pugh respectively, before launching their shushu/TONG label in 2015. The name Shushu Tong comes from the combination of the nicknames of the two designers: Shushu and Tongtong.
Liushu and Yutong have set the goal of expressing their youth without sacrificing femininity, with the intention of creating collections that are special but accessible.
Shushu and Yutong share the same aesthetic, they both try to build a modern and sophisticated feminine image with a feminine touch. The ShuShu/Tong collection has won over Lane Crawford from the first season, and currently the stock of the collections has grown all over the world.
The designer couple Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang
STYLE OF THE BRAND
Most of the creations are made of wool, velvet and synthetic fabrics. The different textures are in perfect harmony with the diversity and complexity that the designers would like to achieve. Light gray, light blue, black and beige make up some of their collections, with vibrant red, yellow and purple mixed as subtle reflections. Flashy bows and floral fabrics are supported by state-of-the-art asymmetrical tailoring, while zippers and denim stiffen soft ribbed pullovers and women’s tracksuits.
The target customers are mostly girls who have a passion for fashion with a personal aesthetic, or even people who work in creative sectors such as artists, stylists and designers looking for something unique and original.
Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang graduated from the London College of Fashion and share the same concept of aesthetics. They both try to build a modern and sophisticated feminine image with a feminine touch.
Inspired by different female stereotypes, the two designers continue to push the line that separates a girl from a woman. The concept of design is all about fun, a sense of attitudinal glamour and whimsy.
BEGINNINGS IN CHINA
The Gen-Z co-founder of Shushu/Tong said in interviews that at the time of the brand’s launch in 2015, the girlish style preferred by the brand’s designers was not particularly in vogue. However, the Shanghai couple persisted with their design concept, which helped them build a strong identity, high recognizability and a unique style compared to other local competitors.
Since its inception, the company has focused on engaging consumers in China, both online and offline, through social media platforms, pop-up stores, innovative campaigns, and collaborations. Today, this blend of creativity and digital strategy is the key driver of its success.
Also the campaigns conducted by the brand were decisive. The latter was able to creatively exploit content on social media platforms on a limited budget. The spring 2021 campaign “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” featured Chinese supermodel Ju Xiao Wen and was shot by photographer Zeng Wu.
“TMALL CHINA COOL” PROJECT IN MILAN
The “Tmall China Cool” project was conceived by the B2C platform of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. It was created with the intention of presenting the talent and creativity of the new Chinese designers.
Tmall signed a partnership with the Milan Fashion Week during the September 2019 edition. On the 20th of September at the Salone dei Tessuti, Chinese independent designers SHU SHU TONG and others presented the SS 2020 collections.
The project involved a total of nine Chinese brands on the catwalks of fashion weeks in New York, Milan and Paris.
Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera Della Moda commented:
“The “Tmall China Cool” project enriches the overall experience of the Milan Fashion Week by giving the sector an interesting and innovative contribution”.
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