How Chinese puffer jacket maker Bosideng plans to go global: innovate, collaborate and rebrand
- China’s favourite down jacket maker Bosideng has set its sights on the global high fashion market
- A collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier last year and appearances at fashion weeks are increasing its exposure
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.”
