Bosideng makes its first move into the US

Chinese down and menswear retailer Bosideng has opened its first pop-up store in the US, as its parent holding company continues to develop its strategy to become an internationally renowned multi-brand apparel operator.

Bosideng opens pop-up store in Rothman's

On Wednesday night Bosideng, best known for its stylish down jackets in China and premium menswear flagship store in London, opened its debut pop-up store at Rothmans men's wear store in Manhattan, New York. The pop-up shop is the first of many to be opened in the US, as the brand is planning on launching additional pop up locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami this spring.

However,

the pop-up store in Rothmans is just the start of Bosideng's entry into the US. The contemporary Chinese retailer will also be offering its wholesale collection at the Liberty Fairs in New York this week while the company hunts for the right location for a flagship store and prepares to participate at New York Fashion Week Men's day on February 5.

Bosideng is also set to launch its online dedicated US store March 31. Bosideng previously teamed up with Zantman Modegroep, a Benelux-based import and trading firm for fashion apparel, to introduce its brand to a number of Benelux retailers in Europe and create a larger brand awareness base.

For its venture into the US, the Chinese retailer has also taken on previous CEO for Hugo Boss and Joseph Abboud, Marty Staff, as branding consultant, who appears to be very pleased with the upper scale menswear offering from Bosideng and Agentry PR to help with its US marketing campaign. “You won’t see dragon-printed silk jackets with mandarin collars,” commented Staff to MrMagazine. “That’s where certain Chinese companies have gone wrong in the past.”

US: the

biggest fashion market in the world

Gao Dekang, founder and company chairman at Bosideng explained the reason behind its timed push into the country; “The US is the biggest market in the world in terms of fashion. It's vibrant and energetic and the timing is right for Chinese brand to go abroad,” he said via a translator to WWD.

With is unique mixture of East meets West with a touch of luxury, Bosideng is poised to witness a positive entry into the US market, as its made in Europe fabrics and prices point ranging from 50 dollars for knits, to 695-995 dollars for a suit, sit comfortably between brands such as Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss.

Staff revealed that the company hopes that the brand will be picked up by 15 to 20 exclusive retailers for Autumn/Winter so Bosideng can continue to work on its brand presence throughout the country. For now the Chinese retailer remains realistic with its expectations for its first season in the US, but the “potential is huge,” states Staff. He believes that the brand has both the right product offering and story to succeed, but just needs to “execute”.

“Rather than simply presenting the line at trade shows, we'll try unexpected things like showcasing a Chinese performance artist,” concluded Staff and with painter Jamel Robinson creating a live mural during Bosideng's pop-up launch event, the Chinese retailer is definitely working hard trying to catch the country's attention.