The rapidly growing sports and outdoor market in the Chinese Mainland is attracting increasing interest from overseas brands, with niche labels that originally targeted highly segmented categories now seeing major business opportunities in this region.
Luxe.CO has observed that five niche outdoor brands from abroad have recently entered the Chinese market, including two mountaineering brands, two golf brands, and one cycling brand.
Among them, French climbing gear brand Blue Ice and Italian outdoor apparel brand Montura focus on two different verticals within the mountaineering category: technical climbing equipment (such as harnesses and ice screws) and mountaineering apparel, respectively, highlighting the increasingly specialized product demand in this space.
The golf brands show a stronger trend toward fashion and lifestyle. South Korean brand Amazingcre and American brand CALYN GOLF both distinguish themselves through stylish apparel design.
Additionally, Amazingcre and Danish cycling apparel brand Pas Normal Studios have officially launched standalone stores in China after about a year of initial market exploration through partnerships with local operators, marking a deeper phase of market entry.
Blue Ice
French climbing gear brand Blue Ice made its debut in the Chinese market by opening an official store on Taobao in June. In August, it announced rock climber Cao Xinyue (nicknamed “Dakeng”) as its global brand ambassador.
Blue Ice was founded in 2008 in Chamonix, a town nestled in the French Alps. The brand is known for having developed the world’s lightest ice screws, and its harnesses, ice axes, and backpacks are also renowned for their lightweight design.
Founder Giovanni Rossi and a few mountaineering friends started the company from a garage and with a shared passion for improving climbing gear.
Their core philosophy is “back to basics.” In 2011, the company created the Choucas, the first climbing harness weighing under 150g, marking a turning point in establishing Blue Ice’s brand reputation and setting the tone for its lightweight product strategy.
From 2011 to 2016, Blue Ice rolled out a number of flagship products. Collaborating with professional mountain guides, its Warthog and Dragonfly backpacks successfully entered the market.
As the company expanded, it relocated its headquarters in 2016 to Les Houches, a town at the foot of Mont Blanc in France.
In 2017, Blue Ice expanded into the U.S. market by opening a North American office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Montura
Italian outdoor apparel brand Montura officially entered the Chinese market in early September with the launch of its flagship store on Tmall.
Founded in 1998, Montura hails from the Italian Alps.
Its founder, Roberto Giordani, is a seasoned mountain guide and mountaineer. The brand has long collaborated with alpine guides and rescue teams to develop its products, and supplies professional gear to European mountain rescue teams.
Montura is dedicated to designing and manufacturing outdoor apparel that is ergonomic, innovative, multifunctional, durable, and sustainable. All fabrics undergo field testing by mountaineers in extreme weather conditions.
Signature products include:
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The Vertigo series, often called “a pair of pants that can withstand climbing and rescue missions.” Originally designed for mountaineering and rescue, the pants are known for their hardcore protection and flexible tailoring.
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The Magic Series shell jackets are made with ultra-light fabrics weighing as little as 96g/m. These jackets are lightweight and portable, easy to fold and carry, while maintaining excellent windproof and waterproof performance.
While Montura prioritizes function in its outdoor apparel, it does not sacrifice design. The brand continues to uphold the aesthetics typical of Italian design.
Often referred to as a “couture workshop for the outdoors,” Montura runs 42 production lines in Italy, with over 2,000 artisans who craft each piece with the meticulous care of haute couture tailoring.
Amazingcre
In May, South Korean golf fashion brand Amazingcre opened its first standalone department store in the Chinese market at Shanghai Jiuguang Department Store.
Known for developing the world’s first square-shaped golf club, Amazingcre upholds a creative philosophy that combines “art + technology.” It offers sportswear and golf footwear with aerodynamic functionality and is renowned for its highly recognizable design.
The brand name is a fusion of “Amazing” and “Creation,” symbolizing “awe-inspiring innovation.”
Amazingcre was first launched in the United States in 2016. After making its debut at the PGA Show in 2020, it entered the South Korean market, where it found success. The brand opened its first flagship store in 2020 in the P.0.M Building in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.
In 2023, 100 Golf signed a strategic partnership with Amazingcre’s parent company, AMCR Group, to introduce the brand at its Beijing 100 HOUSE retail location. In 2024, the brand also entered Gao Xing Li 100 HOUSE in Guangzhou.
With the opening of its first standalone department store in China, Amazingcre stated that this “marks a significant step forward in the brand’s expansion strategy in China.”
CALYN GOLF
American golf lifestyle brand CALYN GOLF, originally from California, has officially entered the Chinese market and established its China headquarters in Shanghai. The brand has also launched official accounts on WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo.
With a history of about 10 years, CALYN GOLF has evolved from its first product—a golf cap—into a complete collection of trendy golf apparel.
Blending golf culture with a fashion-forward lifestyle, CALYN GOLF’s apparel retains athletic performance while expressing a freer, younger, and more dynamic aesthetic. The brand aims to provide stylish and creative golfwear for those who enjoy a relaxed daily lifestyle. It integrates technology and fashion to disrupt traditional golf apparel, promoting a freer vision of golf culture.
In the U.S., CALYN GOLF has launched a mobile app called CALYN ARENA, which helps users track swing data, find suitable partners based on skill levels, and easily book courses.
The brand name originates from “Caledonia” (New Caledonia in the South Pacific), paying homage to the birthplace of golf, while “Lyn” symbolizes nature, freedom, and elegance.
Throughout this year, multiple overseas golf brands have either newly entered the Chinese market or ramped up their presence, including:
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PIV’VEE, a South Korean golf apparel brand, has opened two stores at Ping An Financial Center in Shenzhen and Hangzhou MixC;
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MARK & LONA, a Japanese golf apparel brand, which launched its first store in China this June at Beijing China World Mall;
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Munsingwear, the classic American golf apparel brand, has opened a series of revamped stores in Chengdu SKP and Wuhan MixC since August, following investment from Chinese menswear group LILANZ;
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Malbon Golf, a Los Angeles-based golf lifestyle brand, will open its China headquarters in Shenzhen this September.
Pas Normal Studios
In August, Danish cycling apparel brand Pas Normal Studios opened its first flagship store in Shanghai. The brand’s founder described this as a “new chapter” and “an important step.”
This is the brand’s first self-operated store in China, following the establishment of its China office in late 2024 in Shanghai. Previously, a store operated by its Chinese distributor at Beijing Raffles City opened in 2023 but has since closed.
Pas Normal Studios was founded in 2015 in Copenhagen by Peter Lange and Karl Oskar Olsen. Denmark, often called a “country on bicycle wheels,” has a deeply rooted cycling culture.
Co-founder Karl Oskar Olsen, a fashion designer and cycling enthusiast, started the brand by designing racewear for himself and his family.
The brand is known for innovation and fashion-forward design, frequently engaging in cross-brand collaborations. It aims to fuse professional functionality with contemporary aesthetics in its cycling apparel.
Notably, in 2024, Pas Normal Studios received minority investment from Archive Srl, the family investment vehicle of Remo Ruffini, Chairman of the Moncler Group.
Located in Phase I of The Perennial in Jing’an District, the new flagship store features the brand’s full product line, a café bar, and hosts weekly cycling events—emphasizing community interaction and the exchange of cycling culture.
In a press release, CEO and co-founder Peter Lange stated: “Entering the Shanghai market marks an exciting new chapter for our brand—an important step that reflects both our ambition and our commitment to serving a truly global cycling community. Cycling culture in China is developing at an incredible pace, and Shanghai is at the heart of this transformation.”
| Image Credit: Official websites of each brand, Pas Normal Studios official Xiaohongshu account, 100 HOUSE WeChat account
| Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
