According to market dynamics monitored by Luxe.CO Intelligence, the industrial research arm of Luxe.CO, four more international fashion brands have recently accelerated their expansion into the Chinese market, opening their first stores in the Chinese Mainland within premium commercial complexes or core shopping districts in Shanghai and Hangzhou.
These brands include:
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French fashion brand Sessùn, known for its unique craftsmanship aesthetics and cultural fusion;
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Korean designer brand Rest & Recreation, distinguished by its premium feel and comfort among emerging Korean brands;
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Vietnamese designer brand LSOUL, founded by a post-1995 generation Vietnamese designer;
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Korean trendy brand EMIS, which rapidly gained popularity with its baseball caps.
It is worth noting that, aside from Sessùn, which was established in 1996, the other three brands are relatively new overseas labels.
Before officially entering the Chinese market, international fashion brands often prepare by establishing an official presence on social media platforms, engaging with users through content marketing, or testing the market via pop-up stores.
The four brands introduced in this article share a common path to popularity in China: initially gaining exposure through endorsements by fashion bloggers on social media and celebrity wear demonstrations, thereby establishing their “trendsetter” image; gradually cultivating a loyal fan base through the purchasing agent community; and benefiting from the recovery of international travel, which has further boosted their visibility. It can be said that before opening their first offline stores in China, these brands had already built a foundation of local fans.
Shanghai and Hangzhou, as the forefront cities for fashion consumption in China, naturally became the first choices for international fashion brands to launch their physical stores.
Sessùn
@ Réel Shanghai
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Country of Origin: France
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Year of Establishment: 1996
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Price Range: T-shirts/Shirts RMB 1,000–2,000 [approx. USD 140–280]; Dresses RMB 2,000–3,000 [approx. USD 280–420]; Coats RMB 3,000–20,000 [approx. USD 420–2,800]
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Style Keywords: Craftsmanship, fusion of global cultures
In 1996, Emma François, then a 21-year-old anthropology student, embarked on a journey to Guatemala in Latin America. There, she encountered numerous artisans engaged in weaving, embroidery, sewing, and garment-making, and was captivated by the rich cultural and artisanal heritage of South America. This experience opened a new world for her, inspiring her to blend local craftsmanship with street culture and to found the brand Sessùn.
In 2004, Sessùn opened its first store on Charonne Street in Paris. Today, Sessùn has 400 points of sale across France and overseas, including both directly operated stores and multi-brand retailers. Of these, there are 90 independent stores and counters located in countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The brand reports that 40% of its sales revenue comes from outside France.
In 2021, Sessùn’s total sales amounted to approximately EUR 40 million. The brand projects its sales to grow to EUR 70 million by 2024, with EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) expected to reach EUR 10 million.
Above: Sessùn boutique in Barcelona, Spain
Notably, Sessùn has undergone two significant equity financings during its development:
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In 2017, French private equity fund Experienced Capital Partners acquired a 43% stake in the brand, while the founder retained the remaining 57%.
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In September 2024, Italian investment group Quadrivio, through its Made in Italy Fund II, acquired a majority stake in Sessùn. Quadrivio purchased 42.5% of the shares from Experienced Capital and additional shares from the founder, bringing its total ownership to about 70%. After the acquisition, the founder continued to serve as the brand’s CEO and Artistic Director.
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Also in September 2024, Sessùn launched its official WeChat public account and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) official account, and set its Chinese name as “思溯” (pronounced “Si Su”).
On April 16 this year, Sessùn created a Xiaohongshu account named “Sessùn Shanghai,” and officially announced that its first store in China would open at the end of April at Shop 304, 3rd floor, Réel Shanghai. Many users commented, “Finally here!” and “So happy, no more need for purchasing agents!”
Above: Sessùn boutique in London
Rest & Recreation
@ Hangzhou MixC
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Country of Origin: South Korea
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Year of Establishment: 2012
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Price Range: Tops RMB 500–1,000 [approx. USD 70–140]; Bottoms RMB 900–1,700 [approx. USD 130–240]; Outerwear RMB 1,000–2,000 [approx. USD 140–280]
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Style Keywords: Sustainability, comfort, gender neutrality
The popular South Korean designer brand Rest & Recreation was founded by Jieun Kim in Seoul in 2022, dedicated to breaking the boundaries between casual and stylish, creating fashion pieces that are free from gender constraints. Founder Jieun Kim is also the designer of the renowned South Korean trendy brand Fleamadonna.
In addition to men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, Rest & Recreation has also launched its own cosmetics line.
Rest & Recreation currently operates three flagship stores in Seoul, South Korea: Hannam-dong, Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam, and Seongsu-dong. The store interiors feature large areas of low-saturation pastel colors such as light pink, light blue, and light yellow, using smooth minimalistic designs to blur traditional gender boundaries.
Beyond its home market, Rest & Recreation is also available in Hong Kong and Macau through a partnership with Hong Kong fashion group I.T, and in Thailand through Club21.
In May 2024, Rest & Recreation opened its first pop-up space in China on Yuyuan Road in Shanghai. In January this year, the brand launched its official accounts on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat, and subsequently opened a Xiaohongshu flagship store and a Tmall flagship store.
On April 9, Rest & Recreation opened its first store in the Chinese Mainland at the third floor of Hangzhou MixC (pictured below), with an overall light blue tone that creates a relaxed atmosphere with low-saturation strokes.
At the end of this month, the brand will also open two new city flagship stores: one on the basement floor of Taikoo Li South District in Sanlitun, Beijing, and one at Building 1, GATE M Xuhui Dream Center in Shanghai.
LSOUL
@ Shanghai TX Huaihai
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Country of Origin: Vietnam
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Year of Establishment: 2017
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Price Range: Dresses RMB 400–3,000 [approx. USD 60–420]; Tops RMB 600–4,000 [approx. USD 80–560]
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Style Keywords: “Y2K Sexy Style,” punk, avant-garde
In 2016, Nguyen Trong Lam, a post-1995 generation Vietnamese designer, was a second-year university student majoring in biotechnology but gradually realized he was not interested in the field.
By chance, he met his mentor Kim Jeong Min from Seoul, South Korea, who offered him valuable career and life advice and introduced him to new areas worth exploring. Eventually, Lam was drawn to the fashion industry. In the same year, he founded the menswear buyer brand L’JIN, starting with an initial investment of VND 200 million (over RMB 50,000 [approx. USD 7,000]) borrowed by his parents from the bank.
After six months of operation, L’JIN expanded from a 20-square-meter store to a larger two-story space. In 2017, Lam decided to establish LSOUL, defining it as a womenswear buyer brand to enrich the second floor of the store.
In its early stages, LSOUL did not produce its own branded items but curated and sold Asian womenswear brands. From 2017 to 2020, whenever people in Vietnam talked about imported Asian womenswear, LSOUL would inevitably be mentioned.
In 2020, affected by the pandemic, LSOUL faced a development crisis. To sustain operations, Lam decided to reposition LSOUL as a “ready-to-wear designer brand” and began building his own design team. By 2022, LSOUL had completed the formation of its core design team and started releasing a new collection every month.
Lam stated: “Feminine yet distinctive perfectly describes the style of LSOUL.” The brand’s designs blend classic and contemporary elements, delivering a unique avant-garde aesthetic while maintaining a soft elegance.
With this distinctive style, LSOUL attracted the attention of fashion icons such as Jennie from Korean girl group Blackpink and South Korean singer IU. Their influence rapidly propelled the brand into the spotlight.
In July 2024, LSOUL opened its first overseas boutique on Broome Street in New York City, USA, and in December, it expanded into the Thai market with a boutique on the first floor of the EmSphere shopping mall in Bangkok.
In September 2024, LSOUL launched its official Xiaohongshu account to establish direct contact with Chinese consumers. In March this year, the brand participated in Shanghai Fashion Week, showcasing its Fall/Winter 2025 collection.
In May this year, LSOUL will open its first store in China at Shanghai TX Huaihai.
Above: LSOUL official release of the interior design for the Shanghai TX Huaihai boutique
EMIS
@ Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai
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Country of Origin: South Korea
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Year of Establishment: 2017
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Price Range: Baseball Caps RMB 200–400 [approx. USD 30–60]; Tops RMB 300–500 [approx. USD 40–70]; Dresses RMB 400–600 [approx. USD 60–80]
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Style Keywords: Minimalist, vintage
Founded in 2017, EMIS derives its name from the acronym for “Every Moment Is Special,” with the aim of bringing special moments to those living monotonous lives and creating meaningful products for everyday life.
Baseball caps are EMIS’s breakout product, having been worn by celebrities such as Song Hye-kyo and Jisoo of the Korean girl group Blackpink.
EMIS has primarily expanded offline through major department stores, entering locations such as Shinsegae Department Store in Busan, The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, and Lotte World Mall. Notably, at Shinsegae Department Store in Busan, EMIS achieved sales of KRW 500 million (approximately RMB 2.5 million [approx. USD 350,000]) within just one month of opening, becoming the top-selling brand in the fashion category for that month.
Since 2022, EMIS has been developing independent boutiques. According to the brand’s official website, it currently operates three flagship stores in Seoul, located in Myeong-dong, Seongsu-dong, and Hannam-dong.
Data from South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service show that EMIS’s sales revenue in 2024 reached KRW 86.3 billion (approximately RMB 438 million [approx. USD 61 million]), with an operating profit of KRW 42.9 billion (approximately RMB 218 million [approx. USD 30 million]), representing year-on-year growth of 155% and 194%, respectively.
Park Min-joo, the brand’s CEO, stated: “The key to our growth lies in our ability to quickly discern customer preferences in a changing market and to build a production system that meets their needs.” He also noted that the brand plans to increase its direct contact points with customers both domestically and internationally.
In March 2024, EMIS entered the Chinese market via Tmall Global, simultaneously launching official accounts on Xiaohongshu, Weibo, and WeChat. Subsequently, the brand also opened flagship stores on JD.com, Douyin, and Dewu (Poizon).
In 2024, EMIS also launched pop-up stores in Taichung, Hong Kong, and Shanghai Xintiandi.
On April 10 this year, EMIS opened its first physical store in the Chinese Mainland at No. 795-2 Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai. The street-facing store is located next to Chinese designer brand nice rice and Japanese lifestyle brand niko and…, with the entire store featuring a gray-and-white color scheme. The interior displays continue the style of EMIS’s stores in South Korea, using white-painted scaffolding structures to showcase products.
Later this year, EMIS plans to open a flagship store in Tokyo.
| Image Credit: Official Brand Weibo, Instagram
| Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
