Huang Xiaoming teamed up with designer Zhang Shuai to create menswear brand M-77

"M-77", a name that sounds like a tidal brand, was founded by a famous movie star Huang Xiaoming and his good friends, famous stylists and independent costume designer Zhang Shuai. The new menswear brand just launched this month has just been launched. At the appearance, it gained the attention of massive media and was covered with several hot words in the fashion industry: "Stars' own brand", "independent designer", "trendy men's clothing", "cross-border cooperation"...

However, fashion is a real business in the final analysis. We can't help but wonder what kind of business logic and in-depth thinking lies behind each hot word, in the minds of all participants.

Two friends who have known each other for many years, why did they choose the position of "designer + trending men" and create a brand at this time?

There have been many cases where celebrities have established fashion brands. How does Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Shuai’s M-77 differ in terms of how they plan to operate in a commercial manner and whether they will take advantage of the natural star aura and potential fan economy?

As the industry leader in the field of outdoor apparel entering the field, the giants of Pathfinder Group, why did they decide to go through the cooperation of their local brands such as Discovery Expedition and M-77?

"Glamorous" exclusively interviewed two co-founders of the M-77 brand, Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Shuai, and the cross-border partner: Ms. Wang Jing, who has just returned to the Pathfinder Group as chairman and president, and Pathfinder Group Vice President of Products and General Manager Li Yang of Discovery Expedition.

From the left in the figure above: Pathfinder Group Vice President of Products and General Manager of Discovery Expedition Brand Li Yang, Huang Xiaoming, Pathfinder Group Chairman and President Ms. Wang Jing and Zhang Shuai

On December 5th, at the Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Hall, the brand M-77 cooperated with Discovery Outdoors, a US outdoor brand operated by the Pathfinder Group, to cross the border and completed high-profile release of the “Too Cool For Boys” 2018 autumn and winter clothing series.

"M" stands for "man", and "77" stands for both the founder Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Shuai after the 70th. Zhang Shuai said that many 70-year-old boys like them have experienced hardship but still harbor many dreams. The release site is both a fashion show and a star gathering for Starlight. In addition to Huang Xiaoming, more than a dozen domestic and second-tier high-pop stars appeared and put this newly-born designer's trendy brand intertwined with retro, modern and street styles. They quickly “blessed” to the next day’s entertainment and fashion. The prominent position of the media.

For such a high-profile debut, co-founder Zhang Shuai took the entrepreneur's tone and explained to the media several times. “We didn’t let the guests freeze in the cold, so we found a decent venue to find the brand. We don't actually spend much money to sponsor us."

In the M-77 show, Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Shuai appeared in black sweaters with their own eye-catching "M" and "77," respectively. Prior to this brand, they both specialized in different fields:

Huang Xiaoming was listed in the Forbes Celebrity List for 13 consecutive years. He is the co-founder of STAR VC and the chairman of Mingjia Capital. He has participated in famous projects including second beat, big coffee show and uncle. He said that his investment philosophy is to look to the future, "do not mean to do now, you are buying the future market."

Zhang Shuai has been in the MAC industry in China as a special make-up artist since 2005 and he has stepped into the fashion industry. In 2014, he turned from a well-known celebrity stylist to a garment industry and launched the same-name brand ZHANGSHUAI. He once summed up his own "after four years of naked market verification, bloody learning a lot. I am a designer who understands business very much."

Due to the deep friendship between the two people for many years, people are inevitably associated with the proportion of loyalty and friendship components behind the cooperation. However, during the interview, Huang Xiaoming bluntly said: “We always wanted to be a Chinese brand, a “good for fashion from a boy to a man” clientele, adding the two of us to the fashion perspective, and the mass to consume.”

Chinese design brands have emerged. Will the men's wear market come?

In 2020, retail sales of the menswear market are expected to reach 979.3 billion yuan. In October, Youngor announced that it would increase its investment in the American men's brand Hart Schaffner Marx. In the words of the chairman, it is China's upcoming gentlemanly middle class. As China's existing menswear brand ages, intruders continue to find the gap in the menswear market keenly. For example, the former author media media person Cai Chongda founded Magmode.

When "Glamorous" asked "Why did you choose to launch M-77?", Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Shuai admitted that the two had discussed this. "At first, I thought it would be better to introduce it later, but Zhang Shuai is in the industry. He thinks it is better now. I'm willing to listen to and trust the professional judgment of our partners." Huang Xiaoming said: "The timing is very important, but When exactly is the right time, only do it."

With the gradual release of the consumption power of the new generation of consumer groups and the middle class, their consumption is also more attitudinal. In the 2017 “China Fashion Consumption Survey” released by “Glamorous”, more than half of the respondents stated that they are more willing to try a niche or new brand, not because of “expensive” or “famous” consumption, but because they like it. Even understand and buy. 58% of mid- to high-end consumers have purchased Chinese local designer brands in the past year.

Similarly, the 2017 China Consumer Survey report released by McKinsey shows that China’s “post-90′s” is becoming a new consumer engine. Moreover, Chinese consumers have more objective and detailed perceptions of global brands and local brands, and their line of sight gradually shifts to local brands. Brand ownership is not as important as before. They are very clear about what they want. For example, they begin to pay close attention to brands that are price-conscious.

Therefore, China's creation, young market, and individual consumption are perhaps behind M-77 and Discovery Expedition and M-77, the "future market" for many designer brands.

Above: Discovery Expedition x M-77

How far can a star brand go?

Fashion circles and entertainment circles have a natural additive effect. Stars shuttle through them, and when resources mature, they naturally overlap with the commercial circle. The apparel industry is the most common intersection of three circles. The celebrity player in the celebrity can easily become a "goodsman" and evolves a celebrity's own brand, realizing the most direct realization of the halo.

Compared to a single designer brand that is relatively "niche", the brand created by Huang Xiaoming's "Huangjiao" is undoubtedly more quickly able to gather popularity and attention. According to the “Phoenix” 2017 fashion consumption survey report, nearly 70% of mid- to high-end consumers still do not understand Chinese designer brands, and more than 30% of respondents said that a designer brand does not know. According to the statistics of social media data from the “Chinese Gorgeous Chic” Chinese local designer database, as of the end of 2016, the total number of 651 designers’ personal microblog posts collected in the library has only reached 30 million. Comparing this data, as of today, Huang Xiaoming’s personal microblog fans have reached 54.04 million.

Whether China or overseas, countless stars have thought about or created a fashion brand, but not many have truly done and persisted, and the case of obtaining commercial success is even more embarrassing. If the brand does not have a clear brand positioning, competitive products, and professional operation, then the celebrity brand with fans' appeal may also be just a sparkle at the mall, and even overdrafts may be excessively popular. . After all, resources are just additions, and product and brand power are kings.

The rich star resources brought attention to M-77, an ordinary new brand that could not be clustered. When “Glamorous” asked about the fan economy, Huang Xiaoming waved his hand and said there was no special consideration. Zhang Shuai said “I can see clearly. This brand (whether it can last for a long time) actually has no half-margin relationship with me and Huang Xiaoming. The market is particularly realistic, things look good and quality is good, and consumers will always follow you."

Zhang Shuai said: "Maybe for the first time, everyone bought because of the celebrity effect, but if the quality is poor and the price/performance ratio is low, no one will buy it. Similarly, if you look for manufacturers to customize fabrics, others will not be special because you are a star. Taking care of it and selling it will only get a big order. Fabrics can be customized and products can be uniquely designed."

Huang Xiaoming is an angel investor of the brand M-77. In the interview, he showed his full trust in partners. “I encouraged Shuai to do it. It was a good thing to do it, and I didn’t regret it. I understand that it is very Hard work, the success rate is not very high; next Zhang Shuai reveals the entrepreneur's "passion" side, he said with some excitement: "As long as we must do a good job, Moreover, this is a good thing, we can not do All right. The only thing that made me feel pressure was Huang Xiaoming because he trusted me so much."

Different from the personal namesake brand, the cooperation with the good brother Huang Xiaoming makes Zhang Shuai's pressure even greater. At the same time, production, inventory, sales, and recognition are all equal before all entrepreneurs.

"No matter how many stars are doing (Cool brand), our attitude is to do real things." Zhang Shuai said: "The high cost, first comes from our savings on every detail of operating costs, if not saving, these Expenditure will eventually fall on consumers.” For example, he said that people from all companies cannot take a taxi. He will personally go to the market to pick a zipper instead of letting an assistant buy back 10 different ones. Zhang Shuai categorizes it as “It’s come to us. When you are old, you will have a special time to spend your money."

In previous interviews with other media, Huang Xiaoming had analyzed his investment criteria: First, the partners are important, and the second is very important - to be a young people's market. At the same time, he also frankly stated that because he is in the entertainment industry, he will be particularly sensitive to fashion, youth, and fast-selling products. With the advantages of platform resources, investment in related industries will be logical.

In addition to investing money, Huang Xiaoming stated that he would also give some suggestions for design. He even firmly stated that M-77 is just a beginning and that he welcomes more outstanding designers in the future and does not rule out creating a platform for designers to gather.

Outdoor brand Discovery Expedition Why cross-border fashion?

“Listening to Zhang Shuai and Huang Xiaoming, when they talked about the feelings of starting a business, I very much appreciate their attitude towards doing things. My first line of speech is “What a big deal,” and I either don’t do it or I try my best. This is my attitude. The person who said this was Ms. Wang Jing, who had just returned to the Pathfinder Group and was elected chairman and president.

Wang Jing, wearing a soft black jacket with a black Discovery on the show floor, was difficult to imagine from his petite figure. She had climbed several dozen snow-capped mountains and climbed snow-capped mountains more than 8,000 meters above sea level. Everest Everest. In 1999, she worked with Shengfaqiang husband and wife to start a pioneering business from a folding tourist tent and took care of it. This made Pathfinder become one of the first companies successfully listed on China's ChiNext in 2009.

For this return to her, she said, “I came back with a mission to promote the improvement of the Pathfinder brand.” In the interview, Wang Jing and “Glamorous” repeatedly mentioned the spirit and content of the brand, and she herself has become The representative of the Pathfinder brand and the best spokesperson.

This Discovery Expedition and M-77 launched 8 joint capsule models to cater for the trend of leisure sports (athletic) to integrate fashion and outdoor functions. On the spot, female models are invited to perform men's wear, and M-77 is given more. The possibility of wearing a neutral dress.

Li Yang, the general manager of the brand, introduced that the goal of Discovery Expedition is the outdoor field of fashion. Previously, the series of “down sofas and down jackets” that cooperated with Zhang Shuai had a very good effect, and the combination of trend-driven pioneers and outdoor functional cross-border can gain market recognition.

In addition to working with designers, Discovery Expedition has also successfully tried out more brand marketing through collaborations with variety shows such as “Taking risks with Bell”, “our laws”, “Goddess of the New Clothes”, and “Offroad Trinity”. This game is played in this year and through the cross-border cooperation with the popular music players of the Midi Music Festival and the "Children of Tomorrow", it has made a mark on the target audience of fashion.

After seeing these cases, we can not help but wonder if the Pathfinder Group intends to expand from the outdoor to the fashion field. Wang Jing, Chairman and President of the Group, answered our questions in both depth and breadth.

The depth is focused on the outdoor industry. She said: “As a very good brand operation, we must focus on the outdoor industry. This is my in-depth knowledge. Perhaps the business is doing a lot, maybe which opportunity can make a fortune, But that is not what we Pathfinders have to do."

The combination with fashion is more of a reflection of brand breadth in Wang Jing’s view. “I understand that the outdoor represents a spirit that is itself a fashion that allows more people who love the outdoors to enjoy outdoor life in the city. This is the positioning of Discovery Expedition. Therefore, we are willing to cooperate with outstanding independent designers. I hope that this kind of cross-border cooperation will become a new fashion in the future. On the one hand, people can enjoy different living scenes in the city or outside, and on the other hand, they will be motivated to complete challenges and explorations at the spiritual level.”

As a new brand, M-77 made a lot of flowers and attention on its debut. However, the brand will eventually be put to the test of the commercial market. The business world is really cruel, but Huang Xiaoming added: "People who have dreams will make this real world more and more balanced."

Just like the M-77 show scene, there are "pistols, glass marbles, robots" which belong to the exclusive memory of the 70,80, but also the most slick current silver foil foil fabric and street style elements, Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Shuai, the two 70-year-old boys with M-77, not only in the past, but also in the charge of the future.