Dynasty drip: How adidas' Tang CNY jacket rewrites the fashion playbook

Following the popularity of the ancient Chinese "horse face skirt" last year, one of the latest fads in the fashion world has to be adidas' Tang Chinese New Year jacket, which merges all manner of contemporary design with traditional Chinese aesthetics, featuring a series of knot buttons and stand-up collars along with its iconic three-stripe branding.

The latest outerwear design reportedly draws inspiration from traditional satin garments of the Tang Dynasty, with the Tang jacket often symbolising unity and prosperity. It comes in elegant shades of soft salmon and golden mustard. An adidas spokesperson told WWD that the new jacket is being sold exclusively to greater China and it won’t be available in other markets.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to adidas for more information. 

According to media intelligence firm CARMA, the new jacket as part of the brand's CNY collection has generated over 1.2K mentions across social platforms out of 713.1K mentions of adidas in total, with 37.1% of positive and 1.3% negative sentiments. Some netizens said Chinese singer Zhang Hao wearing the jacket had sparked fan interest. Fans created terms such as "중티다스" (Chinese style adidas jacket) for the jacket worn by him. 

This specific jacket hit the right mark of tapping into an interesting Chinese inspired design that is interesting, yet wearable, according to Elisa Harca, co-founder of Red Ant Asia in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. "The design is very smart, incorporating traditional Chinese button elements while integrating Adidas’ signature stripes, along with elegant and chic colours and materials. The result beautifully showcases a neo-Chinese style blended with sports streetwear style, the celebrity collaboration also helps bring the product to the right audience. But the core magic lies in the design - it’s simple, striking yet harmonious!" 

Chinese style and aesthetics are really growing in popularity both from Chinese living in China, Chinese living abroad, as well as foreigners, she added. "We are seeing an increased interest on the local and global stage about Chinese design, style, taste and trends. Once seen as a follower in terms of design, China is now very much in the leading phase."

In fact, there are two macroeconomic forces culminating in this phenomenon that has been bubbling for a while, said Shufen Goh, president, APAC at MediaSense and co-founder of R3. "In the last decade, consumers in China have embraced more local brands that offer value for the rising middle class across all categories from EVs to home appliances to skincare. West is not necessarily best anymore."

"In the fashion industry, local designers offers quality and distinctive Chinese style, beyond the traditional hanfu or qipao, riding on the wave of nationalistic pride that is very much fueled by a geopolitically divided world of US vs China. Fashion is an expression of identity, style and politics, so this category is ripe for innovation," she added.

Is this a lucrative move for the brand?

In the post-Covid era, while some global brands may be scaling back their investments or even withdrawing from China, brands that bank on the Chinese consumer to fuel global growth cannot overlook the increasing significance of nationalism, said Maximilian Wang, managing director of SAU LEE.

Similarly, last summer, the ancient Chinese "horse face skirt" which was perceived as "xinzhongshi," or "new Chinese style", had taken the Chinese social media by storm, with Gen Z consumers giving the design a modern twist, with unique pairings and choice of fabrics. 

Wang said "GuoChao" (國潮) will persist as a pivotal consideration now prominently influencing local fashion with the "Xinzhongshi" social movement empowering young Chinese consumers to explore their heritage through personal style. "Given China’s rich history and a growing desire for self-expression, there is abundant potential for this movement to evolve into a niche within contemporary popular culture. A golden opportunity for brands to create a truly consumer-centric product that, if done well, can yield both substantial commercial and brand value," he added.

Meanwhile, Red Ant Asia's Harca said it has been a good move as it’s a product capsule hence it’s about driving brand connection, seasonal momentum and of course sales.

"Whenever a brand does a seasonable capsule, the ultimate aim is always for an uplift in sales. And for such a successful collection, besides driving sales for itself, it captures the CNY opportunity to build in the brand in the hearts of Chinese audiences / Chinese culture appreciators, and in turn, will swing long-tail effect for the future," she added.

How can fashion brands leverage on the cultural trend?

Fashion has always been about culture as it has been about self-expression, said Wang. For culture to play a bigger role in how young consumers identify is an opportunity for brands to create something meaningful and ultimately bridge a genuine connection that feeds preference and loyalty, he added.

"Culture is inherently personal and it behooves brands to invest in really understanding what defines and moves contemporary Chinese culture to differentiate from brands that just regurgitate overused unoriginal ideas. The benefit of China’s hyperactive social media landscape is a plethora of insight for brands to observe closely what their consumers are thinking and feeling in real time and then create something that consumers will cherish," he added.

Adding to his thoughts was Harca, who said authenticity is key. "It’s still very much about getting the taste right. The best way to do it would be to collaborate with local creators, designers, stylists, amongst others to develop something that is really on the pulse and hits the mark just right."

"So rather than just adding traditional Chinese elements in a formulaic way, the design should internalise Chinese aesthetics and integrate them into the brand’s own expression in a way that resonates with local culture and audiences. The worst thing is just jumping on the band wagon and being tone deaf," she added.

For other global brands, the time is right to go beyond the surface of a CNY collection of reds and the Shanghai Tangy oriental stereotypes, and create contemporary Chinese aesthetics that is borderless, Goh added.

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