Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 29 Week of 25 August 2025
(1) From Bondi to Hong Kong: The Aussie fashion designers ‘having a crack’
Australian swimwear label Bondi Born is shifting its export focus from the US to Asia due to crippling 145% tariffs. Supported by the Australian Fashion Council’s Global Gateway program, it will showcase in Hong Kong to target new buyers and emphasize its luxury coastal story to compete in the region.
(2) Adidas, Nike chase the instant retail boom
Chinese sportswear giant Anta has partnered with Meituan to offer 30-minute delivery of athletic gear, expanding a retail trend where brands use food-delivery logistics for instant commerce. This ¥1 trillion market targets young consumers demanding speed, forcing brands to balance rapid growth with margin and brand protection.
(3) How China’s Gen Z sparked a doll fashion craze – and its impact on the economy
China’s “doll economy” is booming, driven by Gen Z’s emotional consumption, with miniature clothing sales surging 117% YoY.
(4) MUSINSA and ANTA Sports Launch “MUSINSA China” Joint Venture to Expand K-Fashion in China
China’s cultural preference for fair skin has fueled a ¥100B “hard sun protection” market, driven by extreme UV avoidance and record heatwaves.
(1) From Bondi to Hong Kong: The Aussie fashion designers ‘having a crack’
(Photo Credit: Mode Sportif)
Australian swimwear label Bondi Born is pivoting its export strategy towards Asia in response to challenging US tariff conditions. Founder Dale McCarthy reported that the US, previously constituting 65% of revenue, saw growth stall after tariffs of up to 145% were imposed on items produced in China and Vietnam. This has prompted a strategic shift, as the brand’s year-on-year growth in Australia remains strong at 35%.
To facilitate this market diversification, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) is launching its Global Gateway program. The initiative will take seven Australian designers, including Bondi Born and Re/lax Remade, to a Hong Kong trade show in September. The event is expected to attract over 8,500 buyers and media from across Asia, offering a platform to build brand presence and secure wholesale relationships in the region.
AFC CEO Jaana Quaintance-James highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a regional fashion hub and its compatibility with the Australian “luxury coastal vibe.” However, experts like Dr. Marian Makkar caution that success requires more than a lifestyle aesthetic; building trust and articulating a story of exclusivity and sustainability is essential to compete with established European luxury brands in diverse Asian consumer markets.
News Source: https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/from-bondi-to-hong-kong-the-aussie-fashion-designers-having-a-crack-20250822-p5mp4i.html
(2) Adidas, Nike chase the instant retail boom
(Photo Credit: Meituan)
Sportswear leader Anta has partnered with Meituan Flash to launch 30-minute delivery of athletic gear through 1,200 stores, aiming to expand to 5,000 outlets across 300+ cities by year-end. This “on-demand retail” model applies food-delivery logistics to retail, targeting young consumers at locations like gyms and schools. Early pilots in Shandong and Guangdong saw significant demand, with Meituan reporting 200% YoY sales jumps for running shoes, athletic tees, and basketball sneakers since June.
So-called “on-demand retail” is essentially about applying food delivery logistics to retail. Delivery within 30 minutes no longer just covers meals — clothes, shoes, and even mobile phones are available, too. This model combines the convenience of e-commerce with the accessibility of physical stores, and is rapidly becoming a new battleground for brands competing on speed and incremental growth. The trend extends beyond sportswear, becoming a new battleground for brands competing on speed: Adidas, Nike, and childrenswear brand Balabala have joined platforms like JD.com and Taobao. Luxury brand Coach offers select items (e.g., a ¥958 monogram bag selling 8,000+ units) via Taobao Flash Sale in Shanghai, adding gift packaging for premium appeal. Categories from cycling apparel to hiking gear have doubled sales, with Decathlon and Nike achieving sub-hour deliveries
On-demand retail is now a ¥1 trillion ($168B) market (per China Chain Store Association), growing at an 81% CAGR since 2016. Over half of China’s post-95s generation pay premiums for same-day delivery, accelerating adoption across electronics, pet supplies, and fashion. As Anta, Nike, and Coach embrace the model, it represents a critical second growth curve – forcing brands to balance speed with margin protection and brand equity in this “new normal” of instant consumption.
News Source: https://jingdaily.com/posts/the-30-minute-luxury-war
(3) How China’s Gen Z sparked a doll fashion craze – and its impact on the economy
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
China’s “doll economy” is experiencing explosive growth driven by Gen Z’s passion for customization, with miniature clothing sales on Taobao/Tmall surging 117% YoY in 2024 and exceeding ¥10 million ($1.4B) in May alone. Young collectors like Clementine Cai (21) spend up to ¥500 per outfit, which is more than their own clothing budgets. The Lingzhi Institute reports Gen Z accounts for 40% of consumption in this niche, prioritizing “pleasure” and “emotional value” through doll parenting rituals, including creating character backstories and travel photoshoots.
Two distinct doll ecosystems fuel demand: resin ball-jointed dolls (sold as customizable “bare dolls”) and Pop Mart’s Labubu plush toys (not designed for customization, but fans improvise outfits). This has birthed specialized artisans like Li Junzhi, who handcrafts traditional hanfu doll costumes (4+ hours per set, ¥60-138) featuring magnetic accessories. Her round-collar robe design sold 1,000 units, reflecting a “national trend” where traditional culture intersects with therapeutic play. As collector Yancy Fang notes: “Outfitted dolls become like children sitting there”, enhancing emotional connections through meticulous styling.
The global trendy toy market has doubled from 20.3B(2020) to 41.8B (2024), projected to hit $52B by 2025 (CCTV data). Chinese manufacturers now pivot to meet international demand, with Zhejiang’s Yiwu International Trade City reporting tripled exports to Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. However, scaling remains challenging due to specialized miniature garment craftsmanship. As Li Junzhi explains: “Factories exporting adult clothing struggle with doll-sized precision”, highlighting a production gap despite Shandong factories repurposing facilities. This underscores how emotional consumption is reshaping manufacturing while exposing infrastructure gaps in serving niche creative markets.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322816/how-chinas-gen-z-sparked-doll-fashion-craze-and-its-impact-economy
(4) MUSINSA and ANTA Sports Launch “MUSINSA China” Joint Venture to Expand K-Fashion in China
(Photo Credit: PR Newswire)
South Korean fashion platform MUSINSA has entered the Chinese market through a strategic joint venture with ANTA Sports, China’s largest sportswear group. The newly formed MUSINSA China (subject to regulatory approval by September 2025) will be 60% owned by MUSINSA and 40% by ANTA, with MUSINSA leading business operations for its MUSINSA STANDARD and Musinsa Storebrands across online and offline channels in China. ANTA will provide strategic oversight through board representation.
The partnership leverages MUSINSA’s portfolio of 10,000+ Korean fashion brands and ANTA’s expertise in executing multi-brand strategies across sportswear, athleisure, and lifestyle segments. This collaboration aims to capture China’s rapidly evolving youth market by merging high-fashion curation with sportswear infrastructure. ANTA Co-CEO Wu Yonghua emphasized advancing their “Single-Focus, Multi-Brand, and Globalization” strategy through this venture, noting it will integrate sportswear with fashion-forward design using ANTA’s proven “Brand + Retail” operational model.
MUSINSA CEO Joonmo Park highlighted the fusion of MUSINSA’s fashion platform experience with ANTA’s retail management capabilities to “deliver differentiated brand experiences” across Chinese retail channels. The joint venture specifically targets younger consumers seeking style-conscious sport/lifestyle products, with both leaders underscoring ambitions to dominate the convergence of fashion and athletic wear in China’s dynamic market. The move represents MUSINSA’s formal entry into China and ANTA’s expansion beyond traditional sportswear into curated fashion ecosystems.
