The quality of work does not differ between countries…Everything has to be good on an international level, and only then will we be able to stand proudly and say ‘this is made in China,’” Hong Kong entertainer-turned-designer Edison Chen declared in a speech at New York University in 2017, calling on domestic culture and fashion brands to abandon the “good enough for China” attitude.

This is considered to be the starting point of guochao (国潮), or “China tide,” a fad for domestically made fashion and other trendy products (潮 is also a Chinese term for “fashionable”). Following Chen’s speech, 2018 became known as the “first year of guochao,” and “Made in China” has become a new trend in the Chinese fashion industry.

Traditional culture had been infused successfully into modern products before. The 2016 documentary Masters in Forbidden City, which depicted the artisans who restore relics in the ancient palace, significantly boosted the sales of souvenirs. Young consumers were suddenly clamoring for the Forbidden City lipsticks collection, inspired by the red color of the palace walls; handmade action figures of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), which wear sunglasses and can rap; and the “Forbidden City Meow,” a series of figurines modeled on the palace’s stray cats.

The term guochao usually refers to fashion brands with traditional Chinese elements in their designs. Edison Chen became the “godfather” of the movement when his fashion label CLOT partnered with Nike to launch a Chinese-style sneaker in 2006. The shoe’s design was based on the notion of acupuncture points in traditional medicine. Acupoint patterns appear on the soles, and the shoebox resembles a Chinese medicine book.

Athletic brand Li Ning has become another byword for guochao. Founded in 1990 by Li Ning, China’s Olympic and world champion in gymnastics, it was known as a cost-effective sports brand with conservative designs and a mostly middle-aged market in its first 30 years. Due to the declining purchasing power of its customer base, Li Ning was on the verge of bankruptcy by 2018, having lost over 3 billion yuan since 2011.

All of this changed after Li Ning launched its secondary line, known domestically as “China Li Ning,” at New York Fashion Week in 2018. In its show, Li Ning designers splashed Chinese elements everywhere: conspicuous Chinese characters, a yellow and red color scheme. This bold transformation was an unprecedented success: Just after Fashion Week concluded, the shoes and apparel in Li Ning’s flagship store on e-commerce site Tmall were sold out, and the sweaters with the Chinese characters “China Li Ning” became the season’s must-have item.