I am delighted to be invited here today to discuss and share with everyone about the Bespoke Tailoring and Branding Development Cooperation between China and the UK with the background of “One Belt and One Road” strategy.
I would like to make three points:
First, the main goal of the “One Belt and One Road” idea is to strengthen cooperation between China and the rest of the world. In the current economic climate, particularly with regards to Brexit, China and Britain will have very good opportunities for future cooperation. This could be through joint projects or business forums.
As we are aware, in the clothing industry:
· British textiles are renowned for their quality and innovation, and many luxury brands originated from the UK.
· The UK also hosts world famous London Fashion Week 4 times a year (Ladies in February & September, Men in January &June).The other famous fashion weeks are in New York, Milan & Paris. I hope to see some Chinese clothing companies represented there.
· UK is a hot bed of young and upcoming designers. British designers are some of the best in the world, and could offer a good opportunity of working with Chinese companies.
· In the UK, we have some of the leading fashion schools, for example, Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion, graduates include, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith, Jimmy Choo and others.
Under the One Belt One Road initiative,we can see there are huge opportunities for China and the UK working together in the fashion and clothing industry.
Second, George Brummell is a traditional British bespoke tailoring company, which has been successful in entering the Chinese luxury clothing market. This has been done by using a consultancy company which hasthe experience of helping British companies understand the Chinese market and culture. Through their help, we have managed to choose the right partners to work with. Early on we learnt an important part of doing business in China is “Cooperation, Win-win situation and a Share relationship”, which is why we have chosen to use the partnership model for our business in China. This model works well when both parties are happy to share the mutual rewards.
Our branding is based on theBritish traditional way of making bespoke garments by hand, using the finest British made fabrics. One of our tailors is a 5th generation tailor. Our suits are also made in the British style which has more construction than in other styles, with emphasis on the perfect fit.This is a very labour intensive craftsmanship process. Typically, a customer can expect to wait 90 days fora George Brummell bespoke suit, but what our clients are buying is a unique high quality bespoke garment made especially for them.
The bespoke suit is still the most elegant item of clothing a man can wear, so long as its cut, colour and fabric are correct - meaning that they fit the occasion. Wearing a well cut bespoke suit helps give confidence brought about by dressing well. We intend to travel to China a minimum of 4 times a year to sell and fit our product.
Third, although a lot of famous brands clothes are made in China, there a very few world renowned Chinese clothing brands in the UK. I think with a better understanding of how marketing and branding work in the UK, then this situation could change. For a business to succeed in the UK It is very important that they have:
· Good quality products, or services with unique selling points
· Know British business culture and law
· Have a good UK management team
· Research the market and consumer buying behaviour to help create the right company image
The advantages of investing in the UK are:
· Expand the business and promote Chinese brand awareness
· The opportunity to learn more advanced management skills in the UK
· Better research and development opportunities
· Good workforce flexibility (in comparison to the work councils of France and Germany)
· Investor friendly policies
· Hub of innovation and creative industries
· Stable and safe country
I do hope more Chinese businesses will come to the UK to discover the massive market opportunities. I will be in the UK to welcome you. Thank you for your time.
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