Text/Du Yilan
"What is it like to wear Hanfu to travel?" "On May Day, wearing Hanfu out for the first time" "Being Hanfu has become a 'national trend'" , on platforms such as Bilibili and Xiaohongshu, more and more users are beginning to share their experiences wearing Hanfu. During the May Day period, elegantly dressed Hanfu enthusiasts can be seen everywhere in the Forbidden City, Phoenix Ancient City, West Lake and other places, and "Hanfu + scenic spots" has become a new way of playing for young people.
Wearing Hanfu out in the street is very popular among young people. According to a report by iiMedia Research, the number and market size of Chinese Hanfu fans are growing rapidly. It is predicted that the number of Hanfu fans in 2021 is expected to reach 6.894 million, and the market sales will reach 10.16 billion yuan. On the official website of a certain Hanfu brand, a set of Hanfu sells for tens of thousands of yuan, and the construction period of the clothing is scheduled until March next year.
The Hanfu market has huge potential, and capital is rushing to enter the market. In April this year, well-known institutions such as Tencent, Sequoia, and Bubble Mart successively invested in Hanfu companies. Hanfu is becoming more and more popular, and plagiarism and copycats, malicious hype and other chaos are also emerging one after another. Can the Hanfu craze continue? How can the industry develop healthily?
“It’s hard to find a piece of clothing”
“It used to take some courage to wear Hanfu and go out,” said some Hanfu enthusiasts. Now they wear Hanfu whenever they have time and participate in Tongpao (Hanfu Hobby) You can also wear Hanfu to visit scenic spots, take photos beautifully, and don’t have to worry about strange looks.
With the revival of national fashion in recent years, Hanfu has gradually moved from a niche aesthetic more than ten years ago to a popular one. The "2020 Hanfu Consumption Trend Insight Report" released by Tmall previously showed that as of the end of 2020, 18 million consumers had purchased Hanfu on Tmall, and the number of potential consumers of Hanfu reached 415 million.
How popular is Hanfu?
Caoxian County, Shandong Province, has more than 3,000 enterprises related to the industry chain such as Hanfu and performance clothes, and the sales of original Hanfu account for one-third of the same market in the country. Since the beginning of the year, in order to cope with the surge in market demand, many local Hanfu factories have been working overtime to produce, and the supply is still in short supply.
Embroidery production workshop. Photography/Du Yilan
“Orders came in suddenly, and there was no preparation time at all.” Meng Xiaoxia, a Hanfu manufacturer in Daji Town, Cao County, told China News Weekly that due to the epidemic last year, many goods were overwhelmed. , so they don’t dare to buy goods. Now that the domestic epidemic is under control, all tourist attractions are open, people are enthusiastic about visiting, and orders are pouring in all at once. One scenic spot can order all the goods, and even more than a dozen of them can be ordered in three days. All 10,000 sets of clothes have been sold out.
"It can't be produced at all." Meng Xiaoxia looked embarrassed. Normally, the production cycle of 5,000-10,000 sets of Hanfu is 20 to 40 days. Now it takes a few days. Taking it out is simply impossible.
Meng Xiaoxia and her lover Hu Chunqing joined the e-commerce trend in Daji Town in 2015 and became one of more than 3,000 performance clothing merchants. In 2019, their Tmall store sales reached nearly 10 million. Affected by the epidemic in 2020, large-scale performances were canceled one after another, and the performance costume industry in Daji Town suddenly fell into a trough. At this time, the couple discovered new business opportunities and switched to the production and sales of Hanfu. Now, they have sold more than 100,000 Hanfu online and offline.
With the popularity of Hanfu, this year is both an opportunity and a challenge for them. Meng Xiaoxia said that stores can make money by just clicking on a link and as long as the goods are available, but the inability to keep up with production capacity is a big problem.
Insufficient production capacity and out-of-stock fabric sellers have also encountered the same problem. A fabric sales boss in Daji Town said that now Hanfu manufacturers do not even talk about the price when they come to visit, but directly ask if the fabric is in stock and when. Can arrive.
In addition to the representative Daji Town of Caoxian County, China News Weekly noticed that Hanfu manufacturers in other places are also selling very well, and there is a phenomenon of "hard to find".
Zhuhuatang (Minghuatang), as a recognized brand of customized Hanfu in the industry, offers a set of Feiyu cloud shoulders, open sleeves, floral woven gold yarn suit, the price is up to 11,000 yuan, short jacket and other single items The selling price is also over a thousand yuan. Even so, there is no shortage of orders. Its official website shows that the clothing construction period is scheduled to mid-March 2022.
Why is Hanfu so popular?
Ai Media Consulting CEO and Chief Analyst Zhang Yi believes that Hanfu is a typical example of the development of traditional Chinese quintessence combined with trendy elements.Model representatives, as the post-95s and post-00s generations gradually enter the economic stage, the young group’s sense of identity with the country and nation continues to strengthen, they are more willing to accept new things, have strong demands for self-expression, and pursue individuality, all of which have boosted the national With the development of trendy economy, it plays an important role in the formation and spread of Hanfu wearing and consumption trends.
Capital influx
Hanfu is popular! iiMedia Research predicts that the number of Hanfu fans will reach 6.894 million in 2021, and the market sales will reach 10.16 billion yuan. Hanfu has become a tens of billions market.
Li Tao, Secretary of the Party Committee of Daji Town, Cao County, said that not only children and little girls like to wear Hanfu, but more and more middle-aged people also like to wear Hanfu, especially the improved Hanfu, which is more daily and suitable for occasions. It’s also more widespread.
Hanfu display. Photography/Du Yilan
Under this situation, various capitals rushed to the scene to compete for the "cake" of Hanfu.
Tianyancha data shows that there are currently more than 3,000 Hanfu-related companies in China, of which 73% are individual merchants and 23% are limited liability companies. Among them, well-known investment institutions also appeared.
On April 2 this year, Twelve Light Years, a pan-two-dimensional cultural derivatives new retail platform with products covering Hanfu Han elements, JK uniforms, and Lolita, received millions of dollars in Pre-A round financing. Investors include Sequoia China Seed Fund, Tencent Investment, MiHoYo and other well-known investment institutions and companies.
In less than a week, another Hanfu brand, Shisanyu, received hundreds of millions of yuan in Series A financing from Zhengxingu Capital, Bilibili (Bilibili), Bubble Mart, etc.
In addition, there are also companies coming from across borders. Founded in 2003, Pannvfang, which specializes in Chinese-style photography, also established Congyi Hanfu in 2019, strongly entering the tens of billions of Hanfu market. Tianyancha shows that at the beginning of this year, Pandian Women’s Square received 100 million yuan in financing from Challenger Capital, an angel investor in Yuanqi Forest, and the company is preparing to go public.
With so many capitals entering the market one after another, in addition to the development potential of the Hanfu market itself, more importantly, it is profitable.
Previous websiteThere is a popular saying in the Internet that a 200-yuan Hanfu costs 50 yuan and has a profit of 300%. However, the wholesale cost of a Hanfu that sells for tens of thousands of yuan is only more than 1,000 yuan. "It is not a dream to make a million a year." Is Hanfu so profitable?
Li Tao pointed out that in Daji Town, the profit of batch Hanfu is about 20%, and the profit of customized Hanfu can reach 60%-70%. Usually, batches are usually needed for team performances or downstream Hanfu retailers. They have no requirements for the fabrics of Hanfu. The cost is low and the selling price is low, ranging from tens to one or two hundred, so the profit is lower, but the advantage is Small profits but quick turnover. For some custom-made Hanfu, customers have higher requirements for fabrics, such as mulberry silk, Xiangyun yarn, etc., and the production is more refined, so the price is high and the profit is high.
China News Weekly visited and learned that in Daji, Hanfu made of mulberry silk as raw material sells for two to three thousand yuan, while some hand-customized clothing, such as the python robe customized by the film crew, is It can be sold for 35,000 yuan, or even 70,000, 80,000, or more than 100,000 yuan. "Although the profit is high, the quantity is small. Most of us still focus on quantity," Meng Xiaoxia said. It is not easy to do business in Hanfu now because the competition is too fierce.
Due to the "crazy" influx of capital from all walks of life, the chaos in the Hanfu industry has become more prominent.
Chaos abounds
“Hanfu is very good, but it would be better if we could supervise the quality of the products.” “Please improve the shape and quality.” “The clothing market has been suffering from piracy for a long time and it has been difficult to protect rights. ”…On May 13, #汉服MarketOutbreak# became a hot search topic. While netizens praised the product, they also complained about its poor quality, non-compliance with the format, and piracy.
In the concept of Hanfu, "shape" means that Hanfu must retain and inherit the basic elements of traditional costumes in our country's history, such as flat cutting, front and rear center seams, cross-collar right lapels, etc. If the basic elements are lacking or wrong, it cannot It's called Hanfu. "Style" refers to whether the Hanfu has curves, proportions, volume, etc. that fit well with traditional cultural relics. Hanfu with poor fit will be difficult to achieve a compliant and decent effect when put on.
Even for well-known Hanfu brands recognized in the industry, consumers have mixed reviews.
At present, the more well-known Hanfu brands include Minghuatang, Shisanyu, Hanshang Hualian, Lan Ruoting, Return to Hantang, etc. In addition to Minghuatang taking the high-end customization route, Hanshang Hualian , Lan Ruoting, etc. are cost-effective and more friendly.
Take Hanshang Hualian, which was founded in 2008 as an example. As Tmall’s leading Hanfu brand, the store focuses on affordable items for the masses. Among the nearly 200 products on the shelves in its Tmall flagship store, 300 The number of products within 1 yuan accounts for 83%, and the average price is about 200 yuan. The relatively affordable positioning makes Hanshang Hualian popular among young people, student parties, and "newbies". As of now, its total number of fans on Tmall and Taobao stores exceeds 6 million.
Although the price is friendly, the quality has become the "hardest hit area" of complaints. On platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Station B, many fans said that Han Shang Hualian “makes designs with heart and makes clothes with feet.”Service, quality and character. ”
In contrast, Minghuatang, which takes the high-end customization route, has a high reputation in the industry and is the most “out of the circle”. Although a set of Hanfu can easily cost 7,000 to 8,000 yuan, or even over 10,000 yuan, it is not at all expensive. Hanfu enthusiasts love it. Many Hanfu enthusiasts say that Minghuatang is very particular about the shape, fabric weaving and pattern design of Hanfu.
It is worth mentioning that due to the high price and The long construction period and this "hungry marketing" method have increased the trend of market speculation. Some analysts believe that owning a Minghuatang has become the pursuit of many Hanfu enthusiasts, and many users feel that if they don't buy it, they can't buy it. The mentality of buying second-hand clothes at a high price has led to Minghuatang’s clothes being fetched two or three times more in the second-hand market, and they are nicknamed “walking renminbi” by Hanfu enthusiasts.
In addition to the lack of quality and "hungry marketing", plagiarism and copycat phenomena are prominent in the Hanfu market.
Previously, the Hanfu store Siyinge was affected by the new Hanfu and a painting posted by a certain artist on Weibo. The paintings were so similar that consumers accused them of plagiarism. Later, the store explained to the artist that it was not plagiarism, but just borrowing from the artist's imagination and ideas.
Plagiarism is still a reference in the Hanfu circle. There is still some controversy over the definition of "Plagiarism". Some people believe that copying the original version is considered plagiarism. Others say that there are similarities in some original design elements such as style and embroidery, and even the overall design idea. This kind of "edge ball" behavior is It will also be defined as plagiarism.
How long can Hanfu become popular when the industry is full of chaos?
How long can it be popular?
"Although the current consumer group of Hanfu Rapid expansion, but compared with other ordinary clothing and apparel industries, the Hanfu industry chain is still in a relatively early stage. "Zhang Yi believes that at present, the public's understanding of Hanfu is mostly limited to online information, and the sales of Hanfu mostly reach terminals through online channels. The Hanfu brand is limited to self-production and self-sales, and lacks professional market operations to allow the brand to expand. It is difficult to expand new users through large-scale promotion.
In addition, due to the small market audience, Hanfu production has not yet formed a scale effect. Hanfu merchants usually adopt a "pre-sale + final payment" sales model, which is determined by sales volume. Production volume, rarely large-scale production or inventory, various factors may limit the development of Hanfu.
More importantly, although Hanfu has gradually moved from niche to mass, it has not become a consumer product. According to iiMedia Consulting data, 55.9% of Hanfu consumers surveyed said they would not wear Hanfu in daily situations.
Source: iiMedia Consulting
Zhang Yi pointed out that although Hanfu has a certain mass base and favorability among the masses, its wearing scenarios are highly limited due to limitations in form and concepts. In the future, to further expand the use scenarios of Hanfu, more consideration should be given to combining modern factors, or by integrating Hanfu elements into modern clothing to expand its consumer market.
In his opinion, most Hanfu consumers pay more attention to the form, inheritance and development of Hanfu, while a considerable number of consumers also tend to pay attention to the visual beauty of Hanfu. Although the research and restoration of Hanfu shapes is an important factor in the development of the Hanfu industry, the integration of Hanfu clothing elements with modern clothing elements can stimulate vigorous business opportunities and is more conducive to the development of the Hanfu industry.
In addition, Zhang Yi believes that as an investor in the Hanfu market, you must have a long-term development perspective. While seeing the "Hanfu craze", you must also clearly see the problems behind it and the possible consequences. bubble, don’t blindly follow the trend.
In short, the current Hanfu industry is still in the early stages of market development. Merchants mostly adopt small-scale self-production and sales, small workshops and other models. There is a lack of pricing standards and industry standards, and low awareness of intellectual property protection. The industry needs to carry out standardized restructuring, promote large-scale brand promotion through professional market operations, and promote the branding and industrialization of the Hanfu industry.
Pan Helin, executive director and professor of the Institute of Digital Economy at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, also told China News Weekly that Hanfu culture is expanding, and the industry may lack standards and systems, especially in terms of quality, materials, and In terms of pricing and other aspects, there is still a lack of some standard promoters. He believes that people in the industry should promote the establishment of standards, and consumer rights organizations should promote quality supervision to prevent chaos such as shoddy fabrics and copycat plagiarism, and promote the healthy development of the industry.
