Victoria’s Secret Taps Designer Rui Zhou for First China Collaboration
Victoria’s Secret & Co. is launching a collection with Chinese designer Rui Zhou‘s gender-fluid fashion label Rui-Built, a first for the lingerie and beauty company in the China market.
On Monday, the brand teased the collection with a short video that documented the creative process and the campaign shoot that features He Sui, a Victoria’s Secret Angel, and two other Chinese models.
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Aiming to embrace “the wearer’s natural body shape” and “inspire them to feel confident,” the collection combined Zhou’s signature cutout motif with Victoria’s Secret’s most recognizable designs, such as the slipdress, the marshmallow padding bra and the label’s lace detailing.
“I firmly believe that fashion is a great medium to showcase the beauty and power of the human body. Collaborating with Victoria’s Secret takes this expression to new and unparalleled heights,” Rui explained in the video.
“I believe that loungewear is a unique product within Victoria’s Secret’s assortment. It can easily shift between casual and formal while encompassing both intimacy and boldness. I aspire to romanticize this captivating contrast,” added Zhou, whose favorite style in the collection is the color clashing lace slipdress.
Zhou also designed an oversize T-shirt for the collaboration, with “Dare to say love” embroidered in front. “We want Victoria’s Secret and Rui-Built fans to be able to express love no matter when and where they are bravely,” a brand spokesperson said.
The slogan, which also acts as the overall theme for the collection, is a timely play ahead of this year’s Chinese Qixi Valentine’s Day, which occurs on Aug. 22.
Cardigans, T-shirts, pajama sets, slips and bras in vibrant hues, as well as Victoria’s Secret’s classic pink and black colorways, will be available in the company’s retail outlets, its Chinese official website as well as its official Tmall and JD.com store on July 25.
Enlisting a designer known for her body-conscious knitwear is part of Victoria’s Secret’s ambitious plan to stay relevant and reclaim its spot as a leading lingerie retailer on a global scale. In recent years homegrown labels, such as Ubra, Bananain and Neiwai, have quickly captured market share and consumers with items fashioned to the Asian fit and nimble e-commerce play.
On the retail front, Victoria’s Secret is working with the Hong Kong-based lingerie manufacturer Regina Miracle International (Holdings) Ltd. in China to readjust its retail plan. The company has plans to open 100 new stores in China, with a smaller format.
Most recently, Victoria’s Secret shuttered its flagship store at Beijing’s WF Central, a luxury shopping mall close to the Forbidden City.
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