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Thread: Li Ning opens in America

  1. #1
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    Li Ning opens in America

    Anyone who has been to China knows Li Ning. Li Ning is the adidas/Nike of PRC. I'm surprised to hear they are opening in Portland since that's deep in Nike turf.

    December 9, 2009, 8:43am
    Li Ning to open Portland store
    Portland Business Journal

    Chinese sportswear company Li Ning plans to open its first U.S. store in Portland next month, furthering its encroachment on the turf of Nike Inc. and Adidas.

    CEO Zhang Zhiyong told Reuters in an interview published Monday that the company — which already has a research and development operation in Portland — isn’t well-known in the U.S. and the Portland store would be the company’s attempt at “testing the water” of the U.S. athletic footwear and apparel market.

    Zhang told Reuters that Li Ning hopes to build its overseas presence through acquisitions, developing its own new products or both. He said sports apparel with an “Oriental element” would be one of the first products tested in the U.S. using the Chinese martial art Tai Chi as a theme.
    Gene Ching
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    Dwyane Wade

    The Li Ning logo always reminded me of the Nike swoosh. I've always felt that China's next big hurdle is to establish a major internationally-recognized brand, and Li Ning is the best positioned to do so at this time.
    D-Wade talks Li-Ning, sneaker legacy
    October, 15, 2012
    Oct 15 11:50 AM ET
    By Jared Zwerling | ESPN.com


    Wade/Li NingCourtesy of Bob Metelus

    Dwyane Wade says a private meeting with Olympic gold medalist Li Ning helped inspire him to sign with the champion gymnast's sportswear company.

    Although there was much surprise to the news Dwyane Wade was leaving the iconic Jordan Brand, the root of that reaction was precisely the reason he wanted to sign with Li-Ning.

    Wade wants to create his own sneaker legacy, just like his idol and fellow Chicagoan Michael Jordan did.

    After signing with Converse as an NBA rookie in 2003, then with Jordan Brand in 2009, the Miami Heat All-Star is now ready to take on China and the world as his own brand.

    Last week in Beijing, before the Heat were to play a preseason game against the Clippers, Wade officially signed with Li-Ning -- the company of Chinese Olympic champion gymnast Li Ning -- and showcased the sneaker, which is expected to be available in the U.S. next year for about $130.

    Much later that night, Wade was still up to talk about his new venture.

    That's when, precisely at 3:15 a.m. early Thursday (Beijing time), Wade called ESPN Playbook in New York City to talk about how Li-Ning provides something that Jordan and Converse could not, what makes his new kicks special, and his friendly shoe rivalry with LeBron James.

    To start things off, how did Li-Ning first jump on your radar, and how did the relationship forge from there?

    I think being into sneakers and being in the shoe world, you keep your eye out, and my eye was open. Actually in 2006, Shaquille O'Neal signed with them when he was my teammate in Miami, and then in 2008, I watched the Olympics and saw Mr. Li Ning light the torch. I saw the brand take off from there at the Olympics. But even when my eye got open to the brand, I still didn't know a lot about it. I like to ask questions about different things that I'm interested in, that I think are cool and something that has a story behind it. I thought this brand would be cool because of Mr. Li Ning and what he's been able to accomplish and do as an Olympian. It came on my radar kind of like that and now this opportunity presented itself and, to me, it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up on.

    I know you've spent some time in China before this trip, and the NBA is continuing to expand its footprint there. Did the incredible market exposure have a big influence on your decision?

    Oh, no doubt, man. I mean, this is global. We are trying to get over here. The NBA is sending us here and different brands are sending us over here. To be here all year round, to represent it and to really be a part of the culture here, to me was something that was an unbelievable opportunity. It's an opportunity that I haven't been able to have in many different facets.

    And the deal itself, man. I really am a partner. I am chief brand officer of my own brand in a sense. It's kind of like what Michael Jordan has built in the U.S., and I'm kind of taking a similar format to try to build my own brand through a very successful company. Hopefully by doing that, both sides can prosper in a sense. Coming over here to China and seeing the way that the fans accept you and how much they love the game of basketball, it makes you say, "Wow." It's something that I've never even dreamed of outside of the U.S. to be as big as you are, to be as loved as you are in a sense. So, yeah, the opportunity to travel here was awesome.

    From Court Grip last year to Li-Ning this time around, I see something in you where you like to be involved with the development of a product -- not just putting your name on it. Where does that startup mindset come from?

    Yeah, man. It comes from when I went to Harold L. Richards High School [in Chicago]. There were other schools that were more popular that even my dad wanted me to go to, and I was like, "Nah, I want to go here." It wasn't even a basketball school. It was a football school. And then going to Marquette. Marquette hadn't been successful in many years and I kind of wanted to go there and help bring that basketball program back. And I look back now and they're still relevant, they have one of the best recruiting programs this year. I look back and see what I've been able to accomplish by certain moves, like going to the Miami Heat. We had a 25-win season the year before I got there and a few years later, we won a championship.

    Just being a part of change and making a change, and that's what I am. If you even see the way I dress, I don't follow the status quo. I'm just a different person in that sense of what I do -- things that aren't necessarily always the popular choice, but eventually it can change into being that. And I'm comfortable with that. I understand that everyone won't understand certain things and certain moves because that's just the way we are. Change is not something that we love to do, but, to me, it's exciting. It's challenging, and I love a challenge, and I love to be me and I love to be different, and I love to change the perception of something in a sense.

    What was it like to meet Li Ning and discuss the future of the brand together?

    I've gotten a chance to meet him a few times. It's been awesome. Everyone knew my deal with Jordan was up Sept. 30, so before that, we had a short window to be able to sign the deal that was best for me. He came down himself to meet with me, man. I thought that was just the coolest thing in the world -- to have someone who has a billion-dollar brand, in a sense, to come down and really tell me and show me how important this would be for me to join the family -- and how important it would to be a partner, in a sense, and stand next to him. I admire him for what he was able to accomplish as a gymnast, being the first to do it in China. It's never easy to be the first, to step out on a limb and say, "I'm going to do this," and then people really support you and believe in you. And he's done that. That's kind of how I am, so that's one of the main reasons why I wanted to sign with this brand.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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  3. #3
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    continued from previous

    Li-Ning has several track-and-field stars, such as Asafa Powell from Jamaica. Do you have plans to do cross-promotion with Li-Ning's other athletes down the road, especially as the brand moves ahead to the 2016 Olympics?

    Yeah. This is, like I said, a team. This is a family that we're building and we'll have other interaction with certain guys -- even in the NBA with [76ers guard and Chicago native] Evan Turner. We are the two guys who represent the Li-Ning [basketball] brand. We'll have moments throughout this process were we are sharing moments, but I'm going to continue to focus on the Wade brand and help build the performance base. In China, my job and our job is to be the best in China. In the States, it's to try to slowly make our move in different spots and different places. Hopefully my followers and supporters in the states want to be a part of what they feel is a great product and a fashionable product as well.

    You mentioned the Wade brand. Does that include "Team No Sleep," which you popularized on Twitter after you won the championship this year and celebrated nonstop?

    [Laughs.] Actually, man, that's one of the things I do have coming down the line: a "Team No Sleep" shoe coming out a little later. It'll just be one of shoes that's part of the Wade brand. I will dedicate a moment to "Team No Sleep" through the design of the shoe. It's going to be something that's going to be pretty cool and something that my team is excited about. It's "Team No Sleep," man. We do these things, man, and I have an unbelievable opportunity with the doors open. I don't let them close. I step inside the door first before I let it close to see if it's something that I want to be a part of.

    Let's talk about the structure of the sneaker. What were some of the important design and technology cues to you?

    The biggest thing, and the first thing when I talked to the design team, I'm all about comfort. So it was about making sure that my sneaker had what I needed in the sense of performance first. We did a great job of working with my trainers and doctors and everybody with my history of what has been a problem, what hasn't, and build the shoe so it was comfortable for my feet.

    And then, you go into having a small window of trying to create a shoe that can create a buzz in a sense. I thought that I wanted to stay classic, I wanted to stay with something that can live many years from now in a sense. I didn't want to make it too wild, too crazy. We can do that with colors. So when you see the shoe, man, there's not a lot going on. It's simple in a sense. We'll have different leathers on the shoe, different materials on the shoe as the year goes on. We'll change the shoe up, but it'll still give you that classic look and brings it back to the basics in a sense, and not really going too crazy right now.

    What kinds of different leathers?

    Like the shoe I'm wearing in Beijing will be more so the cut-leather kind of look with a little suede on it. Some may be softer leathers in a sense, so it's different leathers that you need to change the shoe up. I've seen it in many different ways and I'm like, "Oh my god." It looks like a different shoe, but it's similar with how I switch up the leathers from the back to the toe to the mid-part. It's putting different leathers, different combinations together to give the shoe a different look.

    Do you like to write things on your sneaker before games, like a Bible passage or a shoutout to your family?

    I have before in certain moments. I think initially what I try to create and try to do is different points of the shoe when you look at it. On the side of my shoe, I have the initials "ZZDG." That's my family that I've created. My sons, Zion and Zaire, my nephew, Dahveon, who lives with me, and my beautiful lady, [actress] Gabrielle [Union]. So I dedicate a moment to them on every shoe. I have a Bible verse that my mom used. Everyone knows the story of my mom addicted to the drugs, and there's a Bible verse that really helped her. It's on the back of both shoes. So I have different things on my shoe that's kind of personal to me where I don't even have to write it. They're on every shoe and everybody will get them. That means a lot. My grandma's age, [91], is on the bottom of the shoe, and my kids' ages, [10 and 5], are on the bottom of the shoe.

    I know you're a big style guy, so are you going to have your own Li-Ning fashion line?

    Yeah, good question, man. We've got things we're working on, and I think the one thing that you will see with this shoe is they designed it well. And that's why I brought up the part about the leather. Depending on what leather we go with the shoe, it fits very well to performance and also to fashion. We also have another shoe that we're working on. This shoe right here was actually done by two different designers. It was done by a fashion designer first, Alejandro Ingelmo, and then it was changed and molded by Li-Ning's basketball performance designer, Eric Miller, as well. So we have another shoe that we're working on as well that I will be wearing to the games, but it has some of the similar brother-and-sister kind of view to them -- different, but similar in a sense. We will find an opportunity for it to live somewhere as well.

    A fashion and performance designer? How long was the design process? A year?

    [Laughs.] No, it wasn't, and that's the crazy thing. Normally it takes at least a year. We did it in a month and a half, two months. It was crazy. So to go out and look and try to find the deal, they felt like they had a great opportunity. They met with us and said, "What would you like to see to create a shoe for you?" And I kind of told them what I would like to see, and before I made a decision, they came back with what they felt what was the product. They really showed me that they wanted me, and they really gave me the opportunity to do something that I've never been able to do with Brand Jordan or with Converse. It's a legacy that I've never had the opportunity to really do before because Brand Jordan has a legacy. They have Michael Jordan, an unbelievable player for many years. I didn't really have that opportunity and I felt like I had to have my own in a sense. And I've kind of learned from what he's done.

    I've got to ask: Is any part of you nervous about putting on a sneaker after only that short of development time and without additional months of usual testing?

    You know what? The reason I'm not is because I have, as I said, an unbelievable team, man. The one thing that the Li-Ning guys did is they didn't come in and say, "Listen, we've made shoes. We know how to make them. This is what you're going to wear." They came and said, "OK, we want to learn about Dwyane Wade's feet. What makes a comfortable shoe for him?" And they got with my trainers, they got with my doctors and they did everything possible to create this shoe. So I'm comfortable already because I know what's in the shoe. I know the plates that they put in the shoe, I know what was built for the shoe was built for me. They really took time to say, "All right, let's meet with the people we need to meet with. Let's make sure, first and foremost, that the performance is first, and I'm comfortable in that."

    Are you still going to use Court Grip on the bottom of your sneakers for better grip on the court?

    Yeah. Obviously they're a sponsor of the NBA now, and then every arena that you go in, and colleges as well. No doubt.

    LeBron has a new sneaker out, the LeBron X. Now with your new deal, have you guys started a fun rivalry with your different shoe games?

    First of all, Nike is a machine, man. I can't catch up to Nike in a day or even in two years. But I think the biggest thing, especially with this, people are starting to see a little bit of my personality in my sneakers. When people know me, they say, "OK, I understand why Dwyane's shoe is like this or it's like that." LeBron obviously is a Nike guy and he has his own brand to run in a sense. But he supports my decision to think that it's a great opportunity for me and I think it's going to be interesting as the season goes on. We all look at each other's shoes. We all look to see what each other's wearing, and we know right now the Heat has the hottest shoe in basketball in a sense. And my job is just to make him turn his eye a little bit a couple of times.
    Li Ning makes wushu gear. Anyone use it?
    Gene Ching
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  4. #4
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    Li Ning is one of those companies that nearly copies the logos and slogans of foreign companies, but nobody cares because they make a great product. Nearly all of my athletic wear is from Li Ning, the rest being from Uniqlo.

    I wasn't aware that Li Ning produces wushu gear, though. The few wushu specific clothes I have are shorts from JiuReShan (which is now defunct, I think).

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    Follow up to that Portland retail store...

    It is no more.

    Li-Ning closes Portland retail store
    Portland Business Journal by Erik Siemers , Business Journal staff writer
    Date: Monday, February 13, 2012, 2:15pm PST

    Chinese athletic apparel and footwear brand Li-Ning closed its Pearl District retail store last week and the company’s U.S. operations are now being run out of Chicago, a spokesman said Monday.

    The company’s Pearl District offices still house a product design team, though the company now employs less than 12 in Portland, said Craig Heisner, head of marketing for Digital Li-Ning, a joint venture between Li-Ning and Chicago-based digital marketing firm Acquity Group.

    The partnership between Li-Ning and Acquity was made public more than a year ago, but didn’t manifest itself until December as Digital Li-Ning in an effort to push the brand to U.S. consumers through e-commerce.

    Initially, the company planned to separate the retail responsibilities between Digital Li-Ning and the Portland operation. In October, Jay Li, the general manager for Li-Ning Sports USA Inc., said the Acquity-led Digital Li-Ning would push the brand’s products for popular American sports such as running and basketball, while the Pearl District store would showcase the brand’s legacy sports, badminton and table tennis.

    That strategy has since shifted. The company is now working with a third-party distributor— Badminton-nation.com — to handle U.S. distribution of badminton products. And a company official in Portland said it has also signed up a Canadian distributor.

    In October, Li — whom Heisner said is leaving the company — said the Pearl District store would also be home to a new concept called Club Pong, a place where customers can pay a membership fee to play with trained table tennis professionals. The venture was the subject of a comical YouTube video posted in November by Thrillist.com.

    But a company employee on Monday said the flooring in the Pearl District building was too slippery and installing the right flooring would have been too costly. The concept has since been abandoned.

    Heisner said Acquity wasn’t involved in the Club Pong concept. “With the operations being moved to Chicago, I’m assuming there wasn’t a need for it,” he said.

    Beijing-based Li Ning was founded in 1999 by its namesake, a Chinese gymnast and winner of six medals at the 1984 summer Olympics.

    It came to Portland around four years ago to set up a design center. It added a Pearl District retail store in February 2010 and tripled the size of the space three months later. At its peak, the company employed around 30 people in Portland.

    But the brand has struggled to fight back the incursion of rivals Nike Inc. and Adidas AG back home in China.

    Last week, several Chinese media outlets reported that the company would cut staff to reduce costs after forecasting a 6 to 7 percent drop in annual sales.
    Gene Ching
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    Vogue is all over Li-Ning

    Chinese Athleisure?


    Li-Ning Is the Chinese Sportswear Brand You Need to Know

    JUNE 21, 2018 1:23 PM
    by NICK REMSEN


    Photo: Getty Images


    China has a $33 billion dollar sportswear market. That number, while staggering, isn’t shocking: The country is the most populous on earth, and it’s said that its middle class will number around 550 million people by the year 2022. Ignore the tariffs and the talk of trade wars for a second and think about that spending base objectively. The potential is immense.

    While international sportswear giants are present in China, Li-Ning is a local behemoth. It was founded in 1990 by the decorated Olympic gymnast of the same name (the man won three golds, two silvers, and one bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles games). He wanted a label that Chinese athletes could wear on the global stage.

    In the way that the Nikes and Adidases of the world are upping their fashion ante, so too, now, is Li-Ning. Its Spring 2019 runway, held in Paris this afternoon, was staged in a subterranean tube lit with neon signs—recalling something of a night market in Kowloon. The design team went back to 1990, showing everything from singlets printed with that year to flamboyant bodysuits to high-hiked shorts to some strong, less arena-appropriate and more street-ready separates like graphic jackets and sweatshirts. At times, the clothes did look Olympic opening-ceremony kitsch, but that may have been part of the intent.

    So, slick in the way that Nike has Virgil Abloh’s Vapormaxes and AF1s and Adidas has Yeezy? Not yet. But worth noting, for education as to a powerhouse international brand with significant promise outside of China. Trade wars be ****ed.
    Gene Ching
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    Dear Gene,

    The Li Ning brand sportswears are of mid to highend product. I do not mind to wear them at all. It surprises me a bit that the company would go international though. The competition is keen out there.




    Regards,

    KC
    Hong Kong

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    Guochao (国潮) literally “national hip”



    Can ‘Made in China’ be cool? Yes, if the West thinks so
    Jiaqi Luo
    SEP 18, 2019

    Guochao (国潮), literally “national hip,” is the latest buzzword in the Chinese fashion world.

    The term initially referred to specific homegrown streetwear brands but now encompasses any Chinese aesthetic that counters style references from the West.

    That includes heritage brands like Feiyue, Li-Ning, and Warrior, apparel makers that were once popular in the 1970s and ’80s but overtaken by foreign brands like Nike and Adidas because of their global prestige.

    Now, Chinese youngsters wear guochao as a badge of pride, akin to the “Made in America” label in the United States. Call it Chinese retro.


    Feiyue, a Chinese sneaker brand, has benefited from the guochao resurgence. / Photo: Tmall

    And with the ongoing political crisis in Hong Kong and the U.S.-China trade war, the youth in China desire guochao more than ever.

    The Chinese media consistently portrays guochao as the result of “cultural self-confidence” (文化自信), that with economic power comes cultural might as well. China, they say, has had enough time chasing Western fashion and culture, and it’s time to embrace their own.

    Ironically, much of guochao’s rise can also be attributed to the recognition of these brands in the West.

    But ironically, much of guochao’s rise can also be attributed to the recognition of these brands in the West.

    Feiyue, for example, became a global street fashion icon after a French entrepreneur discovered the shoes while learning martial arts in China. He bought the rights to sell them in France, and the shoes took off.

    That this “Western gaze” is embedded in guochao makes it a complicated cultural trend. How Chinese millennials feel about heritage brands is a reflection of how they see their country: proud of its achievements but also aware that it still seeks validation from the West.

    What is guochao?

    Western media tends to portray guochao as the result of Chinese millennials looking back to their cultural heritage and generating renewed interest in Chinese culture.

    But what excites millennials more about guochao is the transformation of old heritage brands into nostalgic chic. Because embedded in the story of guochao is the story of China’s rise.

    One can pinpoint the start of guochao to February 2018, when Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning showcased its Taoism-inspired Wu Dao collection at New York Fashion Week.


    Li-Ning’s fall-winter collection at New York Fashion Week 2018. / Photo: Shutterstock

    The show instantly became a social media sensation in China, where Li-Ning was lauded for “making it” in New York. Online posts juxtaposed photos of old Li-Ning products alongside new ones with the caption, “This is not the Li-Ning you knew.”

    The narrative? A brand as dull and basic as Li-Ning could now turn heads with a Chinese flag design in glamorous New York.

    After the Fashion Week hubbub, guochao emerged. Before, the word for heritage brands like Li-Ning was 国货 (guohuo), or “national product.” Now, they were not just products; they were cool, hip, and stylish.

    Before, the word for heritage brands like Li-Ning was 国货 (guohuo), or “national product.” Now, they were not just products; they were cool, hip, and stylish.

    Other brands started to jump on the guochao bandwagon, reimagining their products to capitalized on the nostalgia of millennials.

    Hero, whose ink pens were a staple of primary school writing classes, launched an ink-colored cocktail with liquor distiller Rio, and Pehchaolin, a facial cream popular in the 1980s, collaborated with the Palace Museum on a chic cosmetics line.


    The original Pehchaolin cream (right) and the Palace Museum collab. / Photo: Pehchaolin

    White Rabbit, known for its milk candies, launched a candy-scented perfume with Scent Library and even came up with a White Rabbit-scented lip balm with cosmetics maker Maxam.

    All these products were sold out overnight.

    While these heritage brands sought to capitalize on their image among a domestic audience, others looked abroad.

    Warrior, a shoe brand worn by Chinese schoolkids in the ’80s and ’90s, has gone through a rebranding and now sells its signature sneakers at around $90 a pair overseas. In China, the same model goes for $9.


    Warrior rebranded for the Western consumer. / Photo: Warrior

    And then there’s Feiyue, the once forgotten shoe brand from Shanghai that re-emerged after Patrice Bastian started selling the sneakers in France in 2006.

    The shoes quickly became a street fashion icon. Celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Poppy Delevingne were spotted in them. Collaborations with Celine, Marvel, and Swarovski soon followed.


    Orlando Bloom wearing Feiyue sneakers on the set of "New York, I Love You." / Photo: Weibo

    Within China, the brand saw a revival. Millennials who once thumbed their noses at Feiyue in favor of Nike and Adidas started buying them again. Ironically, it had taken recognition from the West to raise Feiyue’s profile in its home country.

    Patriotism as fashion, or why “a loser strikes back” narrative works

    In Chinese classrooms, students are taught at a young age that the last 100 years was a “century of humiliation.” Events such as China’s defeat in the Opium Wars and the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by European forces remain an indelible part of history education.

    Against this backdrop, China’s economic miracle is seen as the country catching up to the West. In colloquial language, it’s known as 屌丝逆袭 (diaosinixi), literally “loser strikes back.”

    The usefulness of this narrative has not been lost on the government, which has called the renaissance of Chinese brands “the result of rising cultural self-confidence.”

    Buying domestic brands is now a patriotic act.

    Buying domestic brands is now a patriotic act, and consumers will not hesitate to boycott foreign labels that they feel have tarnished China’s image.

    Dolce & Gabbana took a hammering last year after releasing an advertisement that was perceived as racist. Versace and Coach sparked outrage last month for shirts that apparently suggested Hong Kong was separate from China.

    And amid the U.S.-China trade war, many former Apple users have switched to Chinese-made Huawei to show their solidarity, boosting Huawei’s smartphone sales by 16.5% in the second quarter this year, while Apple’s declined 13.8%, according to research firm Gartner.

    It’s not uncommon to find reviews that say, “I support Chinese brands,” rather than comments on the product itself.

    In online shopping sites, it’s not uncommon to find reviews that say, “I support Chinese brands,” rather than comments on the product itself.

    And the latest development in the guochao trend is buying Chinese wear before going abroad.

    “I got a bunch of Li-Ning T-shirts for my trip,” says Jack Song, a 23-year-old Guangzhou native. “I think it will make me look cool in Europe.”

    Herein lies one of the great contradictions of guochao. Underlying this newly empowered Chinese identity is a desire to prove oneself. The message is not “this is how great China is” but rather “see how much China has changed.” For a generation that grew up with stories of humiliation from the West and viewing foreign brands as superior, international recognition is still important.

    But there are signs that the next generation—those born after the year 2000—might see things differently. They are coming of age in a China that’s developing its own brands and technology. They’re wealthier, more independent, and they view domestic products as superior because they actually believe they’re faster, better, and more innovative.

    Today’s guochao might be about the “loser striking back,” but tomorrow’s might see a different narrative.

    Want to learn more about Chinese heritage brands and how they came to be? Keep swiping for our series Retro China, where we explore the stories behind some of China’s most beloved brands.


    Jiaqi Luo
    Jiaqi Luo is a writer based in Milan. She writes about fashion and style in contemporary China. Her work has appeared in Jing Daily, The Business of Fashion China, and The Luxury Conversation.
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  9. #9
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    I am a fan of the man. As for the sports wear of his company, I have not bought any. Though I have took a look of them in one of its shop when I was in in China several years ago. To me the performance of product is most important. That means I am not blindly loyal to brand. And the performance of Li Ning products is super. They are competitive to those of other famous international brands.



    Regards,

    KC
    Hong Kong

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    I'll wear it. I got some Jackie apparel already and I luv it.


    Jackie Chan has a fashion collaboration in the works

    AFP Relax News AFP Relax News•January 7, 2020


    Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan

    Martial arts legend and movie star Jackie Chan is kicking off the year with a surprise fashion collaboration.

    The Hollywood actor and stuntman from Hong Kong has teamed up with Chinese activewear label Li-Ning on a fashion collection scheduled to make its debut in Paris on January 18, reports WWD. The series will be unveiled as part of the label's catwalk show at the city's Centre Pompidou.

    Dubbed 'Li-Ning x Jackie Chan,' the series, which will be available to shop in China, comes as the label marks its 30th anniversary this year.

    "Jackie was deeply involved in the design process, bringing his years of personal experience and expertise in kung fu, the influence of which can be seen across the products," the label's founder, the champion gymnast Li-Ning, told WWD.

    Chan is the latest in a string of famous figures to move in on the fashion industry -- 2019 saw multiple stars launch their own clothing ventures. Rihanna made waves with the launch of her luxury label Fenty under the LVMH umbrella, while actress Kate Hudson introduced a new ready-to-wear brand named Happy X Nature and singer Justin Bieber rolled out a line of skater-inspired pieces via his new label, Drew House.
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    Gene Ching
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  11. #11
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    Trinity SPAC

    Li Ning, Sportswear Tycoon and Olympic Great, Forms Sports SPAC
    Brendan Coffey
    Thu, March 11, 2021, 8:29 AM·2 min read

    Olympic great-turned-sportwear tycoon Li Ning has filed today for a special purpose acquisition company. The business, Trinity Acquisition, wants to raise $250 million in an IPO to “capitalize on the China, consumer and sporting expertise” of its management, according to the prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Li Ning won six gymnastics medals—three gold, two silver and a bronze—at the 1984 Summer Olympics, earning him honor of lighting the torch at Beijing’s 1988 Olympics Games. Li “is considered by many in China to be a national hero, and brings unique insights as an Olympian and one of the greatest sports figures in China,” the prospectus states. After his athletic career, he displayed entrepreneurial prowess, forming the namesake sportwear brand Li-Ning in 1989. That business is publicly traded on the Hong Kong stock exchange and has a market capitalization of $17.5 billion.

    The new business, Trinity, wants to find a global lifestyle brand that has compelling potential in China. “This universe [of targets] may include sports and sports-related brands,” according to the filing.

    Joining Li in the executive ranks of Trinity is Daniel Kar Keung Tseung, the founder of LionRock Capital, an investment bank business that owns 31% of Serie A soccer club InterMilan. David Tse Young Chou, a Goldman Sachs veteran who led an investment with LionRock into Suning Sports, a leading sports media company in China, is also an executive. While acting as co-head of Goldman’s Asia special situations arm, Chou led investments into numerous other businesses, including Beijing Calories Technology, a provider of exercise and training videos with 140 million users. Tseung and Chou are co-CEOs of the SPAC, while Li is chairman of the board.

    Former Bally Total Fitness CEO Lee Scott Hillman—now a board member of hardware store supplier Lawson Products—is on the board of directors, as are Jingsheng Huang, a China fintech executive; Ming Ming Anna Cheung, formerly head of Jardine Pacific, an Asia-based conglomerate; and Christian Karl Nothhaft, who specializes in investing in health and beauty companies with a China focus.

    The Li-Ning brand itself has a niche with NBA player brands, including a ‘lifetime’ deal with Dwyane Wade and featuring shoe and gear lines from Jimmy Butler, C.J. McCollum, Fred VanVleet and R.J. Hampton.

    The Trinity SPAC seeks to sell 25 million units in an IPO led by Goldman Sachs Asia. Each unit will consist of a share and a third of a warrant, redeemable for another share at $11.50. Li joins more than 100 other sports executives who have entered the red-hot SPAC market, according to data compiled by Sportico. If it is successful, the blank check business will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and have 24 months to acquire a target company.

    An email seeking comment to representatives of Li wasn’t immediately returned.
    Crazy news day for PRC companies.
    Gene Ching
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  12. #12
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    $1.35B shares

    October 27, 2021
    6:27 PM PDT
    Last Updated 2 hours ago
    China
    China's Li Ning plans $1.4 bln share sale for international expansion

    Reuters


    1 minute read

    People walk past a store of Chinese sports products brand Li Ning in Beijing, China April 15, 2021. Picture taken April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

    HONG KONG, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Chinese sportswear group Li Ning Co Ltd (2331.HK) said on Thursday it planned to sell HK$10.5 billion ($1.35 billion) worth of new shares to raise capital for international expansion and for investment in newly launched product categories.

    The Beijing-based company plans to sell 120 million new shares, or 4.59% of the enlarged share capital, to its major shareholder Viva China Holdings Ltd (8032.HK), it said in a filing to the Hong Kong bourse.

    The new shares will be issued at HK$87.50 apiece, or a 8.09% discount to Wednesday's close, with proceeds also to be used for investment in re-engineered infrastructure and supply chain systems, for brand building and working capital.

    Viva will buy the new shares on completion of the sale of the same amount of existing shares at the same price to third-party investors. Its stake in Li Ning will be diluted to 10.37% from 10.87% after the deal.


    ($1 = 7.7779 Hong Kong dollars)

    Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Christian Schmollinger
    I still don't have any Li Ning wear...
    Gene Ching
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  13. #13
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    Wade All City 9 V2 BOA "Bruce Lee"

    Wade All City 9 V2 BOA "Bruce Lee"
    Regular price $149.00
    Shipping calculated at checkout.

    Product Background:
    Li-Ning Wade All City is one of the most popular basketball series among Li-Ning. The hollowed-out design in the midsole and the use of a Boom unit in the forefoot brings excellent performance. All City series also provides a variety of colorways for you to choose. A slight update to summer-exclusive V 1.5's model, All City 9 V2 features BOA fit system to create a look that's both adventurous and unique.

    Design Details:
    - The shoe features a black and yellow color palette drawing inspiration from Bruce Lee's classic movie scene.

    Key Features:
    - A PROBAR LOC stabilizer is inserted into the midsole under the foot arch to connect the forefoot and the heel, providing firm support and protection to the foot arch.
    - The BOOM unit in the forefoot equipped with CLOUD LITE material in the midsole provides excellent cushioning.
    - A hollowed-out section between the outsole and midsole helps reduce weight. Keep you ready for the game at anytime and anywhere.
    - Strips of webbing replace the traditional lacing to create a close, snug fit.







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