LABELHOOD: platforming contemporary Chinese fashion and the next generation of creative talent

In December 2021, LABELHOOD opened their first store outside Shanghai, selecting Nanshan District’s Vientiane Qianhai Shopping Center in Shenzhen. For their 22nd season, the platform shifted to ‘LABELfitHOOD’, exploring the term ‘fit’ through fashion. IMAGINE spoke to co-founder Tasha Liu about LABELHOOD’s growth and impact on Chinese fashion.

Sophie Maskell: Have you found that your personal opinions around the fashion industry have changed since putting so many years into platforming emerging designers?

Tasha Liu: Absolutely. When we first started LABELHOOD, I was driven by the excitement of discovering new designers and bringing their creativity to a wider audience. I still feel that passion today, but over the years, I’ve come to realise that discovering talent is only the beginning.

I’ve seen how much courage and persistence it takes to build an independent fashion brand. Having a strong creative vision is important, but turning that vision into something sustainable requires time, resources, the right people and a real connection with customers.

I think I’ve become more patient, and perhaps more aware of the responsibility that comes with supporting designers. Fashion moves incredibly fast, but building something meaningful takes time.

One of the most rewarding things for me has been watching designers we met years ago grow and evolve, not only creatively, but also as people. Sometimes their journeys take unexpected turns, and that’s part of what makes it interesting.

Today, I’m less interested in who might become the next big name, and more interested in how we can create an environment where different creative voices can continue to grow.

SM: Can you take us through your selection process when it comes to platforming specific designers?

TL: For me, it always starts with a human-centric connection. When I meet a designer or see a collection for the first time, I’m looking for something that feels genuinely their own.

I think the most interesting designers have a universe of their own — a distinctive way of seeing the world, with their own references, values and imagination. It doesn’t have to fit a particular aesthetic, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect. What matters is that there’s something authentic behind the work, something that can continue to evolve.

Over the years, I’ve also learned to look beyond the collection itself. Can they keep developing new ideas while staying true to their identity? Do they understand who they’re designing for and what kind of relationship they want to build with their audience? I think these things are essential for building a brand that can last.

I also really enjoy discovering talent before they’ve fully figured everything out. That’s one of the reasons YOUTOPIA is so meaningful to me. We meet young people who are still in school, sometimes even before they’ve decided whether fashion is what they want to pursue. There’s something very exciting about seeing that first spark of creativity and imagining where it might take them. 

But discovering a designer is only the beginning. What matters just as much is how we can grow alongside them over time. Some may need a stage to present their ideas, others may need to connect with the industry, find their customers or explore new opportunities as their brands develop. I don’t believe there’s one formula that works for everyone.

Ultimately, I want LABELHOOD to be a place where designers can build something lasting without losing the creative universe that made them special in the first place.

SM: Do you find inspiration in other fashion weeks/brands across the world, or do you choose to focus on Asian, and specifically Chinese fashion?

TL: I’ve always been curious about what’s happening around the world. Fashion is such an interesting conversation between different cities, cultures and generations, and I think it’s important to stay open to all of it.

But Shanghai is home, and the Chinese creative community is where LABELHOOD began. I think having that strong connection to where we come from actually makes it easier to engage with the rest of the world, rather than the opposite.

Over the years, I’ve met so many designers whose experiences move between different cultures. Some studied abroad and returned to China, while others are building their lives and businesses across different cities. I find it fascinating how these experiences shape their perspectives, often in ways that aren’t immediately visible in their work.

International exchange has also become a natural part of what we do. We’ve built long-term relationships with partners such as Harrods in London, where our Chinese New Year collaboration will enter its fifth consecutive year in 2027. We’ve also brought Chinese designers and creative projects to Seoul, exploring how they connect with different local audiences and cultures.

At the same time, I think inspiration should travel in both directions. Every year, through YOUTOPIA, we visit schools and universities to meet young creatives and encourage them to explore fashion. I love those conversations because they remind me that some of the freshest ideas come from people who haven’t entered the industry yet.

We’re also exploring this exchange through A SURNAME BY LABELHOOD, our concept retail space bringing together independent fashion and creative brands from different parts of the world. It’s another way for us to introduce new perspectives to our community in Shanghai.

So for me, it’s never really been a choice between China and the rest of the world. I’m interested in both, and especially in what happens when they come together.

SM: If you had to summarise the impact of LABELHOOD on emerging Chinese designers in one sentence, what would it be?

TL: LABELHOOD is a pioneering fashion culture experience community that gathers young Chinese people. LABELHOOD discovers, cultivates and collaborates with outstanding Chinese creative people and products, and shows the diversity of Chinese youth design culture to the world. 

SM:  Was there a decisive moment where you really felt that there was a reasonable gap in the market for platforming a range of designers?

TL: I don’t think there was one single defining moment. It was more a feeling that grew from the people we met and the creativity we were seeing around us. When we first started, I remember feeling incredibly excited by the creativity and energy of Chinese designers. There were so many interesting ideas, so many different voices, and we simply wanted to bring these people together and create a space where their work could be seen, appreciated and connected with people who shared the same passion.

Shanghai Fashion Week saw the presentation of LABELHOOD’s SS27 cohort, with this year marking the platforms’ 22nd season. IMAGINE spoke to five emerging designers about their collections, inspirations and creative backgrounds. 

YANGKEHAN translates cultural readings into contemporary wearable clothing, having studied how historical cultures embedded their worldviews into clothing: “every stitch, motif and fabric choice told a living story”. Their latest collection “Born of Mountains” is inspired by Yunnan’s mountain landscapes and the wisdom of the Naxi people, focusing on their reciprocal philosophy with the natural landscape. Having studied Dongba Eight Treasures totems, native flora and fauna, YANGKEHAN re-interpreted these into hand drawn prints and draped silhouettes. Looking forward, YANGKEHAN and the eponymous brand aim to develop a complete aesthetic system, balancing personal goals with steady brand growth.

YIRANTIAN was established in 2014, with their SS27 collection titled “Rooted Grace” and exploring women’s inner experiences through clothing. Following on from previous collections “Intuitionist” and “Her Note”, YIRANTIAN’s focus on the female experience has become synonymous with the brand. “Rooted Grace” intends to trace women’s emotions: “from passion and independence to tenderness and vulnerability”. 

Growing up, poera was always interested in fashion, “My dad used to bring home boxes of sample clothes from the garment factory, and I’d try on pretty much everything inside. Sometimes it would be a whole box of floral dresses, other times a box full of puffy down jackets.” Their most recent collection was inspired by the film Le Rayon Vert, by Éric Rohmer. In the film, a young woman follows the idea of a green ray: something only visible for a split second at sunset. “Somehow, I felt like I was searching for my own green ray in life, too. There’s this mix of longing, vulnerability, and quiet strength that I think a lot of women can relate to.” Inspired by a mix of ordinary objects and ancient Greek goddess statues, poera finds fulfilment in bringing together these two contrasting worlds.

OUDE WAAG was raised in a family of women, his mother and three older cousins. Throughout his childhood, he used clothing as a form of armour, with the private relationship between body and garment influencing his studies at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art. “WAYFARING”, his most recent collection, comes from an observation of navigating loss. Rather than focusing on a destination, the collection follows, “the act of walking itself: the self-awareness, the dialogue with oneself, the moments of uncertainty and quiet courage.” OUDE WAAG is built around a “symbiotic paradox”: the idea that the body and garment can depend upon one another, restrain or complete each other. Ideas of tension, especially sharp tailoring against soft draping, are ever-present in his work. 

MARKGONG studied in the USA, using the experience to determine what he valued in a brand, building his own from the ground up. When presenting a collection to an audience, he intends to convey an emotion, immersing everyone present into an experience. His latest collection, “Til We’re Us”, explores infatuation and the cycle of emotions associated with a failed romantic connection.