Danish Fashion Going Global - Spandet And Partners

The 3 As
DANISH FASHION GOING GLOBAL 14
Asians Are Attacking
China has become one of the most interesting export markets for fashion and
apparel. Bestseller has more than 5,000 shops and international luxury brands are all
establishing themselves in China.
India is being mentioned as the upcoming “China” and could potentially become an
even bigger market than China in a not-too-distant future.
At the same time China—and eventually also India and who knows Korea and
perhaps even Singapore—is expected to become a serious competitor to Danish
fashion. Japan is already a key player in fashion, and Tokyo should rightfully be the
fifth most important fashion hub, a position which Denmark unrightfully claims to be in
position of.
The Danish government, being well aware of the 3 As, have formulated the slogan
that “creativity should be dosed with the milk in our schools,” sending a signal of
strategy. Facing the 3 As, Denmark has to compete on creativity and innovation,
which is the only way to differentiate Denmark in a globalized and increasingly
competitive world.
While the Danes are drinking milk and believe this will lead to innovation, China has
meanwhile developed significantly more design schools than Denmark has design
students.
Until recently, China was known for low-cost manufacturing and efficient distribution,
a place where fashion labels from all over the world went to manufacture the
products that established their brands.
Many Chinese companies have excelled at producing low-cost products that are
often then sold onto foreign companies that repackage them and take the added
value of branding.
The competencies and know-how learned while developing brands for others have
given Chinese manufacturers the tools and instruments to develop their own brands
and potentially become competitors.
With China’s ascent to become the world’s economic powerhouse and the Chinese
government’s new focus on brand building, Chinese companies have started to focus
on their brands.