Chinese Designer Liu Min: Ms MIN From Taobao To Link Crawford

Most of the surrounding areas have been leveled demolition areas and roaring sites, and far away from the urban area, if not taxi drivers to lead the way, to successfully find fashion designer Liu Min in Xiamen torch high tech Zone studio is not easy.

On the day she saw Liu, she wore her latest design of a red cashmere jacket, with short hair and neat hair.

Like the rumors she heard before, she is not a good speaker.

Moreover, she rarely appears in China's increasingly popular fashion occasions, but this does not prevent Liu's personal brand Ms MIN becoming one of the most famous independent designer brands in China.

At present, in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu stores, independent designer brand collection shop, "Liang Liang" in Lian Carver, stores in Shanghai and Beijing, HCH in Wuhan, and Tmall can buy the design of Ms MIN.

But Liu's exploration in fashion business started with Taobao, which has a reputation for complexity.

In January 2010, Ms MIN opened in Taobao and accumulated initial fame on Taobao.

3 years later, in 2013, the Shanghai flagship store opened. Ms MIN, together with Liu Qingyang's Chictopia by Christine Lau and Li Hongyan's insh by Helen Lee, became the first three Chinese designer brands introduced by Lian Crawford, and Ms was the only brand that started from Taobao.

In 2003, Liu Min left his hometown of Fuzhou to go to London Fashion Institute to read the dress design.

Her idea of becoming a fashion designer was inspired by her mother.

When grade one or two was in primary school, Liu often followed her mother to the cloth shop to buy cloth, and saw her tailoring how to make clothes.

Sometimes, mother and daughter will participate in the Shanghai Clothing Fair held in Fuzhou.

When I went to junior high school, like most middle schools in China, Liu Min's school also had a ban. Girls had to wear short hair and wear school uniforms.

But Liu, who likes to dress up, has her way. "My hair cut is fashionable, so I am often criticized."

After graduating from the London Fashion Institute in 2007, Liu Min got the chance to practice half a year in Viktor&Rolf, a fashion house in Holland.

In 2008, Liu Min returned to China to work as assistant designer of fashion design department in Xiamen, PORTS.

However, Baozi's work lasted only a year, and Liu Min put all his energy on Ms MIN after that.

Even if Taobao did well, it was another turning point for Ms MIN in 2013.

In the past, few people could associate Taobao with Lenovo. Their customers, platforms and business models were very different, and it was hard to find much in common.

Liu Min still remembered that he received the mail of Sarah Rutson, a fashion director at around May 2013, when he was 4 months away from the opening of the flagship store in Shanghai.

"She said that the flagship store in Shanghai is going to open, and they are interested in importing Chinese designers.

They are interested in 3 designers. I am one of them.

I was very excited and I thought it was unbelievable.

Liu Min recalled her first contact with Lian Crawford.

The two men soon finalized the first meeting time in Shanghai.

Carefully prepared for the meeting, she took all her clothes, and specially borrowed a small clothes cart from her friend.

As Liu Min and Sarah Rutson both stayed at Jia hotel in Shanghai, Liu Min showed her design to Sarah Rutson in one of his rooms.

After that, Lian Crawford officially finalized.

Buy goods.

But getting the order of Lian Crawford is the beginning of the challenge.

Unlike Taobao, who fully grasps the new rhythm, Lian Crawford, as a strong fashion retailer, requires Ms MIN to keep up with the international fashion schedule, that is to say, the next quarter's design needs to be completed six months in advance.

In order to catch up with the rhythm of Lac Crawford, Liu spent several seasons.

"For example, when I was still dealing with the last season's supply, I had to plan ahead for the next season."

Liu Min said.

However, more collisions also come from

The difference between international retail experience and Ms MIN in the past was only localized sales experience.

The "new spring series" is a special series of Ms MIN. In 2010, the series set up for Chinese Spring Festival made Ms MIN famous on Taobao.

However, from the perspective of link, the positioning of the new spring series is a bit awkward.

"Sarah is not sure how to locate my new spring series, and how to coordinate with spring and summer, because spring is usually the time for their spring and summer series to be on shelves."

Liu Min said.

In addition to strict requirements for shipment, product quality control and fabric assessment, Lian MIN has been hit by Ms's product because of incorrect composition.

Even though Ms MIN had hired more staff and expanded the team size, Liu Min, who needs to consider both the design and business operation, still felt indifferent.

So in April 2014, Liu Min's British husband, Ian Hylton, resigned as a designer of the men's fashion designer and formally joined Ms MIN.

Ian is a colleague of Liu Qi in baozi period. He has been engaged in the luxury industry for more than 20 years. Liu Min said that he had slowly learned to make a brand not only to learn how to design, but also to consider all aspects.

After coming to Ms MIN, Ian was responsible for the business cooperation, quality control and sales of Ms MIN, and let Liu Minteng launch the creative design of development and proofing.

The studio design of Ms MIN located in torch high tech Zone is from the hand of Ian. When Ms MIN moved here in December 2013, Ian decorated the whole space with black color, and decorated with gold. The furniture in the studio also followed the same style.