Located in Beijing- the Chinese capital city is reportedly home to more than 10,000 independent fashion designers, all vying for brand exposure. Priced out of the traditional market-a 2014 report indicated that Beijing's shopping-center retail rents are the most expensive of any Asian city also growing at an unprecedented rate-the next generation needed an alternative bricks-and-mortar model.
WeMarket, the initiative is the second stage of a business strategy developed by AnyShopStyle, which promotes up-and-coming designers in China. From the 300 fashion designers that feature in AnyShopStyle's 21 stores, the brand picked a select group to join WeMarket, which provides the only feasible solution for young designers who want to “own" their own store, co-sharing allows them to minimize individual risks while maximizing their reach, WeMarket is the place for the designers to see others and be seen by others.
Fashion by nature is the need to stand out in a crowd, a community which thrives on exclusivity. However like-minded practitioners always need to interact as traditional clusters of similar functions. Inspiration from developing co-shares from existing communities, specifically to the term of “market”, it is an idea that has been so diluted by the current prevailing retail environment. The market is the best form of shopping, it gave an indication of a co-share identity as close to a democratic model as exists.