Redefining “Made In China”

We see the tag “Made in China” on the majority of clothes and accessories sold on the high street, and for many of us, we associate this with terms like “cheap”, “unethical”, and “low quality”. Currently, China produces 65% of the world’s clothes and is the largest manufacturer and exporter of textiles. Known as “the world’s factory”, China has attracted a lot of debate in the fashion industry, for being synonymous with mass production, unethical practices and poor workers’ rights but with more countries promoting eco-conscious initiatives is China now modernising their policies? The rise of a new generation of Chinese designers and the sustainable initiatives being put in place are fuelling China’s rise to becoming a more ethical and fashion-conscious country and will soon have us redefining the meaning we give to the “Made in China” label.  

Let’s first address the negative connotations we associate with merchandise sourced from China. The Chinese economy has been a global manufacturing powerhouse with its low taxes and duties, competitive currency practices and lack of regulatory practices. Home to 1.39 billion people, China is one of the most populous countries in the world, and as a result of internal migration in the late 20th century, immigrants have been willing to work long-hour shifts for lower wages. In the past, China has held a reputation for failing to follow child labour and minimum wage laws. We only need to consider the Nike child labour scandal in 1991, uncovered by activist Jeffrey Ballinger, and since this surfaced, numerous reports have risen documenting poor working conditions in China. China is also one of the few countries that does not allow labour unions and currently stands accused of forced labour of the minority group, Uyghurs, native to Xinjiang. In light of new eco-conscious initiates, brands such as Nike, H&M, Gap and others have vowed not to source from Xinjiang because of the forced labour concerns.

The manufacturing practices in China have also had environmental consequences with 26 million tons of textile waste produced per year and only 15% of this gets reused or recycled. Retailers are aware of the negative connotations of the “Made in China” tag and several Chinese manufacturers and even Amazon sellers have switched the label on their merchandise to “Made in PRC” (People’s Republic of China) as an attempt to disguise the country’s origin where the products are manufactured. “Customers are consciously checking the labels and seeing if there’s China written on them. But many are unaware of the English abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China, so they end up buying the Chinese product anyway,” observed shop owner, Mansingh Dhaundiyal to Quartz.

Labels are important to customers and with sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices at the forefront of conversations in the fashion industry more consumers are rethinking their fashion choices and demanding transparency from the brands they shop at. In light of the shift in consumer attitudes, China has had to shift their business ecosystem and make globally-conscious plans to change its unsustainable practices. With this being said, what can we now expect from China on the sustainability front and contemporary fashion? Does the label “Made in China” still carry the same meaning in the retail industry?

According to the founder of The China Temper, Elsbeth van Paridon quoted by Heuritech, the country’s impact on the retail industry is progressing past being known as “the world’s factory” with the young generation “on the prowl for individual exclusivity, not disposing of their upbringing and heritage.” In fact, over 76 per cent of Chinese consumers increased their consumption of locally branded products in the last year, and 90 per cent of them say they have a positive perception of local brands. China is the second-largest apparel market, and thanks to TikTok, Chinese street fashion has been hugely popularized by Gen Z. New Chinese designers are also on the scene exploring genderless fashion and integrating Chinese culture into Western style. This progressive shift has been noted over the last decade with the rising popularity of China’s fashion weeks that take place in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, promoting new and upcoming Chinese designers. 

“Designer brands are not mainstream in China, but they have attracted a lot of attention in premium markets of first-tier and second-tier cities with their unique design and identifiable styles,” Pauline Su, current advisor of China Fashion Association, told Business of Fashion.

The Business of Fashion informs that the LVMH 2021 finalist, Rui Zhou has seen her stockists in China quadruple from three to 12 over the past year. More Chinese brands and designers such as Pronounce, Chictopia, Feng Chen Wang, Ban Xiao Xue are now recognised in contemporary fashion and luxury culture. 

As well as the rise in the Chinese luxury fashion market, sustainability is now being prioritised. In 2016, China outlined plans for implementing the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and announced intentions to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, which is a much-needed progression considering China is responsible for 28% of the world’s CO2 emissions. There is now a focus on creating a circular economy to improve supply chains and make their textile industry more sustainable. From the consensus of large companies to do more to individual designers showcasing sustainable designs in Shanghai Fashion Week, China is taking a step in the right direction. As well as this, more companies are emerging like Streamline Alliance to connect Western brands to ethical factories in China, encouraging a new meaning for the label, “Made in China”. 

A country that was once associated with a history of unethical and unsustainable manufacturing practices, China is now changing its fashion scene and building momentum with sustainable initiatives and a generation of talented designers pioneering the move to the forefront of fashion.  The “Made in China” label is changing and in the near future may come to represent cultural pride and quality products rather than their negative reputation for unethical practices. The retail industry has not reached the goal of becoming completely sustainable; however, with big, influential countries like China trying harder to become more eco-conscious, it’s only inevitable that the rest of the world will follow. 

Cover Image: Unsplash / Artifical Photography