Crafting Connections: The Rise of Narrative-Driven Jewelry in China's Dynamic Market
Emergence of Distinctive Jewelry Brands and Shifting Consumer Preferences
During Shanghai Fashion Week, I encountered Yezi Zhou, co-founder of jewelry labels Olio e Aceto and Sale e Pepe, within Shanghai's Room Room showroom. Zhou and her partner, Ke Li, both avid travelers, have named their brands after Italian culinary terms despite their Chinese roots. While Olio e Aceto, established in 2019, cultivated a clientele for its classic silver and pearl items and is distributed across 30 stores in China and Europe, the co-founders observed a change in local buyers' and consumers' desires. Consequently, they launched Sale e Pepe, which departs from Olio e Aceto's bolder designs in favor of delicate, spiritually inspired items featuring engraved emotions, crimson stones, leather elements, and charms. In its inaugural year, Sale e Pepe has already surpassed its predecessor in sales, with approximately 30 Chinese retailers stocking its Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
The Growing Appeal of Emotional and Traditional Jewelry in a Changing Market
Zhou indicated the current popularity of Sale e Pepe, whose spiritual pieces were showcased in an antique armoire, adorned with red textiles. The brand's SS26 collection draws inspiration from Armenian vineyards, featuring vibrant red gemstones reminiscent of miniature grapes. Customers ordering next year will receive postcards with their purchases. Zhou noted that after the pandemic, Chinese consumers desire jewelry that evokes sentiment. Roger Miao, the showroom's managing director, affirmed this, stating that buyers are increasingly interested in jewelry with a compelling story.
The \"Guochao\" Movement and Its Impact on China's Luxury Jewelry Sector
As I explored various showrooms during Shanghai Fashion Week, a consistent theme emerged: the pivot towards spiritual or culturally infused jewelry. The Chinese luxury jewelry market has experienced substantial growth over the past five years, buoyed by the 'guochao' (China chic) trend, which champions Chinese heritage and encourages patronage of local brands. China's luxury jewelry market, encompassing both fine and costume pieces, expanded by 46% to reach $7 billion between 2020 and 2025, maintaining a compound annual growth rate of 7.1%, despite rising gold and silver costs. In response, showrooms in Shanghai, crucial to the city's fashion week, are expanding their jewelry offerings. Not Showroom, for instance, featured eight jewelry brands this season, an increase from five in FW25, while Tube Showroom dedicated an entire section to its expanding array of jewelry designers for buyer convenience.
Domestic Brands Outpace International Giants in China's Jewelry Landscape
In the high-end segment, while global brands such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels face regional challenges, Chinese jewelry labels are flourishing. Leading players include Chow Tai Fook ($11.6 billion), Lao Feng Xiang ($6.8 billion), Chow Tai Seng ($1.9 billion), and Luk Fook ($1.8 billion), with revenue figures based on data from Visible Alpha provided to Vogue Business earlier this year. Most of these brands favor classic designs, but newcomer Laopu, launched in 2016, has disrupted the market by blending 24-karat gold and diamonds with traditional Chinese motifs. Morgan Stanley projects Laopu's sales to reach $2.8 billion by 2025, surpassing Cartier's anticipated $1.5 billion for the same period.
The Flourishing Trend of Traditional and Nomadic Jewelry Styles
Like many Chinese brands launched in the past decade, Laopu has embraced traditional craftsmanship. Across showrooms at SHFW, it was evident that spiritual, traditional, and playful jewelry is thriving, offering Chinese consumers a reprieve from recent economic uncertainties. Upon visiting Japanese brand En Sage's area in Tube Showroom, I initially perceived it as a modest, artisan-focused venture due to its beaded, string necklaces and silver animal pendants. However, I was mistaken. En Sage boasts 150 stockists, predominantly in China, where there is a strong demand for the 'nomadic style,' as stated by founder Jello, who launched the brand in 2020. She explained, \"Customers in China consistently appreciate this aesthetic. We enjoy exploring philosophical concepts and living in harmony with nature's rhythm.\"
Navigating Market Saturation and Material Costs in the Jewelry Industry
En Sage's pieces, retailing between RMB 800 and 2,000 (approximately $110 to £2,200), are designed in Tokyo and produced in Guangzhou, a manufacturing hub that significantly reduces import and export costs for the brand's extensive Chinese retail network. However, as more brands recognize the appeal of nomadic, traditional jewelry, the market is becoming crowded. Jello remarked, \"We're seeing a lot of overlap. There are too many brands here currently,\" referring to the numerous jewelry designers in Tube Showroom, many of whom are also incorporating traditional beads and silhouettes. Another brand, Hui Hui, which crafts pendants from horsehair, aligning with the nomadic trend, has successfully secured 80 stockists in just two years, underscoring the style's widespread appeal. A translator for the Apt702 founder commented, \"Currently, everyone is gravitating towards brown jewelry, so perhaps we are in sync with the trend, but it is crucial for us to maintain our distinctive style regardless of market fluctuations.\"
Economic Pressures Drive Innovation in Jewelry Design and Material Selection
While the 'guochao' movement influences the market, the shift towards more traditional jewelry incorporating materials like leather, string, and beads is partly a financial response from designers. The price of silver has surged by 38% over the past year. En Sage initially focused on silver products but, due to escalating costs, diversified into alternative materials. Several designers I interviewed have adopted similar strategies to manage rising silver prices. Jewelry designer Niang Niang, who established Empress 47 in 2014, shares a similar narrative. Her initial designs drew inspiration from Eastern and Western gothic architecture, utilizing substantial silver and natural stones. However, as trends evolved and silver prices climbed, Niang is progressively incorporating more traditional, Eastern-inspired styles and forms, which she notes are increasingly sought after by buyers. For SS26, she introduced delicate engravings of light symbols into necklaces, which gained popularity due to their underlying narrative. Nevertheless, as she explores more traditional aesthetics, she, like her peers, must balance her artistic vision with the increasing cost of silver. She stated, \"We use a significant amount of silver to achieve this texture. It is becoming somewhat challenging.\"
The Ascendance of Playful and Whimsical Jewelry Designs
While some designers draw inspiration from nature and Chinese heritage, other brands are achieving success with whimsical and lighthearted designs, capitalizing on the growing global demand for childlike aesthetics, exemplified by phenomena like Labubu. Yvmin is one of China's rapidly expanding contemporary jewelry and accessories brands, boasting 40 domestic stockists and 30 globally. Founded in 2013 by Central Academy of Fine Arts graduates Xiaoyu Zhang and Min Li, the brand specializes in wearable art, describing itself as a 'body decoration laboratory.' Yvmin's creations have graced runways, from the opulent, layered pearls at Shanghai brand Shushu/Tong's presentations to the much-discussed toilet roll bracelets featured in London-based designer Ashley Williams's SS26 show, an outcome of their shared showroom experience in Paris. The latest collection showcases necklaces, headbands, and earrings crafted from miniature pastel-colored baseball caps, alongside bedazzled sunglasses. The brand has experienced a post-pandemic surge as these youthful styles, long popular in Asia-Pacific regions such as Japan and South Korea, gain increasing traction in China and the West.
Ty's Grocery: Blending Humor and Artistry in Contemporary Jewelry
Ty's Grocery is another contemporary jewelry brand that capitalizes on this playful trend. Its collections feature gobstopper rings made from confetti and vibrant resin, large heart necklaces with banana-skin prints and colorful costume stones, and hairpins and bracelets designed to resemble edible lemons or limes. The brand currently has 15 to 20 stockists, adding five or six each season, according to founder Tianhao Wang, who previously operated a vintage store in Beijing before transitioning to jewelry. Wang attributes the brand's rapid growth to its humorous and engaging style, which resonates strongly in China, Korea, and Japan. Like many designers, Wang personally designs all samples, manufactures in Guangzhou, and handcrafts certain unique pieces, leading to healthier profit margins compared to brands that rely on importing and exporting samples or finished products. Additionally, unlike many contemporary Chinese jewelry brands, Wang frequently incorporates plastic and resin, which helps shield the label from rising metal costs.
Toggler's Creative Adaptations Amidst Market Competition and Cost Constraints
Label Toggler, established by Royal College of Art graduate Zhou Xing in late 2017, has transitioned to using copper for many of its pieces to manage costs as it expands. Xing describes the brand's essence as playful, focusing on dolls and girlish themes. Toggler currently has approximately 40 stockists and continues to grow each season. Its display features handcrafted miniature garments transformed into brooches and earrings, along with bows and hairpins adorned with diamanté charms of dresses, bows, and bikinis. Xing highlighted a meticulously crafted white dress brooch as their bestseller. Similar to En Sage, Toggler is experiencing the double-edged sword of popularity and market saturation, a cautionary tale for brands in both China and the West recognizing these trends. Xing noted the challenge in China: when an element gains popularity, everyone tends to replicate it. As China's jewelry market intensifies for both established luxury houses and emerging brands, it may become more difficult for newcomers and Western labels to distinguish themselves. Xing's approach is to persevere, believing that consumers will ultimately discern brands that authentically express their identity from those that merely chase trends. She stated, \"We strive to maintain our distinct personality and continue our journey.\"