A New Era of Fashion

LILY is the first Chinese women’s clothing brand to position itself as ‘business fashion’ and since its inception over 20 years ago they have become a pioneer and leader in the world of women’s fashion in China. Here, RLI spends some time with company CEO Chuan Chen to learn more about the origins of LILY, how it has carved out its identity and what comes next.

Launched in 2002 with the idea of creating a truly Chinese women’s wear brand and making fashion more affordable, LILY began life in Shanghai under its parent company, Shanghai Silk Group, which is the largest clothing export enterprise in the country. Always paying attention to the appropriate and current workplace attire for business women, LILY is always at the forefront of the relaxed yet chic workplace garment.

Over the last 22 years the company has grown and today it has a portfolio of more than 700 independent stores in China, with locations in 270 cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. It has also opened 74 stores in international markets such as Cambodia, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain and Thailand.

“Due to the positioning of the brand, we only develop in the first and second tier markets of China and we place more emphasis on the sustainability and stability of store operations,” explains Chuan Chen, CEO of LILY. “The main focus of stores in the Chinese domestic market is the improvement of commercial districts and the optimisation of existing stores, with five to eight opening each month. At the same time, we have upgraded some stores in conjunction with the development of our brand strategy.”

Two international markets that resonate strongly with the CEO are Cambodia and Laos, with two recent LILY stores opening in these countries. Back in October, theY unveiled a new 120sq m store on the second floor of Parkson Plaza. It is LILY’s first unit in Vientiane, the capital and largest city of Laos. This new unit was launched with a new partner who operates many apparel brands and due to a strong understanding of LILY in the Chinese market; the process went from communication and investigation to signing a contract in just one month!

Meanwhile in Cambodia, the market saw the launch of its fourth LILY store in January last year, in Aeon Mall Mean Chey. This store was spread over 134sq m and is situated in the core area of the shopping centre on the second floor.

Away from the Chinese mainland the business has been actively focusing on the layout of its international activity for many years and moving forward they hope to develop relationships with high-quality partners and achieve stores in certain countries and regions, with a particular focus on markets such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

As the topic of discussion with Chen moves onto the development of new products and how LILY maintains its market position, he highlights that in 2019 the brand launched the ‘Joint Global Designer’ collaboration program, gathering top designers from around the world to address the pain points of traditional business attire that are ‘formal and limited’ and continuously explore, innovate and lead ‘business fashion’. “In 2024, we will release six joint global designer collections, ranging from suits and dresses to knitwear and down jackets. With diverse international perspectives and experienced design skills of Italian, French and other designers, we will explore classic women’s items, improve fabrics and integrate high-end design into daily work. We hope to provide customers with a cost-effective but high-quality experience.”

A more important platform than ever for brands to voice their opinions; LILY feels social media is not just a place to express their ideas and perspectives to consumers, but a place to strengthen the connection between them and their customers.

Like social media, sustainability has become a more prevalent factor in the world today but it is an area where the company has already been active. They have been using natural fabrics such as cotton and wool for a long time and have collaborated with the sustainable non-profit organisation The Woolmark Company multiple times.

Originating from Australian Merino wool, it is 100 per cent, natural, renewable and biodegradable. They create high quality fabrics complemented by classic and durable designs that have not become outdated or damaged over the years, allowing the concept of sustainability to be implemented from the source of fabrics to consumers’ wardrobes.

We next ask Chen about the development of enhanced digital strategies and he explains that the competition in the market is becoming increasingly fierce so LILY have realised the need for more innovative digital strategies to drive brand development.

“We hope to build LILY as a virtual asset through digital transformation, through the linking of people and the promoting and selling of products in new scenarios, which further promotes the development of LILY and achieves a new segment for the company.”

Over the course of its 22 years of operation, it has always adhered to the concept of ‘business fashion’, accompanying and witnessing the growth of countless women. Chen explains that after the year 2000, more and more women in the workplace began to have more influence and society endowed them with more diverse roles. What LILY does is provide these women with business clothing that combines quality and design.

In 2024, Chen continues by saying that the workplace is more diverse and broad and women can work in more scenarios and most of the time their clothing is more relaxed.

“We are adapting to the needs of the times, creating a more relaxed and advanced young workplace, accumulating consumer trust in LILY through the changes of each season.”

As our time runs out with Chen, we quickly ask where the brand goes from here?

“It is a long and arduous process to develop a brand and although we have achieved some success in the past 20 years, we still have room for improvement and there is a long way for us to travel in the future.”