Our Co-founder Chris on a new generation discovering the wild in The Year of the Tiger.
Today marks Chinese New year, around 10 years ago I spent a lot of time in Shanghai, setting up an office for the agency I was a director of at the time. Luxury, status and power dressing were the order of the day. I’d ask about outdoor sports and culture, but there was little to no interest in spending time outside in a rapidly urbanising economy. Countryside and wilderness were bad, cities were good and I remember wondering how long that attitude would last and if the super competitive work culture of the time would lose its appeal.
Guess what? It has.
In 2022, young Chinese people are discovering the great outdoors, and doing so in their own way. I was fascinated to read in Jing Daily about the country’s ‘lying flat’ movement, a reaction from Millenials and Gen Zers to the culture of overworking and stress.
This being China, and with the current generation of young adults having been raised on conspicuous consumerism and luxury brands, there’s no ‘dirtbagging’ going on here. New eco lodges abound such as the stylish (and Government backed) Woodhouse Hotel.
For the more mobile and adventurous, the concept of overlanding is also taking off in China. Normally associated with large 4x4s in Africa or the Americas, the Chinese take includes adaptations of Mini Countrymans, which combine adventure with urban practicality. The ‘Nomad Hotel’ offered a sought after combination of adventure and luxury, selling out during Covid enforced restrictions on foreign travel.
So, with accommodation sorted, what apparel do you wear on a weekend away from it all in China? Even the global outdoor brands benefiting from the gorpcore trend in the West don’t quite have the traction to cut through in China, so the recent emergence of outdoor x luxury brand collabs have really helped elevate the likes of The North Face (Gucci) and Arc’Teryx (Jil Sander) in the minds of aspirational Chinese consumers. Similarly, global sports brands who have already built considerable brand saliency have been able to leverage this when introducing their outdoor ranges. Friends of Outsiders, Adidas Terrex opened their first dedicated store in Shanghai in October 2021.
Outdoor sport and culture may be in its infancy in China, but the scale of the market means it’s sure to wield considerable influence in the future. Hopefully the Year of the Tiger will see more Chinese people connecting to nature and discovering the joys of spending time outdoors.
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