If you're not yet familiar with the name Shushu/Tong, you soon will be. With the experimental silhouettes and rebellious romanticism of Simone Rocha, mixed with the ladylike embellishments and playful adornments of Erdem and Miu Miu, the Shanghai label is a true celebration of femininity.
Launched in 2015 by friends Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang, the brand has quickly risen to industry-respected status in a short amount of time. It's stocked at prestigious shopping destinations (you can find the brand at Dover Street Market’s stores in London, New York, Los Angeles and Singapore as well as via online retailers like Browns and Farfetch) and has successfully won over the Gen Z audience. The label's statement chunky platform shoes sold out in just one week after recently launching at online fashion retailer Ssense, and it's built a cult-like following with fans like Alexa Chung, Emma Corrin and Susie Lau. It's no wonder the brand is on its way to big things.
For designers Lei and Jiang, whose nicknames make up the brand’s name, their partnership came about in a very natural way. They studied at school together in China before moving to study here at the London College of Fashion, and both previously worked with Gareth Pugh and Simone Rocha.
So what's the magic formula that's made Shushu/Tong such a success? Here, Harper’s Bazaar chats to one half of the label, Liushu Lei, to find out more about the brand that’s taking the fashion industry by storm.
What inspires your designs?
"Many things inspired the designs of the new collection; for this season, the main things are films, graphic novels and comic books from the manga series. Our new spring/summer 2022 collection draws inspiration from ‘Aim for the Ace’ which follows the story of a high-school student named Oka Hiromi who struggles to overcome the hardship of training to become a professional tennis player. We always find animation shows particularly influential when designing, as well as Western culture."
What’s the story behind creating your label and where did your love of fashion begin?
"Tongtong and I are from the same high school - we knew of each other however we never really spoke. We then went to the same university and both moved to London to study at London College of Fashion; we were classmates and roommates. We made the plan to start Shushu/Tong while we were on the bus back home. It was a very spontaneous choice for us and we are so thankful for how it has turned out.
"When I was younger, I watched a TV show on CCTV (our national television station), and [someone was wearing] a dress which was really low on the waist and back, I remember this so clearly. I was also practicing to become a cartoonist, but I realised that I was more interested in what the characters were wearing and not how they looked and this made me realise that I should give fashion a try."
You studied at London College of Fashion, how does fashion school differ in China when compared to the UK?
"Studying in London is very different to studying in China. At London College of Fashion (LCF), you are making the clothes, testing fabrics the whole time and it's a lot more hands-on. Back in China, we spend more time drawing and using PowerPoint than we do actually making the clothes. I think it has probably changed a bit since I was studying in China, but that was the main thing I noticed when I came to London – I loved how creative and free I was when I studied at LCF. We learned so much while studying, I feel like my time there made me feel like a real designer."
‘Trademark squatting’ is a common issue for brands in China. What plagiarism have you faced as a brand and why is this such a problem?
"I think it has given us all a lesson and the law must be treated seriously. When you create a brand then the first thing you should do is legally to get it trademarked."
How is China’s fashion scene changing?
"I would say the last five or so years the fashion scene has really escalated in China; there are more emerging designers, more people seem to have found their personal style and it is just so different from how it was. Everything in China changes so fast. When I think back to the last year and a half since the pandemic so much has changed in such a short amount of time from how the fashion industry works to how people chose to dress and the entire fashion scene."
Why is it important to have fun with fashion and self-expression?
"For me, when you are touched by fashion it's very precious; the emotion is very pure and sometimes, very simple. Fashion is notorious for being superficial but it does delight our ordinariness. We need clothes to identify ourselves; we need clothes to express ourselves for when we don’t have the words for how we’re feeling. Some people claim they don't care about fashion and end up with the ‘no fashion’ look and that in itself somehow becomes a look of fashion. Fashion really is so personal and it’s different for everyone."
Your designs are made with the woman in mind and not for the male gaze. Do you think that’s something we still see in fashion?
"The male gaze is everywhere because of the long history but some part of the male gaze is now becoming the female gaze. I think we should respect all kinds of design, and let people decide which to choose. Otherwise, the anti-male gaze campaign is just another version of power politics."
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be more expressive with what they wear?
"Believe in yourself and believe in your aesthetic. Confidence comes in time and the more you experiment then the more confident you will feel."
Your brand is loved by fashion’s most stylish women, what do you provide to consumers that they can’t find elsewhere?
"It’s such an honour to us that people choose to wear our brand. We love how all these women choose to style the clothes – they are all stylish in their own ways. Shushu/Tong is very unique."
Shushu/Tong is loved by Gen Z, how do you keep creating fresh innovative ideas that fashion’s future will love?
"It’s funny because attracting the Gen Z audience was not our aim. We want to express what we love and what we stand for. We have to keep it fresh and exciting and we have to stay relevant to the world, not just the fashion industry. I think that's why Shushu/Tong has proved so popular with the Gen Z age group because that’s something they really value too.
"Typically, the Gen Z audience is more aware of the environmental impact within fashion, they are more conscious and shop in a different way from what we have seen before. I think sustainability becomes a basic line of production."
Do you think consumers can be experimental with fashion and remain sustainable?
"I think we have to develop clean fabrics and a clean process. Unfortunately, as long as the consumer activity exists then the waste exists. As a brand, we are constantly trying to provide more sustainable products and look into different ways of working that are more and more sustainable. As a whole, the fashion industry has come a long way, however, there is still much more that we all need to do."
