Nicole Chen of NC.STYLE

Beijing fashion designer and stylist Nicole Chen of NC.STYLE has been a pioneer in China focusing on helping international fashion brands enter the complex China market via effective PR, event management, brand articulation and consulting. After Ms. Chen’s return to China from her studies and work experience in Japan and the UK in 2002, she introduced fashion styling to Mainland China and acted as a fashion stylist to many celebrities, in cooperation with advertising, media and entertainment companies. She finally decided to open a brand and PR company focused on the fashion industry in China, taking into account the slow development of the fashion industry there, yet recognizing the tremendous potential.

The innovative fashion brand marketing and PR strategy agency, NC.Style has been providing advisory services to various top international brands, including Y-3 (Germany & Japan), Onituka Tiger (Japan), RARE (Italy), NORITA (Italy), CAQU (most popular Jeans brand in Japan), SANTASTIC!WEAR (famous street wear brand in Japan) and SATTA (high fashion brand in Japan). All of these brands have successfully increased consumer awareness and market share due to the unique methodology and strategies of NC.STYLE. Only two years after the introduction of Y-3 into China, the brand become established and well-known and NC.STYLE began to gain a widespread reputation in the Chinese fashion industry.

In 2008, NC.STYLE began to expand its business scope to develop domestic Chinese fashion brands and introducing them to overseas markets. Due to her deep understanding on the domestic luxury, fashion, and lifestyle market and acting as an appointed future trends consultant by Procter & Gamble, Ms. Chen has an ability to forecast the brand market in advance and establish a unique model dealing with brand promotion and market operations.

With its stylish head office located in the traditional Hutong District near the historic Lama Temple in Beijing, founder and CEO Nicole Chen (Chen Peng) embraces the traditional Chinese culture and merges with the new changing landscape, like a few others in lifestyle marketing in China. A graduate with high honors from prestigious Bunka Women University in Japan, native Beijinger Nicole Chen is experienced in international fashion design and brand marketing for over 10 years. She is very well connected in the Chinese fashion and luxury industry, well respected in the international fashion scene and maintains strong relationships with celebrities in China and Beijing high society.

Recognized as an industry expert, Ms. Chen is frequently quoted by the Chinese and international media, and has been a columnist in industry magazines and websites, such as Fashion Times, iLOOK, L’OFFICIEL, BAZAAR, The Beijinger, Super City Beijinger, Concierge, Beijing This Month, Neway, Star style, Star Time, New Weekly, Modern Weekly, Souen (Japan), International Herald Tribune(U.S.A), Focus(Germany), and 25ans, as well as China Textile News.

Her Chinese language blogs blog.sina.com.cn/chinatrends and nicolechen.ycool.com, enjoy a wide and rapidly growing readership.

ASIANCE: Tell us a little bit about your background!

Nicole: I was born in Beijing, but my parents are both from the south of China. My dad is from Shanghai. My mom is from NanJing. They both came to Bj for university and work when they were young. We are Han.

ASIANCE: What made you decide to start your own business?

Nicole: I went to Japan for study in 1993. My profession was fashion design and fashion styling. I lived in Tokyo for nine years, then I went to the UK to study Art for about one year. I came back to China in 2002. I started the first fashion styling form in China in 2003. The reason I started my own business was because I was always an independent person since I was little. I couldn't find the right job, after I came back to Beijing, that could make me feel it was the job I wanted to do. I was studying really hard when I was in Japan, studying Fashion Design, Fashion Styling, even Graphic Design, Interior Design, etc. My passion in fashion is very strong. I wanted to use my knowledge about fashion to educate people in China. During that time, there was no one who understood what fashion styling was about, even the fashion editors. In the meantime, I started the first select shop in Beijing because I couldn't find the right products for my styling job. It was a very tough time. I had to teach everyone about what fashion styling was about. I also had to find opportunities for styling jobs from all the recording companies, agents, advertising companies, etc. I had to take care of the store, which meant I had to be the buyer and fly around to find the products for the store. I probably didn't take one day off for three years.

After three and a half years, I decided to stop working in the styling business and started the first Fashion PR & Marketing agency. I was tired dealing with the people in China who never studied about fashion styling but who would just print out the name card with the title calling themselves “fashion stylist”.

I had built the relationship with brands during the time I was doing my select shop. There's another reason. As a buyer, I had the eyes to find the new products and the brand that would become popular in the future. I decided to be the window of the market for international brands entry into China.

ASIANCE: Give us an example of a successful American brand entry in China

.
Nicole: Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs

ASIANCE: Give us an example of an American brand that you think would do well in China, but has yet to enter.

Nicole: Gap

ASIANCE: What Chinese fashion designers do you like?

Nicole: Vega Wang ( A very young designer)

ASIANCE: What American fashion designers do you like?

Nicole: Alexander Wang

ASIANCE: What Chinese Women do you admire?

Nicole: SongQingLing,(also known as Mme Soong Qingling, 1890-1981) was born into a rich Christian family which played an important role in Chinese politics in the first half of the 20th century. Qingling and her sister Ailing studied at the Wesleyan College for Women in Macon, Georgia; her sister Meiling attended Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

ASIANCE: What Asian American Women do you admire?

Nicole: 陈香梅（ChenXiangMei) Chen Xiangmei, known in the United States by her English name of Anna Chennault, is a journalist, lecturer, international business executive, and author of dozens of books in Chinese and in English. A friend of heads of state in the United States, China, and Taiwan, she has lent her knowledge and skills to many U.S. governmental and citizen committees that address U.S. domestic and international issues. She has served as Vice Chairman of the President’s Export Council; White House Commissioner of Presidential Scholars; Founder and Chairman of the National Republican Heritage Groups Council; and International Chairman of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Commission.

ASIANCE: Where do you see the worlds of China/America fashion going?

Nicole: Recently, there are few Asian American designers that have become very popular in the US. I think this says something to the world about the talent of Asian designers. American fashion needs new blood like Alexander Wang and Philip Lim. I think the good thing about America is it gives a chance to the talented people, for Asian designers. I guess the US market will be a good challenging market in the near future. There has already been Chinese fashion brands that have entered the US market, like JNBY.

[1]

Nicole Chen

ASIANCE: How has China evolved, in your eyes, since you were a young girl? Where do you see it going?

Nicole: The fashion market has been growing so fast in the past four to five years. Even when I was young, there were always people who were interested fashion, but at that time we didn't have that much choice. Since HK returned to China and the popularity of the internet, the Chinese people became more and more into fashion. You can see the history of China on how much people loved to dress up. Finally, people have the chance to get to know fashion. They hunger and need a good education. They are fast learners, but sometimes they only learn the outside without knowing the efforts behind it. The Japanese market wasn't like how it is now 15 years ago. China right now, is just like Japan was 20 years ago. I'm sure in five to ten years the Chinese people will become more mature than they are now. Also, the local brands will grow faster from now on.

ASIANCE: Any tips for American brands/companies who want to enter China? Give us some tips!

Nicole: China is a growing market. It's different than most of the markets like the US, Europe or Japan. After the economic crisis, most of the users in other markets stopped spending money on fashion. Mass market brands became the best selling brands in the world. But in China, people started to look for good quality products. The consumers here are not stupid anymore. You have to truly understand the market, understand what the consumers need. Which target market are you looking for? Will the style match the Chinese consumer? Does the price structure mach your quality? You need to find the right consulting company like us, which gives you the right marketing strategy. I'm sure there are not many fashion companies that want to place ads, like Prada and Gucci. They need to find their own way to enter into the market. But not everyone could be a success in China! The market is huge, but the challenge is how you produce yourself for the market, not bring yourself to the market!

ASIANCE: Who are your favorite Asian models?

Nicole: Tominaga Ai, who's Japanese and DuJuan, who's Chinese.

[2]