PV Shenzhen Design Talks – How Nexy.co’s careful selection of materials and craftsmanship brings out its beauty The - Première Vision Shenzhen
In PV Shenzhen DESIGN TALKS, one hundred Chinese brands are spotlighted for their inventive play on materials. We features talks with brand managers, designers, and R&D teams, with a primary emphasis on materials and supply management. We will go over the idea behind the brands and the quality of their materials. We will talk about the inner workings behind these brands and the philosophy of their supply chain management. We’ll return to the topic of fashion industry and discuss how businesses can delight consumers with their product lines by finding the perfect balance between humane consideration, technical excellence, and aesthetics.
The Chinese high-end womenswear brand NEXY.CO, launched in 2009, became the third member of EEKA Fashion Holdings Limited’s 1 billion club in 2021.
Many fashion labels aspire to join the club not only because it’s a landmark in their brand history, but also because it’s solid evidence that their brands have earned consumers’ trust and maintained a steady stream of commercial value.
How did NEXY.CO use its strength to triumph in China’s highly competitive womenswear market?
How did NEXY.CO improve product design, pattern, and quality to maintain its market share?
PVSZ had the pleasure of speaking with Olivia Yi, general manager of the NEXY.CO, who enlightened us on the significance of NEXY.CO’s materials and craftsmanship in establishing the company’s reputation.
And how, in the modern era, brands can achieve more balanced commercial and artistic growth by developing a competitive advantage of high added value through supply chain management.
Beauty unveiled through wisdom
Q: If you were to characterize NEXY.CO in a single sentence to introduce the brand, what would you say?
A: “Beauty unveiled through wisdom,” as our brand’s slogan goes. NEXY.CO is more than just high-quality and high-grade fashion wear; it is also a smart and elegant way of life that allows people to cultivate themselves both inwardly and externally, and to have both style and spirit.”
Q: The target customer of NEXY.CO is quite obvious. It is for urban elite women. How can designers best accommodate this demographic in terms of general design style and material selection?
A: “NEXY.CO’s style may be described in three words: intellectual, minimal, and smart. To begin, NEXY.CO’s clientele are generally busy, so the overall design is clean and concise with a small stylistic touch, allowing them to look fashionable and dazzling without spending too much time and efforts.
Second, the occasion is important. Our customer primarily wear our clothes for work, but , but they also wear them for social and leisure purposes. We will tailor the clothes for a variety of occasions. Matching must be done correctly. NEXY.CO stresses appropriate matchings for specific occasions as well as single product matching.
Third, when it comes to material selection, we opt for natural and environmentally friendly materials that are both comfortable and high-quality, such as cashmere and silk, while easy to care for as well. We also use fabrics by Loro Piana, which are among the best in the world.
Fourth, in terms of craftsmanship, we have our own unique craftsmanship, such as hemming, chain, π division, and occasionally, organza lining.
Finally, because our outfits must be worn for extended periods of time in the workplace, NEXY.CO places a high value on pattern and tailoring. We work with top international pattern makers who have studied the body characteristics of Chinese women for over 20 years and create outfits that fit the customer’s body shape perfectly. Overall, our clothes are comfortable and versatile to them.”
Q: Can you tell us about the idea and materials used in the classic series of NEXY.CO?
A: “The π suit is a classic of NEXY.CO. The collar is precisely 31.4 degrees, and the style line on the back is 3.14 cm higher than the waist, allowing for a slim look. For another, this suit makes use of the blocking process, which is a vital technique. When fabric is cut, it flattens out, but people are three dimensions; how can two-dimensional objects take on a third dimension? Like custom-made, it requires adjustments to ergonomics and blocking to achieve the desired result.
The 2016-born coat 94050 also has a place in the classics. The structural stability and careful technical handling of drop-shoulders are what make this piece a classic. The H-shaped silhouette gives off an air of simplicity, while the asymmetrical collar adds a dash of nimbleness to the overall look. The coat uses a number of different materials, including wool, cashmere, and others, making it suitable for a wide range of customers.”
Materials and fabrics
Q: NEXY.CO uses many channels to convey its brand’s DNA, including the design of physical spaces, exhibitions of group portraits, music-color synesthesia, and art collaborations. Here’s a straight-forward question, how significant do you believe materials and craftsmanship are in communicating the brand value?
A: “They are, in my opinion, the most important thing. Building a good product quality is the foundation for a long-lasting brand. The cornerstone and source of NEXY.CO’s success as a high-end womenswear brand are materials and craftsmanship. To invite a brand ambassador for advertising is a communication requirement, and it is the icing on the cake.”
Q: Commercial performance is a specific goal. Spending the budget on marketing activities can result in an immediate increase in popularity and sales; however, investing in product quality can often increase the cost by more than 2-3 times, but the effect is subtle; how do you balance this input and output?
A: “NEXY.CO aspires to be a leading century-old brand for womenswear, and we aim to go global. The first and foremost investment is in research and development. Our investment in products far outweighs our investment in marketing and promotion. Of course, quality and marketing are not mutually exclusive. Marketing and promotion are the cherry on top, so we definitely spend money on them. To achieve a healthy balance, we must first lay a solid foundation.”
Q: What factors does NEXY.CO consider when selecting a fabric/material partner? Please provide some examples.
A: “We focus on 4 things, matching style, material texture, stable supply, and consumer awareness.
First and foremost, we have remarkably high standards for comfort and texture in materials; second, the supply cycle must be stable enough to ensure that our products are launched on time and delivered to customers when they need them. Third, consumer awareness is required. Fabrics are not only sold to brands but are also used by consumers. As a fabric supplier, they must thoroughly research the customers. Our suppliers will conduct market research, customer analysis, and overall consumer trend changes. They will also research our brand’s style, as well as our customers’ needs, to determine what type of fabric is best suited to us and make more accurate product recommendations.
Furthermore, forming more strategic partnership is also a good service model.”
Q: NEXY.CO’s partners include not only Chinese suppliers, but also suppliers from Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea. Do you notice any differences throughout the interaction with them? What is NEXY.CO’s most important requirement when selecting suppliers?
A: “In terms of research and development, overseas suppliers in Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea have more advantages than China in terms of post-processing and innovation of fabrics. But in recent years, China’s fabrics have made great progress. This is especially true of basic fabrics like silk, blended fabrics, Xinjiang cotton, etc. Many European and American fashion houses now regularly source their fabrics from China.
When it comes to service, Chinese suppliers provide faster service and guaranteed delivery time. Even more so in light of the current epidemic, domestic fabric supply is more reliable than that of foreign fabric suppliers.
When working with overseas suppliers, I believe it is important to take steps to increase mutual trust. Some requests cannot be conveyed directly because of language barriers, and because of this, more and more communication occurs through agents. There is significant market potential in China for high-end fabrics, and I believe foreign suppliers can gain a deeper understanding for excellent Chinese brands. Naturally, Chinese suppliers must take advantage of this opportunity as well.”
Q: The impact of the pandemic has diminished in recent years, and it has become more like the norm. Where have you seen the most noticeable shifts in the market? How might these shifts affect NEXY.CO’s branding and supply chain strategy?
A: “Chinese consumption has been reorganized and restructured since the pandemic’s beginning, and consumption for high-end products has rebounded. Both Chinese companies and NEXY.CO stand to benefit greatly from this development.
Changes in the external landscape have indeed affected NEXY.CO’s choice of suppliers. First, we started replacing some of our international suppliers with Chinese suppliers due to the shorter supply cycle and growing strength of domestic suppliers; however, we ran into issues of longer lead time and lower quality. As a result, we went out of our way to find more reliable sources and expanded our supply chain, and we moved up the research and development phase to allow more time for the entire production cycle.”
Sustainable fashion
Q: When it comes to environmental protection, what do you consider to be sustainable fashion? This question is for your company and yourself.
A: “Sustainable fashion, in my opinion, means reducing waste, reducing pollution, protecting nature, and protecting the earth.”
Q: What’s the current state of sustainable fashion in China, based on your personal experience and observations?
A: “Only in recent years have people started paying attention to this topic, in my opinion. Sustainable fashion in China should be in its formative years, or adolescence, according to the life cycle. Everyone in the community is aware of environment protection and sustainability. We, as a company, need to speak up more often so that our customers can learn more about sustainable fashion.”
Q: For the concept of sustainability, what specific measures does NEXY.CO have?
A: “For sustainable fashion, we will use more environmentally friendly fabrics, including some recycled fabrics. Second, as we design clothing, we will continue the classic series while focusing more on the development of basic series to create more versatile clothes and to help customers streamline their wardrobes. Third, the entire EEKA Group has always offered customers a lifetime warranty on their clothing, thereby extending the service life of the clothing.”
Q: Finally, would you mind sharing with us how you came to be acquittanced with Première Vision?
A: “We have to source fabrics from all over the world because NEXY.CO is intended to be the go-to label for womenswear in China. Consequently, we went to PV in 2007 to pick out fabrics as we were launching the brand. PV is a fashion feast, with the most complete fabrics, including both quality basic fabrics and new innovations in the industry, so we participated in PV exhibitions every year in order to bring quality materials back to our Chinese customers.
With the epidemic, getting to PV Paris is difficult. I hope that PV Shenzhen can truly gather outstanding suppliers, introduce good materials desired by brands, bring cutting-edge technological advances to close gaps in our market, and establish an effective conduit for smooth communication.”