Seafolly Swimwear Heads to China

BEIJING — Seafolly, the quintessential Australian swimwear maker, is bringing a taste of Bondi Beach living to China. On Friday, the brand announced it was making its first foray into the market, with a launch on Alibaba’s Tmall set for early July. “Everybody is asking, why are you going to China if nobody is going to the beach?” said chief executive officer Paul Kotrba, who had just touched down in Shanghai. While acknowledging that it “is a challenge” to operate in a country where there isn’t an established sunbathing culture and standards for modesty differ to the West, Kotrba insisted that there was more to Seafolly than barely there bikinis that would appeal. “We’re not necessarily just a bikini brand, we have other categories. We have full-coverage swimsuits, we have board shorts, we are more a lifestyle brand,” he said. More than that, he had confidence in the fast-changing tastes of the Chinese. “Chinese consumers are almost leapfrogging other markets to embrace foreign brands and foreign habits,” Kotrba said. China is the most powerful and fastest-growing swimwear and beach casualwear market in Asia, marking an average annual growth rate of 9.6 percent from 2013 to 2017, according to the company. That growth is up for grabs, too. In

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More...

from WWDWWD https://ift.tt/2tEYj0y