More than a decade after its founding in Beijing, Chinese contemporary womenswear brand Edition has reached a stage where overseas expansion is becoming a larger part of its strategic roadmap.Last month, the brand opened its first independent store in Southeast Asia at Singapore’s Raffles City. The 1216-square-foot boutique arrives as Edition celebrates its 15th anniversary, capping a decade and a half of steady growth across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, where the brand now operates mo
re than 185 stores.
Singapore launch
Having established a solid footprint in its home market, Edition now sees opportunities beyond China, especially in Singapore, which stands out for its affluent customer base and cultural affinity.
“In the past 15 years, we have mainly been developing the Chinese mainland market, but we have always maintained an international outlook and high-end positioning with flagship stores in luxury business districts of major cities,” Jin Chenhao, Group CEO of Edition’s parent EPO Fashion Group, told Inside Retail.
Founded in 2004 in Guangzhou, EPO Fashion Group has a retail store network of more than 1000 across a portfolio of brands, including Mo&Co, Common Gender, and the cosmetics brand Rec.
According to the CEO, while small in population, Singapore’s retail market remains one of the most valuable per capita in Asia, with a consumer base accustomed to a high concentration of global luxury brands.
Working closely with Stylelab Singapore, which supports the brand’s market development and localisation strategy, the company has spent over a year studying how Singaporean women shop and approach premium fashion.
Market polarisation has widened with the upper tier being dominated by European houses, while fast-fashion brands drive the mass market. A middle segment of premium contemporary womenswear has remained comparatively underserved. After testing the market through a shop-in-shop at Takashimaya Department Store, Edition believes this is precisely where it can stand out.
With a significant Chinese population and deep ties to East Asian aesthetics, Chenhao sees “a natural sense of affinity” with Edition’s DNA, which they describe as rooted in “Oriental gene, global expression”.
“Compared to China, Singapore’s cultural atmosphere is very unique, with a deep Chinese cultural heritage, as well as Asian and global characteristics,” he said.
“The design DNA of Edition itself combines oriental aesthetics and contemporary culture, and has always focused on the life and growth of women around the world to build the community concept of ‘Gentlewoman’.”
The company’s experience in Hong Kong and Macau has supported Edition’s expansion vision in Singapore.
“In recent years, we have gradually accumulated trust in both domestic and foreign markets, and the flagship stores in Hong Kong and Macau have been performing well in terms of performance and customer feedback. Based on these experiences, it is natural for us to choose Singapore as the first choice for the Asia-Pacific and even global markets,” he said.
“We hope to use our stores as a starting point to communicate further with the Singapore consumers.”
For Edition, success in this market requires two complementary product strategies.
First, the brand will put greater emphasis on its Elite Wardrobe line, which streamlined professional attire designed for global working women. Meanwhile, it will also lean into E+ Light Life, a casual and travel-oriented series that reflects the demand for breathable, low-maintenance and climate-appropriate materials.
“Considering that the weather in Singapore is relatively hot, we will bring in more pieces made of natural materials, such as silk, rain and dew linen, and island cotton, which are light-weight, breathable, easy to care for and of high quality,” Chenhao said.
“As for indoors with air conditioning, we have a selection of knitted jackets or suits made of merino wool and Italian air cashmere, which are versatile and adaptable to climate needs.”
The high stakes
While EPO Fashion Group’s portfolio has more than 1500 points of sale worldwide, Chenhao emphasises that the biggest measure of success for Edition lies in building a brand with a stable “core”.
“When this foundation is solid enough, it speaks louder than the brand name. It is important for a brand not just to have a definitive external aesthetic style, but also strong inner brand values and concepts,” he said.
Edition, he believes, can also bring something different to the local market, such as attitude, high-quality and cost-effective fashion choices.
“Of course, there are also challenges. After all, there are a lot of choices for consumers here, and how to make them truly understand and like our brand story is what we are working towards. Adapting to the local retail environment and consumption habits is a process of continuous learning and adjustment, but we are optimistic about it.”
New beginning
From its beginnings in Beijing in 2010, the brand has matured into a contemporary label with international ambition.
“We have grown and witnessed the increasingly open and diverse fashion markets in China and around the world,” Chenhao said. “Our entry to Singapore goes beyond commercial expansion. It is an opportunity to tap into its international influence and elevate the brand towards a broader global audience.”
While the brand has expanded and evolved, Jin insists its core principles remain unchanged.
“We adhere to the principle of ‘Oriental gene, global expression’,” he said.
“We integrate aesthetic elements from oriental culture with contemporary art inspiration and find points that resonate with oriental aesthetics in global trends, such as naturalness and pragmatism, which are the common values of contemporary global women.”
If the ‘Oriental Gentlewoman’ resonates here, it may unlock a far larger global chapter for Edition.
“Through the group’s Innovation Center, we continue to collaborate with the world’s top designers and creative forces to create high-quality wardrobes that are aesthetically and qualitatively competitive,” Chenhao added.
“Our brand values align with global cultural movements such as music, video, art and femininity, and have been harnessed by the brand for a long time with style-astute icons and cultural creators from China and around the world. This further propels our brand values, enabling local voices and our brand narrative to go global while remaining localised at the same time.”
The opening of this boutique also coincided with the launch of Edition’s Winter 2025 collection. Themed ‘Bound to Earth’, the collection celebrates women’s creativity as “something essential to life itself; a grounding force that allows oneself to create and express their own unique stories”.
Further reading: Fashion label Ghostboy’s co-founder on the brand’s global growth strategy.