China is the first country to embrace e-commerce. Asia-Pacific is quickly becoming the hub of the global Baroque Fashion industry. The region’s online apparel market is expected to exceed US$1.4 trillion this year. Baroque Japan is a trendsetting Japanese brand that has gained a loyal following for its unique designs, which are inspired by Shibuya, Tokyo’s fashion capital. Baroque Japan continues growing with new markets, new brands, and a new business strategy.
Baroque is moving away from traditional mass media marketing and has begun to embrace new retail, a concept Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, introduced. It combines the best of both online and offline ecommerce system.
The company has reduced its goal of 1,500 store openings from 1,500 to 500. This was made possible by a digital marketing strategy that used social media influencers as well as an in-house YouTube and Instagram presence.
Hiroyuki Murai (chairman and CEO) stated that “We aim to grow our business worldwide through these innovative platform business models.”
“Our goal is to increase our online direct sales through a global website that we have created.” To achieve this, we are investing in information technology as well as additional human resources.
Baroque has seen its online sales increase from 2 to 10% in China over the past 3 years. Baroque also sells products on Tmall and Taobao, and is open to partnerships with other e-commerce companies worldwide.
Baroque’s presence in China has increased by approximately 100 stores since 2016. Baroque is using the strength of Belle international courier, China’s largest footwear retailer, to accelerate its growth. Baroque was founded in 2000 as Fakedelic and designs products that are market-relevant by taking inspiration from pop culture trends and fashion trends. Over the years, the company has created a variety of innovative fashion brands and concepts that have earned it a reputation as a leader in global Baroque Fashion innovation. SHEL’TTER is a magazine and website that sells Baroque’s 18 brands. STYLEMIXER is a fashion store for customers who buy vintage items from overseas. LAGUA GEM is a casual brand that fuses streetwise taste and vintage style. Nagonstans is a fashion brand that is based on intuition and a sense of belonging.
Baroque’s MOUSSY vintage is a continuation of MOUSSY, its denim brand. In 2017, Baroque teamed up with Adidas to create athleisure clothes. MOUSSY Vintage, a denimwear line mainly made from tokyo japanese materials for men was launched in the US last ye. This year, the brand will also be available in China and Japan.
Baroque will launch AZUL by MOUSSY, a new brand that targets China’s low- and mid-range customers. It offers products at a fraction of the cost of its parent brand but with the same quality. Murai explains that MOUSSY’s marketing strategy is very similar to Armani 20 years ago. We have different pricing concepts, but they all share the same brand DNA.
Baroque Fashion currently has 356 Japanese stores and 254 Chinese stores. Baroque is also represented in major department stores in America and Harrods in Britain. It plans to expand its presence in India, Africa and the Middle East as well as Southeast Asia.
Murai states that the Baroque Fashion retail industry is experiencing major changes. “Brands no longer have to be high-end or low end based on pricing. Even the wealthy man who once favored Italian luxury brands will now prefer to shop at department stores for casual wear. We strive to be a leading fashion house that understands customers and has brands that suit different lifestyles and needs.
