CASE STUDY OF TEAM WANG BRAND IN CHINA

TEAMWANG design was three years in the making, which is meant to imply
considered design and the utmost dedication to the process, and to some, justify the
price point (which by the way, there is nothing wrong with). With the launch and the gifts
of congratulations from Armani, Cartier and Fendi, I can see shimmers of Jackson’s
business genius - in the years he has been working on his own line, he has cherry
picked high end brands with which to align and establish himself. His shrewdness is
something  that has gone without credit for too long. 

This also counters the complaints that TEAMWANG design isn’t inclusive of his
existing (international - not Chinese) fanbase. And yes, while he does endorse Adidas,
Pepsi and L’oreal Men Expert, where were the complaints when he has advertising
BMWs and Ray-Bans - or in fact his capsule collection for Fendi, which sold out so
quickly even he couldn’t get a hold of the full line? 

The brand operates on a drop model with each release, or Cookies

supplemented by Sparkles, themselves limited edition items not sold online. The first
Sparkle is a black mirror, a manifestation of the "KNOW YOURSELF" motto and almost
certainly a nod to his excellent debut album Mirrors, which came out last autumn. The
drop model, the popularised by brands like Supreme and Palace, and adopted by luxury
labels like Burberry and Fenty, is a tried, tested and tired retail strategy that Jackson is
breathing new life into. 

These first cookies are a foundational line of streetwear essentials; tracksuit

bottoms, basketball shorts, short and long sleeve tops, hooded and non hooded jackets,
a fisherman’s beanie and a lightweight tactical vest. The vest, which includes a zip bag
and asymmetrical hem, is probably the most interesting piece but also the most trend
led, and despite vests being something that Jackson wears himself quite often, sticks
out amongst more classic pieces in the range. Design-wise, the pieces don’t appear to
be constructed interestingly, apart from eyelets that are punched into the back of each
of the tops and jackets. The original (they have since been changed) item descriptions
on the official site speak to the quality of the material and the intricacy with which the
garments were constructed. Pricing is a clear strategy, for any brand - affordable or not.
While prices take into account the time and costs into creating a product, and how much
of the stock is actually ordered and made, there’s also an added value tax which pushes
the product right to where the intended consumer lives. Pricing is a delicate mechanism,
set it too high and you alienate too many people, but price your goods too low and you
devalue your product. And with the pricing, TEAMWANG design does not directly
compete with any of the brands that Jackson currently promotes. Its no Fendi, but it’s
certainly not Adidas. 

To an actual high end streetwear consumer, not just a K-pop fan (although I
know the two are not mutually exclusive), TEAMWANG design's price points are nothing
out of the ordinary. Simple but well designed pieces, made with good quality material,
all designed by a man who has built up enormous good will, imitable style and fashion
pedigree makes the price points justifiable in themselves. 

But a kind of dichotomy emerged online between the existence of brand and
merchandise. To be honest, that distinction isn't too useful. While merchandise is a
purely a promotional function, items used to capitalise on a specific cultural moment,
like an album, tour even a meme, that doesn't automatically make it cheap, or non
luxury. Take the Taylor Swift and Stella McCartney collaboration, or Beyonce’s
Lemonade tour merchandise. The former was absolutely priced as a luxury, but was still
merch, and the runaway success of the latter was a $250 silk bomber jacket, that has
only increased in value since 2016. Merchandise does not automatically mean cheap,
let's make that clear. 

But even with Jackson’s luxury associations, it would be a stretch to actually call
TEAMWANG design luxury. Elevated and high-end, obviously. But not luxury. It may
just look like that because of the marketing. Look at the launch. For a long time, it
wasn’t even clear what the actual items were. Because the idea was more important.
Because you’re not believing in a hoodie, or a beanie, or eyelets in the back of a shirt;
but in the concept, in the journey, maybe in Jackson himself. The Invisible Man film, the
documentary, the long wait even - in all this we were being educated, not shown. And
interestingly the questions of manufacturing and sustainability; the latter of which is
inescapable for luxury brands to comment on, went unasked. Especially because
highlighting place of manufacture, or the benefits of choosing one material, or factory
over the other, should be a clear justification for any price level. 

Up until the last few years, streetwear and luxury had remained the opposite of
each other. This is no longer the case, and brands like TEAMWANG design continue to
prove that the two take inspiration from each other. The lead up to the launch revealed
a partnership with Hypebeast (with whom Jackson has an existing relationship),  and
now we have wind of a a further collaboration with StockX, who primarily sell (or "trade",
rather) sneakers. These are not the workings of a drive to appeal to K-pop fans, but
instead a wider streetwear community, who these days pride themselves on identifying
with brands and wanting to wear community on their sleeve. And of course, price. Price
is a weapon. 

So where should we place TEAMWANG design? Again, I would argue that it’s
not a luxury line - ironically, its nowhere near expensive enough. It’s a contemporary,
high concept streetwear line, which is a far more interesting space. It’s elevated basics
are comparable to Y-3 perhaps, the partnership of prolific Japanese designer Yohji
Yamamoto and Adidas, and is broadly similar in price and design. 

TEAMWANG design is another peek into the universe Jackson wants to build.
Everything about this brand is his brand; he puts himself into everything he creates, and
everything creates is a part of him. In the future I hope he does this from a style
standpoint too. His personal style is watertight; sticking to the same few silhouettes that
work for him. On the formal end, boxy jackets and cropped pants (and while TWD is not
a formalwear line, it’s worth noting that Jackson is given the most interesting tailoring in
GOT7) , and his bright co-ordinating tracksuits - sometimes Needles, sometimes
Supreme or Adidas - sit at the other end of his sartorial spectrum. What TWD may not
deliver in terms of colour or pattern, it certainly can in terms of silhouette and texture.
Nevertheless, I'm optimistic.