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Tags: Agent in China, chemical toy paint, China, Chinese border, Chinese censorship, Green Living Show, Holt Renfrew, JUZD, knockoffs, Olympic city, Private Party, Summer Olypics 2008, unlucky, violent tee

Chinese government deems JUZD shirt too violent for release

Posted on 31 July 2008 by admin

It’s 1 am and I just got off the phone with my agent in China. For the last 2 weeks I’ve been talking to him up to three four times a day 10AM, 10PM, 2AM, 8AM, and anytime in between. Then add email and instant messaging, we stay in touch like lovebirds. As JUZD is days from being an overnight success I feel as if I am the most unlucky man on the planet. It would be an overnight success to have your first collection in Holt Renfrew.

The shirts that was suppose to be in Holt Renfrew two weeks ago are still stuck at the Chinese border. It is exporting from one of the city that’s hosting the Olympics. The government is now examining every single package leaving China in that city. They are especially concern with apparel. To change their image they are cracking down on counterfeit apparel, knockoffs. They rejected the express shipment the first time because they didn’t recognize the logo. On the second try they are saying that the images are too violent and would not release the shipment.

My shirts are too violent? Well, maybe but what right do they have on censorship for Canada and US? How about the shirts that have pornography on it and swear words? It is aggression, not violence. It is art.

You would expect the country that’s importing the product to give you hassle not China that’s exporting. Maybe with the recent chemical toy paint issue still imprinted in our consciousness, they are overcompensating?

Going through customs should be a breeze. This is further proof that I’m the most unlucky guy on the planet. What are the odds that Beijing will have the Olympics around the same time that I need my shipment? This is the first time the Olympic games are being held in China in its 112 year history. Odds? Let’s say one month in 112 years (1 in 1344). For my Private Party in March, Toronto had one of its biggest snow storms in about 10 years. Odds? 1 day in 10 years (1 in 3650). And when I attended my first trade show, the Green Living Show, the TTC (Toronto Public Transit) went on strike for the exact two days of the show. Odds? two days in four years (they go on strike about every four years) (1 in 730). Total odds of all this happening? 1 in 1,815,072,000

All this happening in my first year you would think I would have thrown in the towel long time ago but nope. I’m pretty positive. Well, my first collection will be in Holt Renfrew. Besides, I really can’t continue to be this unlucky, think how easy things will be once this unluckiness is over.

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Tags: Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle, China, Chinese population, Chinese society, clothing, clothing producer, Ed Hardy, Guangzhou, Guangzhou clothing market, knockoffs, Nike, textile

Guangzhou’s Clothing Market – wow!

Posted on 18 April 2008 by admin

The population of Guangzhou metropolitan is estimated to be 8.5 million people. That’s 8.5 MILLION! That’s New York City’s 5 boroughs combined. Guangzhou city is known for it’s clothing and fabric market and it draws a lot of the Chinese from near by cities. In addition clothing is a major part of the Chinese society as China is the highest producer of clothing and textile.

…things are done quite different from any other country.

With this type of market demand the culture and the way things are done are quite different from any other country. In Guangzhou city I was staying with my friend Jacky. His aunt owns a factory and has a friend that produces smaller production runs which is perfect for JUZD. We headed over to the clothing market to see him.

We were dropped off right in the eye of the busy market. It was early in the morning midweek, some shops weren’t even open yet and there were already customers and foreigners lining up for a deal. Each shop is clean and well organized. Most shops are the size of a small 100 square feet tradeshow booth. Yet there were many shops and much were squeezed into each.

I felt sick to my stomach.

Quickly I noticed a consistent theme. Everything they sold were knockoffs. There were many vendors and each vendor had many items but they were the same. Knockoffs, knockoffs, and knockoffs. I felt sick to my stomach. Not only am I strongly against knock offs, I even hate it when one brand produces a similar design as another. The choice of knock offs for the day are American Eagle, Ed Hardy, Abercrombie and Fitch, and good old Nike. They don’t like it when you take pictures in the mall. I guess they are scare that you will knock off their knock offs.

…doesn’t make sense doing an original brand.

Right on top of these knock off shops were their sales office. Each of these shops had a factory. Where? Were they sweatshops? I don’t know. I did not enjoy the vibe from this area and did not want to venture to the appointment but to save face I went. Overall everything was professional and clean. From the stores to the office. And the knockoff designs were pretty good. Creative. But did not even want to go near the product to see the quality and construction. I would have given them a little respect if it was their own brand. But the market demand knockoffs. Base on the economics, for a small Chinese shop it doesn’t make sense doing an original brand.

I’ll pay the higher price and maintain my principle, thank you!

I got a quote for the production of some of the designs and the cost of shocking. Some of the cost were 1/5 of what I was paying. They wanted me to ship my custom made bamboo fabric to them for producing the shirts. As attractive as the offer was I won’t switch my factory even just for the simple fact that I can’t see JUZD line made by a knock off specialists. I’ll pay the higher price and maintain my principle, thank you!

Apartment buildings are right across the street from the clothing market. In China there is less restriction on zoning so you’ll see mesh of commercial and residential buildings side by side.