Justin Bieber at the Super Bowl LVI. Photo credit: Getty Images
Justin Bieber is making a splash in China. The Canadian singer’s own fashion line Drew House has launched on Alibaba Group’s digital marketplace Tmall.
Superstar Bieber is often photographed sporting Drew House creations at celebrity events worldwide. The Californian brand, named after Bieber’s middle name Drew, started trading on the business-to-consumer marketplace Tmall earlier this month.
The first batch of Drew House products on Tmall, such as short-sleeved T-shirts and hoodies with the smiley-face logo, have been flying off Tmall’s virtual shelves.
The inventory of more than 1,000 products was sold out in 1 second, at prices between RMB399 ($58.21) and RMB2,000 ($291.35).
Bieber created the brand based on his own laid-back streetwear style. Sell-out drops capture a skateboard aesthetic and a playful vibe, with bright colors and oversized fits. Its defining feature is a yellow smiley emblazoned on products from trucker hats to scented candles.
Global Expansion
Two-time Grammy-winner Bieber co-founded the clothing line in 2018 with his one-time stylist Ryan Good and designer Gianpiero D’Alessandro and has been expanding rapidly since.
Drew House has its own direct-to-consumer site but has been expanding beyond that in recent years. After an early drop of hotel slippers and its first pop-up in Hong Kong, it has inked partnerships worldwide.
Drew House partnered with the Canadian National Hockey League last year to reimagine the Toronto Maple Leafs’ jersey. The brand also teamed up with footwear brand Crocs in 2021 to create a bundle of shoes and Drew House-branded socks.
“Crocs with socks is definitely the move,” said Bieber at the time in a statement.
As part of the campaign, Bieber sent fans on a mission to locate arcade games in nine cities across China, giving them a chance to win free Crocs, Drew House toys and socks.
Vincent Fang, head of of Drew House China, said that its Tmall flagship store would serve as one of the brand’s official sales channels and will provide fans with more products in the future.
Bieber is certainly not alone among celebrities launching fashion labels of late; witness Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. beauty, Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims and Victoria Beckham’s eponymous brand. These brands enjoy a marketing lift from the star’s global fanbase. The Biebs has 71.1 million followers on his Youtube channel for example.
Both Bieber and Grande are clients of South Korean music powerhouse HYBE.
Check out other launches on Tmall here
