These Female Sex Toy Makers Want to Empower Young Chinese Women

In this month’s Brandstorm we introduce The Oh Collective, an all-female sex toy brand celebrating female pleasure and spreading sex education in China and abroad. Brandstorm is a monthly series featuring notable Chinese brands in the worlds of fashion, beauty, and retail.


Despite the merciless heat wave that choked Shanghai last summer, Winxi Kan and Diana Lin were frequently on the move, jumping from one meeting to the next under the scorching sun. Sporting summer dresses and infectious smiles, the duo traveled with a rather unusual bundle: a bag full of The Oh Collective vibrators, bottles of lubricant, and feminine undergarments.


Social media savvy and free-spirited, Kan, Lin, and their partners Eden Chiang and Simona Xu are the founders of The Oh Collective (TOC), a company devoted to encouraging and celebrating female pleasure.

From ‘Hump Day Dinners’ to Sex Education

Some might wonder, how is a sex collective even born? As it turns out, sometimes it happens in a corporate setting. The TOC team met while working for a big sportswear corporation in Shanghai.


“We became very good friends and met each other on a weekly basis. It would normally happen on Wednesdays, and we called these gatherings ‘Hump Day Dinners’,” giggles Xu.


sex china sex collective sex toys china

The Oh Collective with some of their colorful products


As the iconic TV show Sex and the City has shown the world, when girlfriends meet up over dinner and drinks, the conversation often turns to what happens between the sheets.


“At the time we were all in relationships, and as often happens with sex, it becomes stale and you even stop talking about it,” recalls Xu. “So we thought it would be fun to give each other tasks every week, whether it was just for us, or for us and our partners.”


The punishment for not completing such tasks was to take a shot during the following ‘Hump Day Dinner.’ The reward for completing their tasks, on the other hand, was a visible improvement in their respective sex lives.


This lighthearted and spontaneous experiment sparked a thought: What if we could make this happen for other women?


TOC’s account on Chinese superapp WeChat came to life in 2020, and quickly attracted vibrant community members who were hungry for sex education content, which is limited on the Chinese internet.

China’s Sexual Revolution Happens Online

Scholars have long taken notice of China’s “sexual revolution,” with some even applauding the uprooting of traditional sexual values, which saw more permissive attitudes from women.


A scientific paper even states that the internet is a primary catalyst for the revolution, and has allowed Chinese youths to explore and express their sexuality in ways that seemed unfathomable just a decade ago.

Talking about sex on the strictly-regulated Chinese internet can be tricky, however. In 2021, livestreamers were banned from promoting sex toys, and even dating apps have experienced crackdowns. To dodge censors, influencers and collectives like TOC often resort to clever techniques such as the use of homophones and slang.


Even Western social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook censor nudity and sexual content.


“A lot of our images and campaigns don’t pass the censorship. But how do you advertise underwear without showing it?” sighs Lin.


oh collective

A campaign for The Oh Collective’s product line


It is in this challenging environment that TOC has managed to thrive. In just two years, the company has grown from a small community to a brand that’s now sold internationally. TOC’s products even graces the shelves of prestigious department stores such as Selfridges in London, UK.


In addition to sharing their knowledge with domestic and overseas clients, TOC has held a series of offline events and workshops centered around sexual wellness and the often-neglected practice of self-love.


“Last year we held a ‘Vulva 101 Workshop’ here in Shanghai,” states Xu proudly before explaining how TOC has created a safe and fun environment for women who want to get to know themselves — and their intimate parts — better.

Happiness Can Be Bought, and It Vibrates at Three Different Speeds

However, knowledge is not often all it takes to orgasm. “Some of us had used sex toys regularly, while others were only beginning to experiment with them,” says Kan. “When we started to research the market, we realized that 99% of sex toy companies are owned by men.”


The duo recounts how designing products for women was challenging in the beginning.


“Between highly-fetishized toys and giant dildos, much of what’s available on the market revolves around male-driven fantasies and long-standing misconceptions around female pleasure.”

“During our research, we noticed most women don’t reach orgasms solely through penetrative sex,” points out Kan. Everything about TOC, from the brand’s product packaging to campaigns, is designed to be female-friendly and inclusive.


Within the TOC team itself, not everybody claims to be experienced with sex toys, hence the importance of featuring ‘beginner products’ and including colorful and straight-to-the-point manuals.


As for those who think that sex toys are for desperate single gals, think again! TOC recently launched Dream Team, a multi-purpose kit designed to be enjoyed with one’s partner.


The duo admits that because the industry is barely regulated in China, the burden of quality control falls on the team, and they take it very seriously. “We had over 50 vibrators shipped from different manufacturers. We checked the hand feel and functionality, and we tried them ourselves,” Kan tells RADII.

While this might sound like a dream job to many, it took a great deal of time and effort to find manufacturers who could provide materials that were up to international standards.


“One of them is a woman like us. She uses all the toys herself, so she totally gets where we are coming from,” says Lin, who believes that speaking the local language in China is almost a must to run a business like theirs.


If all this talk of sex toys has you intrigued, be sure to visit TOC’s website and social media channels for a healthy dose of informative and beginner-friendly sex ed. As Lin gently reminds RADII: “Masturbating is just a nice way to check in with ourselves and relax.”


All images courtesy of The Oh Collective

6 Food and Drink Trends in China to Watch For in 2023

When we celebrated the normality of ‘post-Covid’ life and anticipated new food and beverage trends in China in 2022, who would have guessed that the country would see a repeat of 2020? The Covid-19 pandemic has left indelible marks on many industries, including the comestibles sector. Even so, 2022 has seen many new consumption trends and products pop up across the nation. While some were just a fad, others have lasted and may get even more popular in the coming months.


Rio Liu, co-founder of Peddlers Gin, predicts that the domestic F&B market will see explosive growth after Chinese New Year, which falls on January 22 this year.


“The picture from the big market is positive, as the government lifts Covid-19 controls, F&B reopens, and people start to travel,” Liu tells RADII. “The global economy still faces big challenges in 2023, but China, with its large population base, hopes to encourage everyone to spend more with the help of the government.”


We’ve listed several experts’ insights and our predictions for what the food and drinks scene will look like in 2023.

1. Health is Wealth

As China only got rid of its zero Covid policy in December 2022, the country is facing its biggest Covid-19 wave to date. To fight the virus or strengthen their immune system, many are turning to healthy food and/or abiding by special diets, which include going plant-based, and adhering to the Food Guide Pagoda, a food pyramid used in China.


“[There will be] more emphasis on vegetable ingredients,” says Shanghai-based chef and writer Jamie Pea. “Meanwhile, Michelin-starred restaurants in China are looking for inspiration from China’s rich botanical world, not only to introduce novelty, but [also to] pay homage to this land’s rich and beautiful resources. We will see more indigenous mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and old-fashioned, village-raised poultry.”

Nutritionist and sommelier Zhu Ziying tells RADII that her 2023 plans include writing a cookbook that will derive inspiration from different international cuisines as well as wu xing, the traditional Chinese philosophy that classifies natural phenomena into five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


“It’s a way to heal our body and mind,” says Zhu, who rarely orders takeout, but prefers cooking for herself. Even when preparing one-person meals, she follows the food pyramid, and cooks three to four dishes to acquire enough nutrients.


We can safely assume that 2023 will see a proliferation of healthy diets and products.

2. Socializing Over Meals

After years of lockdown, it’s only normal for people to crave in-person interactions, which brings us to food events and socialization during mealtimes.


Zhu started a community called Cooking Skill Exchange (CSE) seven years ago to cook and eat with others in a shared kitchen. Things came to a halt during Covid-19, but Zhu plans to revive the community this year, and to introduce themed events and a potential podcast.


food and drink trends in china in 2023

A cooking workshop by Cooking Skill Exchange. Image courtesy of Zhu Ziying


Apart from CSE, Ziying also runs a public WeChat group called Yummyhunter, which arranges for its members to visit different restaurants in Shanghai every week — all the better to try as many dishes as possible.


In a nutshell, 2023 will see more food pop-ups and social events revolving around dining out and fostering new friendships.

3. Rise of Small Businesses

Since facing constant lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions, many food and drink specialists in China have opted to scale down, and to rely more on takeouts and food delivery.


According to the 2023 White Paper on Chinese Food and Beverage, small businesses with less investments, flexible operations, and simple products are opening across the country. If a store takes off, its owner may then open more branches with slightly different menus, but one thing remains constant: each establishment will remain small to reduce risk.


As such, it’s safe to presume that food and drink establishments spanning no more than 100 square meters and accommodating 30 customers at most will take over the streets of China.

4. Traditional and Regional Specialties

It would seem that many Chinese diners are growing tired of big chains and wanghong or ‘internet-famous’ eateries. According to a report by Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, posts about traditional Chinese food went up by 227% in 2022 compared to the previous year.

The same report also indicates that Xiaohongshu users are actively seeking out greasy spoons and regional specialties, such as Nanchang mixed rice noodles and Hainan coconut chicken.


According to Eddie Zhou, an associate professor at the Institute of Chinese Food Studies, intangible cultural heritage delicacies and time-tested eateries will receive more attention, or even become the next wanghong trend in 2023.

5. Tea Drinking

In 2022, the number of tea-related posts on Xiaohongshu rose by 532% compared to in 2021.


food and drink trend in china in 2023

Recently, many youth have been sharing their tea-drinking rituals on Chinese social media. Image via Xiaohongshu


While coffee has become trendy in the 21st century, fueling the growth of nighttime coffeeshops in Macau and cafés in rural China, tea has made a comeback in recent years. We’ve seen the proliferation of modern teahouses, herbal drinks, and even a new tea-drinking ritual called ‘boiling tea around the furnace’ or weilu zhucha (围炉煮茶) in China.


Pea, who agrees that tea appreciation will continue to grow in 2023, says, “You can enjoy flavor and creativity in a ready-to-go cup. Liquid desserts, gulp-able culture. Liquid culinary creations are a big and important way to push boundaries.”

6. DIY and Takeaway Cocktails

We witnessed a DIY trend in 2022, which encompassed making soap from soapnuts, giving Disney toys makeovers, and mixing convenience store cocktails. Ready-to-drink cocktails and cocktail deliveries have also mushroomed across the country.


food and drink trend in china in 2023

A cocktail delivery package in China. Image via Xiaohongshu


Some shops even send their customers full cocktail kits, which may include drink ingredients, servingware, snacks, games, and LED lights for that Instagrammable shot.


A case in point: Peddlers Gin from Shanghai launched three flavors — their original gin and tonic, a pineapple fizz, and a grapefruit concoction — of ready-to-drink cocktails in 2022. Ordering a complete set of the bottled cocktails gives you complimentary glassware, a tote bag, an ice bag, and a bottle stopper.


food and drink trend in china in 2023

Peddlers Gin’s ready-to-drink cocktails. Image courtesy of Rio Liu


“I think [this year’s hot item] is a more relaxed, low-alcohol, relatively inexpensive product. In terms of specific flavors, I think fruit flavors will remain dominant,” concludes Liu.


Cover photo designed by Zhuohan Shao

Chinese Youth Stan for New Animated Series About Folktales and Monsters

A new Chinese animated series, Yao-Chinese Folktales or Zhongguo Qitan, has gone viral in China. The eight-episode program is comprised of eight separate stories that are rooted in traditional Chinese culture and ancient folklore.


Produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Chinese streaming site Bilibili and created by 10 directors, each episode runs for 10 to 15 minutes, and boasts its own visual style and pacing, not unlike Netflix’s viral series Love, Death & Robots, which did phenomenally well in China.


yao-chinese folktales

A poster for Yao-Chinese Folktales


Yao-Chinese Folktales presents a variety of art styles and techniques, including 2D animation, papercut art, puppetry, stop-motion, computer generated (CG) imagery, and cel shading, while also incorporating pencil sketches and Chinese ink wash painting.


Watch the preview below to get a taste:

The episodes touch on diverse themes, from homesickness to nostalgia and apocalypticism, exposing viewers to or reminding them of aspects of traditional Chinese culture through modern means. For example, the first episode of the series derives inspiration from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, which has countless TV and film adaptations, including the hit Japanese anime Dragon Ball.


The new show puts a spin on the usual narrative about heroic figures, focusing instead on ‘villains’ or ‘monsters,’ while shedding light on the dilemmas and struggles faced by young workers in China.


Yao-Chinese-Folktales

A protagonist in Yao-Chinese Folktales, the wild boar is often asked to complete impossible tasks


Yao-Chinese Folktales currently holds a whopping score of 9.6/10 on the Chinese review platform Douban.


After watching the first episode in the series, one Douban user said, “As a kid, I thought I would become the Monkey King, but in fact, I only grew up into a no-name Monster who will never meet the king.”


“Love this neat, traditional Chinese 2D animation that is not influenced by Western or Japanese styles!” gushed another netizen.


yao-chinese folktales

A promotional poster for the second episode of Yao-Chinese Folktales


Established in 1957, Shanghai Animation Film Studio is known for its output marked by Chinese artistic styles. The studio has created successful Chinese animated titles for decades, including The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven (1961-1964), Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (1979), Black Cat Detective (1984), Calabash Brothers (1986), and Lotus Lantern (1999).


Although the company hasn’t produced much notable work since the 2000s, the Chinese animation industry as a whole has grown significantly in the past half-decade. The domestic animation market grossed 269 billion RMB (about 39 billion USD) in 2020, and is expected to reach 641 billion RMB (around 95 billion USD) in 2025.


The past two years alone have seen releases like Fog Hill of Five Elements, New Gods: Yang Jian, I Am What I Am, New Gods: Nezha Reborn, and Green Snake, with the last two also streaming on Netflix.


As observant readers may notice, many of aforementioned productions are inspired by ancient tales of monsters and mythical beings called yaoguai (妖怪). Many of the stories first appeared in Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio or Liaozhai Zhiyi (聊斋志异), a 17th-century collection of 500 short stories written by Pu Songling.


three body problem

Bilibili’s adaptation of The Three-Body Problem was released in December 2022


Bilibili can be credited with giving China’s animation scene a strong push. What was formerly an anime-driven platform is now pivoting towards Chinese animation called donghua. In fact, the company has seen viewership of donghua surpass that of anime.


“Bilibili’s 10-year ambition between 2014 and 2024 is to become a Chinese anime hub, driving the Asian animation industry and leading the way in both output and viewership in the next decade,” said Bilibili vice chairman Li Ni.


Watch ‘Yao-Chinese folktales’ with English subtitles on Bilibili.


CORRECTION: This article was updated at 1:30 PM on January 16, 2023, to clarify that ‘Liaozhai Zhiyi’ was mostly written and published in the 17th century.


All images courtesy of Bilibili

Photographer Phyllis Ma Explores Chinese Roots via Mushroom Mania

It mushroomed in 2019 — we don’t mean the Covid-19 pandemic, either. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you must have noticed: The previously overlooked world of fungi suddenly permeated mainstream culture, appearing in everything from director Louie Schwartzberg’s 2019 documentary Fantastic Fungi (find it on Netflix) to Malaysian-Norwegian author Long Litt Woon’s critically-acclaimed 2019 memoir The Way Through The Woods: On Mushrooms and Mourning.


Phyllis Ma herself caught the fever in 2019. The Chinese American photographer, who was born in Guangzhou, South China before moving to the U.S., has a knack for making seemingly ordinary things special, hence her Instagram moniker @specialnothing.


The sum of her passions, the 35-year-old who studied printmaking at The Glasgow School of Art and fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology began zooming in her lens on fungi after paying a visit to an organic mushroom farm in Brooklyn, New York City, and is now known for her eye-popping prints of fungi, which are the subjects of a series of zines titled Mushrooms & Friends.


Recognizable by her shock of electric blue hair, the photographer turned fashion icon has recently taken a more niche interest in Chinese mycology.


“Although I ate a lot of mushrooms growing up — like straw mushrooms, wood ear, tremella, and caterpillar fungus — I had no idea that they were anything special,” Ma tells RADII. “Only in the past few years have I realized that China has such a rich mycological culture, history, and cultivation expertise compared to the rest of the world.”


The artist has been featured in or created work for NYC’s top publications like The New Yorker and The New York Times, France’s Le Monde and Libération, and Germany’s Page Magazine, but there is so ‘mushroom’ (pun intended) for more fungi-related stories. RADII is elated to be Ma’s first interview in Asia:


Phyllis Ma x Radii mushroom photography

Phyllis Ma and some lingzhi (灵芝) mushrooms resembling antlers


RADII: Have you been back to China since you moved from Guangzhou to the U.S.?

Phyllis Ma: I’ve been back a few times to visit family in Guangzhou, Anhui, and Chaozhou, but less so in recent years. My last trip was to Chengdu and Guangzhou in 2017. Unfortunately, I was not obsessed with mushrooms at the time, so I’ll have to make my next trip extra myco-focused.


I’m curious if mushrooms have entered popular culture and fashion in China. From what I see online and talking to friends there, it seems like something that the younger generation hasn’t gotten into it yet, but I guess it also depends on the region.


RADII: You hit the nail on the head. Mushroom mania hasn’t quite swept through Asia the way it has in the U.S., possibly because fungi have always been in the background of our consciousness. For example, medicinal mushrooms have long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Thoughts on TCM? Pure fluff or true facts?

PM: I’m a big fan of TCM, and I’m fascinated by how it’s deeply ingrained in Chinese culture and food. In my personal experience, TCM isn’t a panacea, but can be really effective for certain conditions that are resistant to Western treatments. Finding an experienced practitioner is really important. Also, it requires a lot of patience and doing consistent treatments over a long period of time.


Lingzhi antlers photographed by Phyllis Ma

‘Marshmallow-tipped’ lingzhi antlers


RADII: Have you noticed any Western misconceptions about Chinese mycology?

PM: Yes, there’s one that comes to mind. Some mushroom growers in the U.S. claim that all mushrooms from China are toxic. I’m not sure if they actually believe it, or if they espouse it as a way of self-promotion. Either way, the results boil down to a baseless and xenophobic belief that assumes that anything ‘Made in China’ is bad.


Of course, there are poor quality and even mislabeled mushrooms coming from China, but the fact is, China also has some of the most high-tech farms, and currently produces around 90% of mushrooms globally. To claim that all Chinese mushrooms are toxic is not only absurd, but also blatantly Sinophobic.


RADII: It’s heartening to see more youth taking an interest in nature, especially since being cooped indoors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Your hobby sees you clambering over woodpiles, trudging through thickets, and literally getting your hands dirty. Have you always had an outdoorsy streak or does your new passion simply call for it?

PM: Growing up, I’ve always lived in cities, so nature wasn’t easily accessible. In recent years — first through climbing and then mycology — I have been motivated to spend more time outdoors. My partner, Sam, who grew up in the Swiss Alps, is also a big inspiration. His father was a climber and a mountain guide, so he naturally grew up with a lot of knowledge about the outdoors. I learn so much from him when we go hiking and foraging together.


RADII: While you do take photos of your subjects on site, your expertise lies in highly-choreographed studio shots. How do you ‘chauffeur’ your models from one location to the next?

PM: That’s a good question, because I really do have to strategically transport the fungi until I can photograph them. If I’m lucky to be staying near nature, I can just carry the mushrooms by the stem or in a paper bag.


It’s more complicated when I’m in New York City. To protect the mushrooms on the trip home, I wrap them in wax paper and then place them in a tupperware, with some holes in the lid for airflow. I always carry a few different sizes of tupperware on forays (organized like Russian dolls), and a pill organizer for the extra tiny specimens.


Bamboo fungus or stinkhorn mushroom by Phyllis Ma

The ever so suggestive Phallus indusiatus (aka bamboo fungus or stinkhorn)


RADII: I know it’s like asking a mom to choose favorites from her brood, but which mushroom tugs at your heartstrings the most?

PM: I definitely give a different response whenever I’m asked this because it’s so hard to just pick one. Bamboo fungus or stinkhorn is definitely one of my favorites. First of all, it’s hilariously phallic. I love that it can be both intriguing and repulsive at the same time. If you’ve ever smelled one, you will know what I mean. Also, it’s pretty ingenious that bamboo fungus utilizes smell as a way to attract insects that, in turn, help to spread its spores.


RADII: Have you ever experimented with magic mushrooms? *Koff* With photographing them, I mean.

PM: I will just say that I have been photographing some, so stay tuned for that.


Amanita muscaria fly agaric Phyllis Ma

The notoriously toxic Amanita muscaria or fly agaric


RADII: Your passion for photographing fungi has opened your eyes to some pretty dope discoveries, like the Daoist devotion to mushrooms. Tell us more.

PM: I’ve been searching for mentions of mushrooms in Chinese history, and I came upon a Daoist text from the early 11th century called Numinous Treasure Catalogue of Mushroom Plants (Taishang Lingbaozhicao Pin 太上灵宝芝草品). There are 127 drawings of different types of divine mushrooms and herbs, and details on how to find them. The drawings are absolutely amazing and fantastical.

“Some divine mushrooms [in Daoist texts] can appear in the form of humans or even be protected by two guards.”

It’s not clear if the text correlates to actual mushrooms, but it’s possible that it might’ve been inspired by lingzhi or even Amanita muscaria and other hallucinogenic mushrooms.


mushroom pm

The book depicted the ghost mushroom zhi (鬼菌芝) guarded by two ghosts. Image via Wikimedia


RADII: You also recently experimented with potting your own lingzhi bonsai.

PM: So I fell into a rabbit hole researching lingzhi bonsai (灵芝盆栽) on Chinese websites like Bilibili and Weibo, and I stumbled upon a documentary showing two different ways of creating lingzhi bonsai. One method was grafting lingzhi together, and another was fusing together dried specimens. I’ve been growing Ganoderma lucidum at home for the past few months, so I got to try out both methods.


For my bonsai, I ended up harvesting two brackets, fusing them together, and adding the final creation to a potted plant. It feels like the mushroom and I collaborated on a sculpture together.


Lingzhi bonsai by Phyllis Ma

Lingzhi bonsai potted and photographed by Phyllis Ma


RADII: Fungi aside, your other photography projects point at an interest in comestibles. Is it safe to assume you are a — forgive the cliché term — ‘foodie’?

PM: That’s really funny because I’m not a foodie at all! It’s more that I like to explore food as a metaphor, which is how my mushroom project began. I was intrigued by mushrooms’ role as both food and an agent of recycling and sustainability.


RADII: What are some mushroom-related goals you hope to manifest in 2023?

PM: I would love to connect more with Chinese mycologists and mushroom growers. Please get in touch if you happen to be reading this!


I’m also really looking forward to visiting China whenever I can next. I’d like to visit Yunnan, the Tibetan Plateau, and as well as farms that cultivate lingzhi, morels, and bamboo fungus.


RADII: I have a good feeling about this given the recent relaxing of rules. See you in China, hopefully!


All images courtesy of Phyllis Ma unless otherwise stated

5 Fashion Trends in China to Watch For in 2023

An exciting year for fashion in China, 2022 has been filled with high-profile events like Shanghai Fashion Week, which brought the fashion community together after a two-year hiatus.


Chinese social media sites Xiaohongshu and Douyin (which are comparable to Pinterest and TikTok) are where most trends are born, spread, and evolve, and have also become incubators for the development of digital fashion in the country.


Here are our predictions for what young Chinese fashionistas will obsess over in 2023, and how they will choose to express themselves, whether it’s through gorpcore or goblin mode.

1. Goblin-Mode Fashion

A buzzword that has taken China by storm in 2022, ‘let it rot (摆烂)’ is an even more cynical version of ‘lying flat (躺平).’ The mentality was brought on by a particularly stressful year marked by slow economic growth, youth unemployment, and continuous lockdowns.


Chinese youth gave up on hustling and inevitably turned to ‘goblin mode’ instead. Chosen as Oxford’s word of the year, goblin mode describes “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”


Refusing to maintain one’s appearance might become a hot (and political) trend in 2023. We may observe the rise of natural or ‘no-makeup makeup looks,’ comfortable clothing, and anything that makes people feel good — forget trends or conforming to traditional beauty standards!

2. Guochao Re-Imagined

A recent McKinsey report has confirmed that Chinese consumers’ enthusiasm for domestic brands did not wane. What has changed, however, is the way that this passion is expressed through style.


Guochao (国潮), which translates to ‘national trend,’ entered a new chapter in 2022, and blossomed into xin zhongshi (新中式) or neo-Chinese style.


Guochao collage designed by Zhuohan Shao


As with guochao, neo-Chinese style combines traditional Chinese fashion and modern elements, but does so in a bolder and ‘edgier’ way, borrowing from niche aesthetics, such as cyberpunk, goth, and the hyper-popular Y2K style.


The evolution of guochao is bound to continue, and we are bound to see more Chinese brands emerging, experimenting, and taking inspiration from China’s rich history and traditions in fabrics and garments.

3. Gorpcore’s Continuous Rise

With China’s sudden lifting of its stringent pandemic prevention measures, many youngsters have one thing only on their 2023 bucket list: traveling, or any outdoor activity that will allow them to leave their apartment.


Waterproof fabric, hiking shoes, and functional wear are some staples for on-the-go lifestyles. Hence gorpcore’s fast popularity in China in 2022. This momentum is likely to keep going, as more Chinese youth hit the road after two years of living under the country’s zero-Covid policy.


gorpcore china glamping camping china

Gorpcore looks in China. Images via Xiaohongshu


Brands that specialize in outdoor apparel like Solomon, The North Face, and Patagonia will keep doing well while also facing challenges from emerging Chinese brands such as Bosideng, which topped the world charts in down jacket sales in 2021.

4. Anyone Can Be a Trendsetter

Social media has changed the fashion game in ways we could have hardly foreseen. The body positivity movement and conversations around race and gender have inspired more and more brands to embrace diversity, both in China and abroad.


Recent years have seen plus-size and disabled models like Xu Ruoxin and Xiao Yang gracing the pages of magazines like Vogue China and advertisements for hot domestic brands like Markknull.

china fashion brand

Xu Ruoxin in a Marrknull campaign. Image via Instagram


What’s more, thanks to the rise of image and video-oriented platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, everybody can be a trendsetter.


Trends like ‘ Dorm Fashion Week’ and fashionable elders speak for the democratization of fashion, which is likely to continue. Furthermore, netizens are increasingly taking part in shaping the world of fashion, which has inspired luxury brands to collaborate with them.

5. Edgy Hipster: Meet the Yabi

While trend predictions normally revolve around the mainstream and the popular, many Chinese youth are trying their best to be ‘alternative.’


This ever-expanding group of rebels has been labeled yabi (亚逼), a compound word comprised of ya, meaning ‘sub-’ as in subculture, and bi, a derogatory term in a variety of Chinese insults, such as shabi (傻逼) or ‘idiot.’


china subculture fashion trends 2023

Yabis are the new hipsters in China. Images via Xiaohongshu


The yabi aesthetic, which has slowly emerged over the past few years, sees an eclectic mix of subcultural elements. There are no rules here, so everything, from punk to goth, and Y2K to e-girls and e-boys, may meet halfway. The one consistency in the aesthetic is to differentiate one’s self from the mainstream.


Born in China’s underground music scene before blossoming on social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, this trend is very likely to persist, especially with the recent lifting of China’s pandemic prevention measures.


china subculture fashion trends

More yabi fashion. Images via Xiaohongshu


Watch our explainer to learn more about yabi:

Yabis across China will gain more opportunities to gather in clubs and live music venues in 2023, and will thus thrive. We expect their aesthetic to continue to evolve while absorbing influences from other subcultures.


Cover image designed by Zhuohan Shao

5 Travel Trends in China to Watch Out for in 2023

If there’s one thing Chinese citizens have gotten good at in 2022, it’s the art of armchair travel. Barred in their homes for the best part of the year due to strict Covid-19 regulations, netizens in China have been paying virtual visits to the zoo, galloping across Europe on horseback, and cheering on a beloved retiree and rubber tramp on her solo road trips.


While we don’t mean to get ahead of ourselves, the proof is in the pudding: Chinese citizens have been splurging on flights ever since China Central Television (CCTV) confirmed that the country would be relaxing its Covid-19 rules on December 7.


And on December 26, the Chinese government presented the world with a belated Christmas gift: confirmation that inbound travelers would be exempt from quarantine from January 8, 2023 onwards.


An air of optimism pervades RADII’s round-up of travel predictions for the year 2023:

1. Hopping into the Year of the Rabbit

Sunday, January 22, 2023 marks the start of the Year of the Water Rabbit in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which automatically makes the small, furry mammal China’s ‘mascot of the year.’ Expect rabbit-themed collaborations and experiences across all sectors, including travel and entertainment. For example, we’ve already seen brands like The Walt Disney Company hop to it.


Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit at Tokyo Disneyland. Image via Disney Parks


On December 9, the California-based conglomerate took to Chinese superapp WeChat to announce a slew of projects — from a new short film to special filters on Chinese photo editing apps MeituPic and BeautyCam — revolving around Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.


Older than Mickey Mouse, who came to life in 1928, Oswald first appeared on screen in 1927, and bears striking similarities to his more successful descendent, but 2023 is the character’s turn to shine! The WeChat announcement indicated that Oswald would appear more this year at Disney theme parks and resorts.

2. Boom in Domestic Travel

Now that China has done away with quarantine, will Chinese citizens scramble to get out of the country, or will they warily stick close to home?


According to Cynthia Corona, a travel-focused content creator based in Shanghai, it’s not a question of one or the other, but both: “I think local travel will always remain, as not everyone can afford the current prices,” said the Mexican youth in a chat with RADII.


Sure enough, sources such as Trip.com have warned of skyrocketing airfare in the post-pandemic world; the rising cost of jet fuel, flight and route cancellations, and staffing shortages are some reasons for this.


Cash-strapped Chinese youth, not to mention fresh graduates, who have had a rocky time getting hired in 2022, are likely to travel only as far as their bank accounts can take them, but that’s one of the best parts about being in China — the world’s third largest country by total land area is a limitless source of adventure.

Corona’s own travels in China have taken her from the Detian Transnational Waterfalls at the Sino-Vietnamese border to the temperate highlands of Yunnan, two touristic attractions that she believes will do exceptionally well next year.


“[2023] will be more about ‘unseen areas,’ like the Detian Waterfalls, which not a lot of people had heard of until last year,” opined Corona.

3. Family Reunions

Compared to 2022, China will see more foreign tourism next year — that’s a given. But let’s not forget members of the Chinese diaspora and expatriates who have been unable to return home for years. Pack those tissues, for 2023 will be a year for teary-eyed reunions.

Mark our words: Next year could also be a bumper year for My China Roots, a company specializing in Chinese ancestry research and travel. As Covid-19 has taught us, few things in life are more important than connections, and as seen on My China Roots’s excellent track record, the company has helped a Jamaican man track down his long-lost Chinese uncle, and Chinese-Brazilian millennial discover her roots.

4. The Great Outdoors

Glamping Xiaohongshu

Chinese youth glamping (complete with a movie screen). Image via Xiaohongshu


After being cooped up indoors during Covid-19 lockdowns, it’s no wonder everyone is eager to be out under the open skies. Data from the National Park Service speaks for Americans, but Chinese nationals clearly feel the same, as evidenced by the sudden popularity of camping (or glamping), road trips, and gorpcore apparel in the country.


This appetite for the great outdoors is likely to carry over to next year, especially since China no longer requires negative Covid tests and health codes for cross-region travel!

5. Continued Rise of Rural Tourism

Going hand in hand with the aforementioned trend, rural tourism will take on new heights in China in 2023. Not only are netizens charmed by rural folk, from a disabled carpenter with a can-do attitude to a rapper mom with slick beats, but the Chinese government is also heavily invested in its long-term rural revitalization strategy.

WildChina, which was founded as a tailored travel provider in 2000 before expanding into other sectors such as education and corporate services, has played its part in drawing tourists to the far-flung corners of China.


“Remember, we were one of the first organizations to make authentic experiences of China available to foreign travelers,” commented Haena Seongsin Kim, director of WildChina Education.


Earlier this year, the company even transformed a derelict traditional folk home into a cafe and art space called WildChina Studio in East China’s Zhejiang province, allowing travelers and locals to cross paths in a quaint community space.


Cover image designed by Zhuohan Shao