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Top Designers Shed Secrecy Around Work for Chinese Brands

The growing power, prestige and global ambition of Chinese brands has ended the era of discretion for fashion heavyweights, with figures such as ex-LVMH designers Kim Jones and Kris Van Assche now publicly promoting their roles at Bosideng and Anta respectively.

Anta hired Belgian designer Kris Van Assche for the Chinese activewear giant’s sub-brand Antazero. The collection was shot by Julien Martinez Leclerc and styled by Mauricio Nardi. (Kris Van Assche via Instagram)

Gemma A. Williams

19 January 2026

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In one way or another, top international designers have been working for Chinese brands for decades. What was less common was their willingness to reveal these relationships to the wider fashion industry, with hires usually hidden behind non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). That reticence is now fading, as two high-profile names have broken with tradition and publicised their latest gigs on the mainland.

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About the author

Gemma A. Williams

Gemma Williams is a contributing writer at The Business of Fashion. She is a writer and curator with an expertise in China's luxury and fashion markets who is based in London.

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