discoThe brands to know, what China does best, and where to start, from Shenzhen graphic tees to Guangzhou techwear and Beijing sportswear.
Pick the one that looks most like you, or browse without choosing. The picks and the full list follow your choice.
Start from a brand you know. Each pairing says what's similar and what changes.
Two starting points for each style. Choose a style above to see only those.
Roaringwild has been going since 2010, which makes it one of the longest-running independent streetwear labels from mainland China. Recent seasons have moved from graphics towards cut and fabric, with panelled jackets, wool knits and hemp tailoring next to the printed tees.
Start with Graphic tees, boxy hoodies and the panelled outerwear
Li-Ning, founded in 1990 by the gymnast Li Ning, is the Chinese sportswear brand that has gone furthest into fashion, and its February 2018 New York show is the moment many writers date the guochao wave to. Its basketball and running lines carry real performance engineering, not just logos.
Start with Basketball silhouettes, running shoes and the fashion-line outerwear
Randomevent runs as both a label and a shop, which makes it a decent read on what the rest of the country is wearing. Its collaborations with Dickies, Puma and New Balance are its most visible output.
Start with Collaboration capsules first, then the mainline basics
Bosideng is the country's down specialist and has been making jackets since the 1970s, long before any of the streetwear labels existed. It covers everything from mass-market puffers to expedition-grade pieces.
Start with The Mountaineering Collection jackets rather than the basic puffers
Sankuanz has shown in Paris since the mid-2010s, and its designer Shangguan Zhe studied visual communication rather than tailoring. Its references run from youth culture to military dress.
Start with Military-derived outerwear and the accessories
Staffonly is the London-trained, Shanghai-run end of the scene, making menswear with a joke or an idea inside each collection. It reads as design-led without demanding much from the wearer.
Start with Shirting, knitwear and the odd-detail trousers
Hamcus is a Guangzhou label that grew out of a garment manufacturer, making panelled, multi-pocket garments built around an invented sci-fi world. Few labels on this list are built as heavily.
Start with Panelled shells, chest rigs and multi-pocket trousers
Avenue & Son was started in Shanghai in 2014 by four professional skaters, and its flagship at Taikoo Li Qiantan has a skate park built in. It is the most straightforward thing on this list to wear daily.
Start with Decks, hoodies and everyday skate basics
Every brand here was founded in China or is run from there. How we decide what counts.
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Four details to look for, and why they matter.
Look for Prints, mascot characters and Chinese cultural references, plus collaboration capsules
Why it matters Collaborations with sportswear, workwear and toy brands are how these labels reach new buyers, and they sell out first.
Explore Roaringwild →
Look for Panelled construction, many pockets, modular straps and hardware borrowed from military kit
Why it matters Hamcus grew out of a Guangzhou garment manufacturer, and that background shows in how heavily its pieces are built.
Explore Hamcus →
Look for Li-Ning's basketball and running shoes; Bosideng's upper lines, such as the Mountaineering Collection
Why it matters Technical product comes first and the fashion lines follow; the mass-market tiers are ordinary, the top lines are not.
Explore Li-Ning →
Look for Deconstruction, joined panels and borrowed uniforms, built around a stated idea
Why it matters The idea carries each collection, so runway pieces can be extreme; the commercial drops are much calmer to wear.
Explore Sankuanz →If you know Roaringwild and want a next step. Each step costs more and asks more of you; it isn't a ranking of quality, and you don't need to climb it in order.
Printed tees and skate basics at the lowest prices on this list.
Start with A printed tee from Randomevent or Roaringwild
Print-heavy graphic labels and Li-Ning's performance shoes, a step up in price.
Start with One print-heavy piece from FMACM, or a Li-Ning basketball shoe
Cut, fabric and a point of view, plus down jackets from Bosideng's upper lines.
Start with A Staffonly shirt, or a Bosideng down jacket from the upper lines
Heavily built techwear and conceptual menswear, scarce and priced at the top.
Start with One Attempt utility jacket before committing to Hamcus
The full list Disco covers. Search, or narrow by style, category and price.
Roaringwild$$Shenzhen streetwear label founded in 2010 by six college friends, building graphic apparel around Chinese characters, calligraphy and philosophy.Graphic streetwear & guochao · T-shirts & graphic tees · ShenzhenProfile →
Randomevent$Chinese streetwear brand and concept-store operator from Wuxi, known for its Shanghai flagship and collaborations with New Balance, Vans, Dickies and Puma.Graphic streetwear & guochao · T-shirts & graphic tees · WuxiProfile →
Feng Chen Wang$$$$London label from China-born designer Feng Chen Wang, known for deconstructed, gender-fluid menswear built on convertible 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 construction.Designer labels · Jackets · LondonProfile →Associated with China
Li-Ning$$Chinese sportswear brand founded by gymnast Li Ning in 1990, spanning basketball and running performance gear plus the fashion-led China Li-Ning line.Sportswear & down · Sneakers · BeijingProfile →
Staffonly$$$Shanghai-based menswear label founded in London in 2015 by Shimo Zhou and Une Yea, known for concept-driven tailoring and experimental materials.Designer labels · Jackets · ShanghaiProfile →
Hamcus$$$$$Hong Kong label by Tuff Leung producing dystopian sci-fi techwear: panelled, multi-pocket military garments across its PRMTVSM and PMU lines.Techwear & utility · Trousers & pants · Hong KongProfile →
Attempt$$$$Independent Wuhan label by Liang Dong making modular, utility-driven menswear, with collaborations including UGG, Puma, Vans and Gap.Techwear & utility · Jackets · WuhanProfile →
Sankuanz$$$Xiamen-based label by Shangguan Zhe blending military and subcultural references into experimental, conceptually driven menswear.Designer labels · Outerwear · XiamenProfile →
Melting Sadness$$$Chinese streetwear label known for cartoon-mascot graphics and collaborations with Casio G-Shock and CASETiFY.Graphic streetwear & guochao · T-shirts & graphic tees · NanjingProfile →
FMACM$$Shanghai youth-culture label founded in 2014, known for print-heavy, concept-driven ready-to-wear shown at Shanghai Fashion Week.Graphic streetwear & guochao · T-shirts & graphic tees · ShanghaiProfile →
Soulgoods$$Beijing streetwear brand built on Chinese cultural motifs, known for sneaker collaborations with Nike, Jordan and Converse.Graphic streetwear & guochao · Hoodies & sweatshirts · BeijingProfile →
Avenue & Son$$Shanghai skate brand founded in 2014 by pro skaters, making 1990s-inflected streetwear, decks and hardware, with a Taikoo Li Qiantan flagship.Skate & everyday basics · Sweaters & knitwear · ShanghaiProfile →A label belongs here if it was founded in mainland China or Hong Kong, or runs its design studio there today; we say which applies. A Chinese founder working abroad, or a Chinese factory, is not enough on its own.
Roaringwild and Randomevent are the easiest entry points — graphic-led, everyday streetwear at the lowest price tiers here. From there, Avenue & Son covers skate, Soulgoods and FMACM cover graphics with sneaker and sportswear collabs, and Li-Ning covers performance sportswear.
Most are: Shenzhen (Roaringwild), Wuxi and Shanghai (Randomevent), Shanghai (Staffonly, FMACM, Avenue & Son, Team Wang, Mukzin), Beijing (Li-Ning, Soulgoods), Wuhan (Attempt), Xiamen (Sankuanz), Nanjing (Melting Sadness), Changshu (Bosideng) and Hong Kong (Hamcus, whose studio is in Guangzhou). Feng Chen Wang is the exception — a London-based label founded in 2015 by a China-born, RCA-trained designer.
Hamcus is the highest-priced on this page, with its heavily panelled techwear. Feng Chen Wang and Attempt sit in high territory, while Staffonly, Sankuanz, Melting Sadness, Team Wang, Mukzin and Bosideng land mid-to-high. Li-Ning, FMACM and Soulgoods are mid, and Roaringwild, Avenue & Son and Randomevent are the most affordable.
Start with each brand's own site and stores: Roaringwild has standalone shops in Shenzhen and Shanghai, Randomevent runs its own concept stores including Yuyuan Lu and Aranya, and Avenue & Son has a Taikoo Li Qiantan flagship. For international shipping, Sankuanz is stocked at SSENSE and Tokyo's GR8, Attempt at HBX, Team Wang at Farfetch and Club 21, and Mukzin through its own English-language store. Melting Sadness runs largely through social-led drops, so its Instagram is the place to track releases rather than a full webstore. disco is a directory, so we don't sell any of it.
No. Heritage references are one thread — Roaringwild's calligraphy, Soulgoods' Soul Tiger, Mukzin's qipao tailoring, China Li-Ning's typography — but Hamcus makes sci-fi techwear, Attempt makes modular utility menswear, Team Wang makes monochrome minimalism and Bosideng makes expedition-grade down.
How we chose: every brand here is in Disco's directory, placed by where it was founded or is based today. Styles, picks and pairings are editorial, drafted from the catalog and published sources; researched, not wear-tested.
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