By Zhong Mengxia

In the past few years， we have repeatedly discussed what consumers need most. What kind of things will they pay for？ The result always tells us that consumers will only pay for goods that are good-looking， cheap and famous. Consumers are always greedy， but this accords with peoples general psychology.

The consumption concept of“affordable”

In early January， Karolina Horoszczak， vice president of IKEA， mentioned many direct and pragmatic views in an interview with Yimagazine. In addition to deeply cultivating its products own quality and actively listening to the opinions and suggestions of market and consumers， Karolina Horoszczak replied that the only consumption concept recognized by consumers is "affordable" in the face of popular keywords such as consumption upgrade and degradation in the past five years.

It is true that people are always looking for new things， and at the same time， people are getting better quality or experience in use at a more favorable price. Today， with the surplus of commodities， clothing is no longer a necessity， but a fast-selling product. Although the pandemic has made consumers more cautious in spending money， the concept of "affordability" is not picked up by people during the economic depression. This word is not only applicable in home industry， but also in clothing and others.

Alternative cheap products

For a long time， the aesthetics of Chinese clothing brands have been learned from European and American countries. There are some historical reasons for this. 18th century in Europe， the French king popularized fashion aesthetics and taste to French society， which gave birth to a number of traditional high couture brands and influenced the whole of Europe. At that time， China was entering a chaotic war period， and did not open its doors again until 1980s， but already missed the golden age of the development of fashion industry. Also， this is why there are not many fashion luxury brands in China so far.

Today many traditional brands are becoming young and new， but in the process of visual rejuvenation， you can always see the shadow of some foreign brands. Although these traditional brands are rich， the aesthetic system has been guided and even compromised by more powerful brands， and more often they are forced to integrate.

In recent years， the domestic social consumption level has accelerated， and the development of Internet and globalization has made many Chinese brands become more and more "homogeneous". Although this is related to the contemporary era， it also reflects that Chinese brands have not got out of their own way， and their aesthetic taste is still restrained by foreign brands. Domestic brands can produce their substitutable cheap products but cant lead their own trend.

Indie design is in its time

Tired of the contempt of big-name aesthetics， a bunch of young Chinese designers from home and abroad who graduated from famous design college are preparing for creating their own business. Different from commercial brands， young indie brands are quietly becoming the popular choice of the public.

M？RCHEN， a Chinese designer brand， is quickly known to a large number of consumers just because of a piece of dress with the logo that is put on by some influencers on on Chinese social networks； JACQUES WEIs flower pattern hollow knitwear has sold more than 300 pieces in a month， which makes this brand impressed in the hearts of consumers， and it is reported that the retail price of this knitwear is 3480 yuan which tell us indie design also can attain commercial success.

In the past， if Chinese fashion brands were familiar by the public because of their campaign and ads， that is， the fame of the brand itself is greater than its products and aesthetic taste， while todays young indie brands gradually open up their fame among consumers and gain the favor of the public with its characteristic core items and outstanding brand style.