“It’s really the next level for us,” says Richardos Klarén, CEO of Our Legacy, from his office in Stockholm. The stylish Swedish label, founded by Jokum Hallin and Cristopher Nying in 2005 (Klarén joined a couple of years later), is entering a new phase of expansion. This month, it will open its biggest store yet in Shanghai, China. But they’re not doing it alone. Dongliang, the pioneering multi-brand concept store, will be Our Legacy’s operational partner in the country. Founded in 2009, the retailer runs 15 stores across China, along with lifestyle concepts including a restaurant, a tea house, and a flower shop. Our Legacy already worked with the retailer as one of its stockists in China and has a permanent space in its Maison Dongliang location. By teaming up on the Our Legacy store, Dongliang can elevate its international portfolio and tap into the Swedish brand’s cult following. Meanwhile, Our Legacy gains a trusted local name with serious retail expertise. “We understood quite quickly that teaming up with the right partners is super important, and we felt very comfortable with their expertise in the market here,” Klarén says over Zoom. Though this will be Our Legacy’s first store in China, the label has been building its business in the region for over a decade. Its first wholesale account in the country was 10 Corso Como Shanghai in 2015, though it wasn’t until 2018 that the brand began actively investing through relationships with leading local retailers like SKP, I.T, Lane Crawford, and Assemble. “That was an important turning point for us,” says Klarén, adding that in the years since, China has evolved from an emerging market “into a meaningful and strategically important part of the business.” According to the brand, China currently represents about 13% of global revenue, which surpassed $50 million globally in 2025. Business in the region has grown at around 25% annually over the past few years. “The China market has shown strong and consistent demand for the brand, and we see substantial long-term potential there,” Klarén says. Though the Chinese market has proven turbulent for major luxury brands in recent years, amid softened demand and a challenging macroeconomic environment, contemporary labels like Our Legacy, with subtle design signatures, have captured market share. “People appreciate our brand more as logos become less popular,” says Klarén. “They want clothes that are good quality and can be worn longer term.” Our Legacy offers what he calls “a combination between more high-end luxury and a punky, grungy vibe that makes us quite unique.” At over 300 square meters, the new Shanghai space is Our Legacy’s largest store yet, joining five others across London, Stockholm, and Berlin. Located in the Former French Concession in the center of the city, with its leafy avenues and 20th-century European architecture, Dongliang’s founders say the district is exactly where China’s next generation wants to shop. “It’s the soul of the city,” says Dongliang founder Charles Wang, who runs the business alongside his partner, Daniel Du. The building itself is a cozy-looking Spanish villa, which belies Our Legacy’s characteristic coolness inside: austere industrial interiors, designed by Nying, reference Swedish public buildings and intend to evoke what the brand calls a “singular Swedish melancholy”; ceramics and sculptures by American artist Kris Ruhs fill the space, while upstairs (the store has two storeys) is inspired by a building site. According to Dongliang, the neighborhood feel is also in line with how young people are shopping in China today. “Especially in S“In Shanghai, more and more young customers prefer to walk on the street,” says Du. “They don’t want to go to the shopping mall, into the box — they want to experience life and culture on the street.” The stock will cover the brand’s edgy but accessible men’s and womenswear, from relaxed jeans and chinos retailing for around €300 to leather jackets priced at €1,700. The store will also include Our Legacy’s Work Shop, a circular platform launched in 2016 that the brand uses to upcycle deadstock fabrics and leftover materials into new products.
Our Legacy SS27.
Photo: Vogue Runway
Though the store has barely opened, there are plans for more. Wang listed a mix of traditional and emerging Tier 1 cities — including Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen — as potential locations. “China’s growing and we want to continue to open stores here,” says Klarén. “But not too fast.”
Why China?
With two decades in business, Our Legacy is entering a new phase of maturity. After minority investment from LVMH’s Luxury Ventures Fund in 2024, expanding into Asia is part of a broader effort to move from a cult Scandinavian menswear label into a serious global luxury player. But Klarén is careful about moving too fast. “I think you can grow your audience without selling out. I don’t think it has to be contradictory,” he says. “It’s like an indie rock band. If you start to compromise with your design or your music, or try to get too many people at the same time, maybe it’s not gonna work.”
China may prove a promising market for the brand to make that transition. Our Legacy is seen more as a luxury brand in China than in the West, according to Dongliang, and is often mentioned alongside The Row and Lemaire despite its comparatively lower price point. “For Chinese customers, foreign brands are still perceived higher than the local brands,” says Wang. A generational shift is also playing a part, with younger consumers in China wanting to buy into brands that don’t just offer status signaling but a sense of community.
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“Our Legacy has a very strong attitude and image, which has attracted so much attention from the young customers,” says Wang. “When [young people] go shopping, they’re kind of looking for friends, you know? They want to find something they feel connected [to].” Our Legacy is popular among both men and women in the region, with womenswear representing 35% of sales in China — significantly higher than the global average. (Klarén says that womenswear will become an “increasingly important part of Our Legacy over the coming years”.)
The potential for social connection is something Our Legacy and Dongliang hope to harness. “Unlike traditional luxury houses, we see Our Legacy as a brand with genuine warmth,” says Wang. “Many conventional luxury labels enter the Chinese market with a fundamentally commercial agenda, focusing more on what consumers can buy than on who they are.”
With Chinese consumers increasingly discerning about how they are marketed to, Dongliang’s Wang is confident that the partnership will help Our Legacy appeal to younger consumers who want to be seen, understood and respected. “They want brands to meet them as equals, rather than speak to them from above,” he says. “We see that spirit in Our Legacy, and we believe it is both rare and precious.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the topic Our CEO discusses betting on China and our largest store to date
1 What does betting on China mean in this context
It means our company is investing a lot of money and resources into the Chinese market We believe China will be a major source of growth for us in the future
2 Why is China so important for our company right now
China has a huge population and a growing middle class that wants to buy quality products It is one of the biggest markets in the world so success there can significantly boost our overall business
3 What is our largest store to date
It is a new store we just opened that is bigger than any other store we have It has more square footage more products and more staff than any previous location
4 Where is this largest store located
The CEO mentioned it is in China For the exact city and address please check the full press release or the company website
5 Why did we open our largest store in China instead of another country
Because China is a key part of our growth strategy Opening a big store there shows our commitment to the market and helps us serve more customers in a highdemand area
6 How is this store different from our other stores
It is larger so it can hold more inventory It may also have new features like interactive displays a cafe or a dedicated pickup area The CEO said it is a flagship location meant to impress customers and test new ideas
7 What does betting on a country mean for employees
It means the company is putting more focus and money into that region This could lead to new jobs transfers or training opportunities related to China It also means we all need to understand Chinese customers better
8 What are the risks of betting on China
Risks include changes in local laws economic slowdowns trade tensions and strong competition from local brands The CEO acknowledged these risks but believes the potential rewards are worth it
9 How will this affect our stores in other countries
The company is not abandoning other markets The China investment is additional However some resources might shift toward China so other regions may see slower expansion for a while
10 What does largest store to date mean for customers
Customers