Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Doing Business in China Presents: Tofanyi Coco Scrub, a Vegan Beauty Brand


Tofanyi Coco Scrub



What's your name and where are you from? My name is Abdourahamane ly, I’m from Guinea (West Africa).

What is the name of your Company? My brand name is Tofanyi - which translates as "natural beauty” in Susu language {of Guinea or Sierre Leone , West Africa}.

What type of product or service does your company provide? Tofanyi is a vegan skincare brand that creates scrubs using natural oils and more.

Did/do you study fashion or business? I graduated in Shanghai with an economics degree.

How did your journey begin? I became interested in the skincare industry after becoming vegan and finding out that it is extremely difficult to find vegan, cruelty free, and healthy products in China.  I purchased oils from west Africa in order to experiment, and once I formulated my products I started selling them at the markets.

What is the story behind your brand? Tofanyi is a natural brand that fights against animal testing and the use of any animal derivatives in cosmetic ingredients. We are looking to spread the cruelty free message across China while providing top quality skincare. 

How long have you been doing business in China? My company was registered in 2015. 
  What city do you live in? Shanghai.

How and Why did you start it in China? I came to China to study in 2008. After graduation I felt it was a great place to pursue business. 

What is it like doing business in China? Doing business in China is very challenging but with extremely good communication and connections anything is possible. 

Do you speak Chinese? Yes, I speak Mandarin. 

How does speaking Chinese affect you doing business in China?  It facilitates communication and without Chinese it would be extremely difficult for me to set up and operate a business here. 

How does being a foreigner affect you doing business in China? I think it has both positive and negative aspects. I think being a foreigner selling skincare can give you an edge, as many local [Chinese] brands are not likely trusted. However Business is heavily based on connections so you really have to put yourself out there in order to succeed and be accepted. The system can be hard to navigate as a foreigner, so it is definitely more challenging than running a business in your own country. 


Are you afraid that your products and or designs may be counterfeited and or knocked-off in China? Copyright theft is definitely a big risk in China, however the country is improving in tackling this issue. The only solution is to move forward and be ready to deal with any potential theft as it comes. 


How do you control and maintain the quality of your products during the manufacturing process?  I import argan oil directly from an organic farm in Morocco that I have personally visited. I work closely with the factory in China in order to ensure the ingredients sources are of highly quality . 

What's special or different about your product? our products are 100% vegan and cruelty free (rare in China).

How does your company/product impact the environment? In what ways?    We are a vegan brand that fights against animal exploitation and consumption which is directly affecting our environment. It’s believed that over 300,000 animals are used each year in China for the testing of beauty products. Even major imported foreign brands such as L’Oreal and Estee Lauder are required to be re-tested before being sold in China. We look for sustainable ingredients and try to make our packaging as eco- friendly as possible. We are hoping to reduce any unnecessary packaging in order to prevent waste. 

Where can the public find your products? They are available on Taobao and Weidian

Are you on social media? you can find Tofanyi on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.


Abdourahamane ly
Founder of Tofanyi
Any other comments? I hope more people will open their eyes to the atrocities that are committed against animals in order to help end cruelty. By choosing cruelty free cosmetics you are voting against the torture of animals. 

Sunday, August 27, 2017

You Saw It Here First! China Made and Trending- Fluff and Tassels

You saw it here first:

Straight from the Chinese factories and right to your favorite store or boutique, here are some of the latest trends being produced as we speak. As fast fashion and trends work, items are mass produced and people come to China to private label and or tweak these items' styles as their own, so it can be very challenging to lay original claim to some of these trends. Read more about Which Came First: the Designer or the Design?  here.

It's fluff and tassel season right? shoes, bags, accessories: Check out these keychains and compact mirrors.













Like what you see and want more information on where to get it? Drop us a message because we source too. 

Stay tuned for more of You Saw It Here First! China Made and Trending. 



Doing Business in China Part 2: Hair By Akoni

 When it comes to merging fashion, law, and the business of fashion, I thought there was no better way than to jump right in to the industry than to come to China, where I have been doing just that for the past 3 years.

I am first generation Nigerian American (Akwa Ibom State), grew up in the American South (Louisiana, Texas, Florida), studied/lived in France, and now China- and that's just about as diverse as my sense of style is, which changes just like my hair. Since I have lived in China, I started Hair By Akoni, a hair distribution company, as well as a sourcing company.

Living and doing business in China has opened my eyes to the intricate details that artists and designers go through when it comes to the inception of an idea, the production and manufacturing of that idea, the protections of said idea, and the global dissemination of the idea turned product. Read more about my journey at  Liberate Magazine.

YES FASHON LAW INVOLVES MORE THAN SUING OVER STOLEN DESIGNS. In fact, the legal issues concerning the business of fashion are similar to other industries- just insert fashion here. Contracts need to be drafted, intellectual properties registered, and these may have to be defended around the world. Further, since the boom e-commerce, paypal accounts and websites do get shut down too as assets are frozen in pending litigation.

All the while we hope that morally, business cares enough about the environment to abide by global emissions codes, use recyclable products, and sustainable energy. In fact, Fashion Legallaire has spotlighted the environmental issues surrounding the fashion industry before- read about it here and here- and will revisit this topic again very soon. In fact, a lot of pollutant factories in China make the fashion world go round but we all play a huge role in today's world

As always you can find me right here at the Fashion Legallaire blog and on Twitter. To learn more about my hair company, visit Hair by Akoni on Facebook and Instagram.


Stay tuned...




Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Which Came First: Designer or Design?

Living in China has been an innovative experience. As the country that "makes it all and fakes it all", it is not a surprise to see, in mass production, the latest fashion creations, trends, and styles. Many people come to China from all over the world to start and develop their business brands. It may be of original design, or a design curated by the manufacturer. Think: original design manufacturing (ODM) vs original equipment manufacturing (EDM).  Because of this, I'm always puzzled as to which came first: the designer or the design?

What usually occurs when a trend is about to hit globally after it is produced in China is extreme visibility- the design or style is apparent everywhere- in the stores, on the train, in different colors, in mimic styles, whether it is to be the "intended design or not." Give or take a few weeks and the design is on the cover of a magazine or worn by a celebrity.

Perfect example is this multicolored tribal strap. Most commonly sold as a purse strap or bag handle, I saw it sold as a belt and phone case strap too. 



1. High end use of the purse strap by Valentino 




   
Quick Note: Valentino says made in Italy, but as I have learned from other luxury brand companies, like Louis Vuitton for instance, their bags may be manufactured in China and sent to Italy where the labels are stitched on as "made in Paris"- qualifying the bags to be proclaimed as made in Paris, even if most or all of the bag is made in China. 

Think: Labeling Laws according to the item's country. Check out what qualifies a label as "made in USA" and what unqualifies a label here





2. Lower End use of the purse strap by Lily Vanity
   




3. Phone case strap at Nordstrom Rack




Now, which came first: the Designer or the Design? It is easy to say that an artist or designer's original design was inspired by another creation, however, there is nothing original about any of the tribal fabric in relation to these three brands because it is the exact item. 

This may relate to why there is no copyright protection for the  aesthetic value of an item. Furthermore, I doubt any of these brands will sue on behalf of the multicolored tribal fabric.