(Yicai) Aug. 28 -- Taobao has launched the IFASHION Black Label for top‑tier original clothing brands on Alibaba Group Holdings’ e‑commerce platform, selecting an initial 17 recipients covering women’s wear, men’s wear, women’s footwear, and other categories among millions of apparel merchants on the site.

The 17 merchants have built distinct identities through the quality, design, and aesthetics of their products despite having different starting points, evolving from simple stores into premium brands, Taobao said during a livestream event showcasing the inaugural IFASHION Black Label certification recipients at a studio in Shanghai’s Yangpu district from Aug. 25 to 26.

The brands took turns presenting their collections during the livestream, generating a combined CNY100 million (USD13.8 million) in sales during the event, Taobao pointed out.

“In Taobao’s early development phase, most merchants lacked brand awareness and simply followed prevailing market trends,” Yun Sheng, lead of fashion merchandise and livestream strategy at the platform, told Yicai. “However, many merchants now attach great importance to articulating their brand identity.”

The high‑end positioned IFASHION Black Label certification is designed to help consumers recognize these emerging brands more easily and provide merchants with more room to grow, Yun stressed.

New merchants making substantial sales contributions within Taobao’s clothing segment mainly fall into two groups: stores founded by original designers or internet influencers and big merchants with robust supply chain resources and operational capabilities, Yun pointed out. Original stores have a higher growth ceiling and faster expansion momentum, with a cohort of new merchants generating annual turnover of CNY10 million (USD1.4 million) emerging every year, Yun added.

In addition, fast-growing fashion brands born online are no longer satisfied with operating solely digitally and have started taking over retail spaces in high‑traffic commercial districts across China’s first‑ and second‑tier cities.

Keigan, one of the IFASHION Black Label recipients, opened its first brick-and-mortar store on Shanghai’s West Nanjing Road last October, followed by two more in Hangzhou and Shanghai this year. In addition, AmandaX took over a retail space previously used by French luxury footwear brand Christian Louboutin at Shanghai Center.

Merchandising, spatial design, brand image, and in‑store service consultancy all show brand strength, Yun stressed, noting that capable brands open physical shops primarily to deepen consumer engagement and boost their power.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev