Produced | The Secret Behind Fashion®
Editor-in-Chief | Liu Peifang
“Whoever will shake the world will keep silent for a long time; whoever will ignite lightning will drift like a cloud for a long time.” – Nietzsche
After careful consideration, the secret master chose to use this sentence of Nietzsche as the opening of the finale of the first season of “Life in Good Clothes” in 2022, and also gave it to the fifth “Good Clothes Producer”Hong Boming。
When it comes to Hong Boming, he is well-known as the CEO and creative director of Rimba menswear, and the third-generation head of Rimula. On September 12, 2022, “Rimba Menswear CEO and Creative Director Hong Shuihuai (Birming) won the 26th China Fashion Design “Golden Top Award”, becoming China’s first post-90s “Golden Top Award” designer, while the Rimba menswear brand also won the 2022 Fashion Brand Award. “Since then,Hong BomingAnother honorable identity – the winner of the “Golden Top Award” for Chinese fashion design!
The official match of China International Fashion WeekHong BomingThis “topping” has been given a very high evaluation. Before this, no “Golden Top designer” has been so affirmed for its contribution to the top-level design of the brand and the future direction of the industry:Hong Boming“Bring Jinba men’s clothing, focusing on the jacket category special show, from the artistic humanistic aesthetics, product renewal design, new consumption field exploration, industry sustainable development, future consumer emotional links and other multi-level and multi-dimensional presentations of the brand’s innovations and attempts. Under the strategy of high-end new domestic products, with the consistent high position and big pattern of the brand, it will be the first to open up the trend of fashionable men’s clothing in China.” “Kimba men’s clothing is based on the long-term, builds its own core value system, and endows contemporary China with fashion, art and aesthetics. The new look of men also gives more thinking and inspiration to the future development of China’s men’s clothing industry. In the future, I believe that Rimba men’s clothing will join hands with the Chinese to write the endless possibilities of high-end new domestic products…”
For the “Secret Behind Fashion®️” project launched this year, the life story of every “good clothing producer” deserves more brushwork than praise, touches the background of the soul, truly show the kernel.Hong BomingEarly in the morning, he was on the list of “Life in Good Clothes”. At that time, he should be on the journey to the “Golden Summit”.Now, with the glory of “Golden Top” returningHong BomingMeet with the secret master on the opening day of 2023SS Shanghai Fashion Week-September 23, this special day, to share with you the growth story of a “strong youth” who cherishes literature and art and walks like a horse, and won the “Golden Top Award” frankly. The mental journey after the honor also reiterates the belief and determination of “everlasting business“…
On September 23, the fifth live broadcast of the first season of “Good Life”, hosted by the Shanghai Garment Industry Association and planned and presented by The Secret Behind Fashion®️, was held at the Jinba men’s multi-brand collection experience store in Lane 599, Yunling East Road, Shanghai@ KB SPACE expands. This “Good Clothes Life” is the most popular, with the top three viewing time. Lucky fans who leave messages and take screenshots have prepared the 2022 Rimba men’s jacket category show and the customized gift of the China International Fashion Week show – a century-old intangible cultural heritage four seasons health tea. The very hot protagonist, the brand space full of tonality, and the gifts full of sincerity have made the live broadcast traffic of the day reach a new high. The secret behind the fashion ®️ video number “Secret Master Love Ask”, “Huayi Network”, ” The four live broadcast channels of No. 1 Textile Network” and the video account of “Jimba Men’s Wear” were launched at the same time, and the total number of viewers exceeded 15W, and the likes were nearly 10W, which gave the new gold top winners a “row face”!
Bing Xin once said: A crown? It is a temporary brilliance, a permanent bondage.With honor added, how many people can stay calm and stay true to their original aspirations? How many people can still maintain their determination and fight for the front?
Quick question: cat, dog, tiger, horse, sheep, rabbit, which do you think you are?
Quick answer: Horse, I belong to the horse, Lu Yao knows that horsepower will see people’s hearts over time.
Host: How do you feel about winning the 26th China Fashion Design “Golden Top Award”?
Hong Boming: Actually, I’ve been thinking about this recently. Because the standards and standards of China International Fashion Week judges are very high, I am very grateful to be able to win the award, so I must thank the judges, colleagues in the industry, including the organizing committee, because there is no accumulation of hard work from industry predecessors, everyone’s encouragement and recognition, I also don’t have the opportunity to present what we have thought and accumulated on this platform, at this moment. But after the surprise, I actually calmed myself down, because I would think about how to do better, what to do next year’s show, and learn from more seniors, as well as the outstanding generation of young designers at home and abroad , improve yourself.How to go next and how to surpass yourself is more important than winning the prize!
Host: Can you name the three “Golden Award” designers? Why are they remembered by you?
Hong Boming: The first one is Mr. Zhang Zhaoda, who is also the first designer of the Golden Summit Award in China. I have seen a lot of his fashion design works when I was studying. In recent years, he is still engaged in the creation of abstract paintings, exploring the commonality of design and art in multiple dimensions and returning to the design concept of people themselves, which has a great influence on me. .
The second is Mr. Wu Xuekai. He has some unknown origins with Rimba. In 2003, as a Chinese brand, “Rimba” held a jacket show at the Louvre Museum in Paris, and at the same time there was a show by Mr. Wu Xuekai. In the past two years, I also had discussions with him about Chinese brand design and many other aspects, and he gave me a lot of sincere and professional advice.
The third is Mr. Carbin Yang Ziming. He was also born in Jinjiang. When I was a child, I heard many stories about him in my hometown. He is an early designer who really made the designer brand bigger and became a nationally influential commercial brand. His design concepts, including his strategy of continuing to exercise and actively building his own IP in recent years, have given me a lot of motivation.
A vote that can get the harsh “Golden Top” judges to vote in support,Hong BomingWith what kind of results? In addition to his design talents, his exploration of the connotation and extension of the Golden Summit Award also gave the industry more thinking, and made the secret owner feel the mood to explore one or two.It is undoubtedly difficult to break the stereotypes inherent in some people, butHong BomingThis new and lively new road that has been unfolded is undoubtedly the most solid answer that Rimba has handed over.
Quick question: What has been preserved since childhood?
Quick answer: a heart that loves to draw.
Quick question: What’s the most relaxing way for you?
Quick answer: I paint alone in the middle of the night.
Host: When was the “Golden Award” on your “wish list”, and how long did it take to achieve it?
Hong Boming: I entered Donghua University in 2010, and it has been almost 12 years since the university. I majored in Industrial Design and minored in Fashion Design in college. My father once said that many fashion masters have a background in architecture or industrial design and can design different ideas for clothes. At that time I didn’t think too much, just did what he said. Donghua University is a top fashion school in China. I have studied a lot of Chinese and foreign fashion history, and I also have some longing for the “Golden Top Award”. Because of the corporate dream of “Century Strong, Evergreen”, our family set up its own family management committee, requiring the next generation to go abroad to study and experience after completing their undergraduate studies. Only after meeting the requirements in the 360-degree assessment can you take over. When I first graduated, I didn’t join my own company right away, but started my own business. That’s when I got the nickname “Wild Illustrator”. Later, he joined the company to participate in company-related affairs, and began to be responsible for innovative projects such as culture and strategy, and then became the creative director, and later took over as the CEO. First of all, I am lucky to win the award this year. It coincides with the key point of fashion week change. This year’s fashion week pays more attention to the combination of design and business, and the 42-year-old Rimba commercial brand has obvious advantages, especially Rimula last year. After the release of the “high-end new domestic products” strategy, this year, there is a perfect answer sheet that combines a series of highlights such as forums, pop-ups, IP, and big shows, and finally I won this honor.
Secret Master: When did you start to decide that you wanted to “make good clothes, sell good clothes, and wear good clothes”?
Hong Boming: My father was very open and always supported me to do what I wanted to do. As the eldest son and grandson, when I was young, I felt that I must join the family business and take on my due responsibilities. In 2017, the market changed drastically and the company was facing transformation. I resolutely applied to join the company. Because a seed was planted in my heart since I was a child:It is not easy to be a brand. It is something to be proud of to be a brand with national influence, and to pass on this pride, someone must take responsibility.At that time, my thoughts were very simple and confident. After all, I was born in the 90s and had a better understanding of the preferences of the consumption backbone represented by the post-90s and 85s, and I was able to make a certain contribution to the company’s changes and create some value. In 2018, I took over as the creative director. In 2019, I became the acting CEO. I launched the high-end series KB HONG. In January 2020, I successfully landed on the official schedule of Milan Fashion Week for the world premiere. The epidemic has not stopped us for three years… Most of my time and energy are devoted to product design, product team building and development, and design force iteration. “Clothes carry the road”, clothing is a particularly good medium and carrier, you can reflect your thoughts, your observations of society, and the changes of the current era in clothing. In the past few years, I feel that the connection between myself and clothing is getting deeper and deeper, and I have gradually found an output method that matches my artistic concept in the system of clothing design.People in the fashion industry are actually very sensitive to changes in global fashion trends and technological trends. I am more and more able to find my own personal, business, and artistic ideals, including aesthetics and teamwork, to create the future together.
For designers, what is art?And for those who used to call themselves “wild illustrators”Hong BomingIn other words, what does art represent to fashion?Hong BomingWith his real life experience on the fashion carrier, he gave the answer.
Secret Master: How to understand art and fashion?
Hong Boming: From the perspective of art, including thinking about social and humanities, and using industries such as fashion and clothing as the carrier, it is possible to communicate with more people. To this extent,The crossover between art and business is actually a very good thing, which can convey valuable, good, beautiful and visual feelings.Some artists may worry about whether there will be a copper odor when doing business cross-border, and some brands cooperate with artists, they will feel that art is superior and should use it as it is and provide it, but in fact fashion and art complement each other relation.The common point is that we all need to think about what kind of works to provide for what kind of people and what kind of value to create.
From my personal point of view, choosing to make clothing and engaging in art are actually the same thing.In the past, my perception of art was to express my emotions through painting, but now I thinkthe content that injects soul, culture and uniqueness into the brand is also a kind of art, a kind of commercial art, an art that connects more people with a broader spectrum and creates value.Of course, managing the team and organizational structure to make the team very dynamic is also an artistic expression in a sense, and it may link more social values. During the process, you will encounter many problems, and these problems will feed back into your heart. You may have moments of depression and pain, but these things will become your inspiration after getting through, and finally return to painting. At the time, I found that my paintings had more vitality and a different flavor than before. Work, life and art form a close link and closed loop, continue to maintain passion, stimulate creation, and produce more value. Whether it’s clothing, business, or painting,When I create, I am like a bridge, able to link different histories, different thoughts, and every living individual.In the process of this link, the outside world will have an impact on me, allowing me to have a new understanding of many things, transforming and outputting new things, and will continue to affect others. All the points in your life will eventually be connected into a line, It’s a wonderful thing that every experience and experience you have has become very important.
The secret master laughed and said that he wanted to dig out the unknown gossip of “good clothing producers”, but in the face of the 42-year-old brand road of the strong men’s clothing, from the three generations of Mr. Hong, and every person who silently dedicated behind the brand’s development in the long river of brand development , there are always some emotions engraved in the DNA that are moving!
Quick question: What is the item that has been worn the longest?
Quick answer: It has to be a Rimula jacket.
Secret Master: Rimula coined the word “jacket” (previously called jacket) and created “Chinese jacket”. How do you understand Chinese jackets? As the proposer of “high-end new domestic products”, how do you view your brand strategy as a trendy label?
Hong Boming: We began to introduce the brand positioning concept in 2002, and in 2010, the line of “jacket” appeared in the official standard text instead of “jacket” for the first time. In foreign countries, there is only business or leisure. The men’s wear of Fujian style has developed business casual wear, and the jacket is actually the core representative of business casual wear. It is different from the suit. The design is more inclusive and has a sense of quality. It can be worn for work, attending business events, and everyday life. Jackets are very representative in the Chinese clothing category, and there are many stories to be discovered.When we do oriental clothing design and Chinese jackets, we must pay attention to the relationship between people and fabrics and structure, andWhen the oriental designs and Chinese jackets we make are displayed on the international stage, the kind of national pride that burns is hard to surpass.
“High-end new domestic products” is an inevitable trend in the era of my country’s transformation from a manufacturing power to a fashion power with high-quality development. China has a very complete industrial chain in many sectors, and everyone is talking about “high-end”, which will make mass consumers care about what China’s high-end brands and high-end products will do. It is beneficial for brands that do a solid job of “high-end new domestic products”! To make “high-end new domestic products”, in addition to products, retail services are also very important. Rimba attaches great importance to continuous interaction and long-term companionship with consumers. Many of our VIPs often go back to the store, not to buy clothes, but to feel the space of Rimba Comfortable, attentive and meticulous service, you can relax.
When we envy others who are born with a “golden spoon”, we also need to see the sweat that goes beyond ordinary people, the heavy burden on their shoulders, and the difficulty of getting their name respected!Hong BomingIt has never been just three generations of Jin, but alsoHong Bominghimself, and he never slackens on the road of “Three Generations of Strength”!
Quick question: stay up late party or go to bed early and get up early?
Quick answer: I want to go to bed early and get up early, but in fact I stay up late most of the time.
Quick question: When do you want to skip work the most?
Quick answer: When shopping, when you are free, you work all the time, and you want to skip work only when you sleep.
Host: Because of what kind of achievements, the family, the board of directors and company executives feel that they can hand over the baton of the brand to you?
Hong Boming: On the one hand, it is because I am a designer myself. In the case of drastic changes in the market, the brand needs to inject new blood to achieve self-renewal. Therefore, Rimula needs to be younger, have a certain understanding of design and art, and at the same time be willing to make a solid brand by following the rules of planting in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn and storing in winter. In the past few years in Rimba, I often heard some young people say “I grew up with Rimula”, or “My dad wears it”, which is certainly a good thing, it means that the brand has a good memory in the growth of a generation, Everyone is familiar with it, has a sense of familiarity and trust. At the same time, it is also a challenge. How to change everyone’s inherent perception of it in the past? In addition to making products well, we need new starting points, so we made an innovative IP, through differentiated design, including creating a highly recognizable brand DNA, as the key to attract contemporary consumers to open the door, Looking back at the new world behind this door, it is found that the classic brand accumulated over 42 years is actually a treasure brand that remains young all the time. In recent years, some people have had a new understanding of Rimba, which means that they have seen our new actions.This is not a simple explosion, butAdhering to long-termism, with a long-term layout, with heart-to-heart companionship, we maintain links with new users, and grow together with consumers as young as possible. Because we have always wanted to be a warm brand.
Do you want to outperform your competitors, or outperform yourself? Should we look back to the past or look to the future? On the way to lead the Rimba in the new strategic direction, in an era when the voices of niche and individual designer brands seem to be louder,Hong BomingStill do not cover the eyes with foreign objects, focus on the essence of design, “people-oriented”, and design from the heart.
Quick question: If you could go back to the past, which era and year would you most like to go to?
Quick answer: Song Dynasty, because I like the minimalist aesthetics of Song Dynasty.
Quick question: If you could go to the future, what would you want to know?
Quick answer: Recently, I have been wondering whether the Ba H can really be opened, and whether the mecha can really become a mecha.
Secret Master: Do you have such confidence and determination to achieve a breakthrough in a certain field from 0 to 1 in 42 years?
Hong Boming: That’s for sure! In the past few years, Rimba has done a lot of 0-1 things in the system. There are innovations and successes, and there are failures and stagnation. For example, our own IPs “Jin H” and “Ba H” that we first released this year, and the space we are in today, @KB SPACE. This is the test point of Rimba’s exploration of new lifestyle retail. In the two-story space, in addition to the collection of multiple brands of Rimula, including the main brand Rimula men’s clothing, high-end series KB HONG, children’s clothing brand LITTLE HONG, international trend buyers gather brands In addition to ENG, there is also a special coffee area, which is pet-friendly and kid-friendly… In addition, the space will regularly do some themed activities and curation. This time, the curation is the theme of “Natural Power” after the resumption of work and production in Shanghai. There are seven green plants in the exhibition. The most important is the orchard in the coffee area, where seven orange trees from Ganzhou, Jiangxi are planted, which means to bring back the lost spring. We have never done this kind of lifestyle collection store. At the beginning of the renovation, we found many practical problems, such as the height of the design, the feeling of the space, the display of products, etc., which are very different from what we imagined at the beginning. We also passed more than two years. It took time to continuously optimize the layout and slowly find the feeling.
In terms of products, there has been a big breakthrough in the product system of Rimba this year.Combining the current changes in consumer trends and product trends, the concept of “four new products” is clearly proposed, namely new colors, new fabrics, new silhouettes, and new styles.Fashion designers know that the update iteration of clothing is very fast. Fashion is changing rapidly, why do we regard “Four New” as an important breakthrough? Because it is a simple and clear guide and guidance, it allows us to easily deliver the product from the design at the source, the ordering, sales, and purchasing in the middle, to the top-down links of the terminal and the distribution consultant of the terminal. Wherever the differentiation is, we all know how the product’s landing performance is. Moreover, “Four New” has also created value for our consumers. Many male consumers may be accustomed to wearing navy blue and black, and do not want to change or dare to change at will, but after the concept of “four new” is implemented, it is easy to break their inherent wear through specific color and style changes. Clothing habits and cognition, let the brand give everyone a very intuitive freshness, so as to bring out the image of men. This is very important,Because of the value of design, it is still necessary for people to use it, and design is based on people.
Secret Master: You are the third generation, the first generation and the second generation, which point has the greatest influence on you?
Hong Boming: One of the biggest influences of my grandfather on me is that he would lead us to do charity work when we were young, giving red envelopes and gifts of condolences to the elderly in the village. At the beginning, I would complain that I finally took a vacation but couldn’t do my own thing freely, but when I grew up, I found that these small details have a great influence.
My dad’s biggest influence on my life was when he decided to go out of the river and into the sea in 2009. I have been studying in Jinjiang, Quanzhou since I was a child. In 2008, he first arranged for me to live in Shanghai for a week during the holiday, which aroused my yearning for Shanghai, and then asked me if I wanted to study in Shanghai. The prosperity and fashion of Shanghai gave me a great impact at that time.After living in Shanghai for many years, I have become more and more accustomed to the diversity and tolerance of Shanghai-style culture and advancing with the times, which has also strengthened my literary and artistic plot.
Master: What does mom mean to you? What does Shanghai and Jinjiang mean to you?
Hong Boming: To say what mother means to me, we can look at it from the virtual space-time home “Jinxiang Space” of our own IP Jin H and Ba H! There is a jacket hall on the top floor of our “Jinxiang Space”. The tree in the middle of the showroom in the hall is called “Evergreen Tree”, which is based on the tree in the only oil painting my mother ever painted. This is also the reason why I say that this “Jinxiang Space” is a “combination of feelings and experiences”. I didn’t send a message to thank her and tell her about it until the night after the announcement and the award. She complimented me on being great, but kept the standards high as always. We talked a lot about work when we were together. She dedicated her life to Rimba, and the brand has her DNA.
andBoth Shanghai and Jinjiang are my hometowns, just like the combination of Jinjiang’s city flower Erythrina japonica and Shanghai’s white magnolia in our works, the emotions and culture of the two places have influenced me.. The spirit of Fujian businessmen in Jinjiang and the inheritance of my father’s entrepreneurship have given me great inspiration and a sense of mission; Shanghai’s tolerance and openness can also be further integrated with Quanzhou’s marine culture. The desire for self-transcendence and improvement affects me. For a while in college, I read a lot of stories of masters in the period of the Republic of China, and found that some important events in their core life stages happened in Shanghai.When I want to connect with the vast history, I will also think about how to connect with the present of existence,For example, the own IP we are doing now, such as the design of jackets, from the perspective of consumer trends or current product design trends, are becoming more and more comfortable, environmentally sustainable, and both internal and external. You have a good silhouette, a good design, and you have to have a good idea to blend together. This is the trend of clothing, and it is also what we are discussing and trying.
Secret Master: When was the first love? What does career and family mean to you?
Hong Boming：It doesn’t matter when you first fell in love, what matters is who you are with now.My wife and I were introduced by a friend of my father. She also studied art and design and is also good at calligraphy. We have common topics, from friends to love. After 100 days of love, we got a license and got married, which can be regarded as a flash marriage. She gave me a lot behind the scenes and gave me a lot of support. The achievements I can make are closely related to her efforts. After starting a family and having a baby, it touched me a lot and decided to launch LITTLE HONG, a children’s clothing. Doing a brand is a long-term thing. When it is launched, and what brand concept and story is injected into it in the first few years of the brand is very important. At the beginning, it took a lot of energy to polish and operate the brand. I had a deep contact with the children in the growth stage. When I started children’s clothing when I felt special, I would definitely be able to inject something more sincere.
Quick question: What superpower do you want to have?
Quick answer: grow taller
The height of a person is never just the appearance, the height of thought and the height of quality together build a complete height of a person!Rimba, who has been working on Chinese jackets for 42 years, has a literary heart and a horseHong BomingThe same is true! Therefore, there will be 1 meter 83 and 3 meters Jin H and Ba H “mechas”, so there will be expectations of going through the future to see if the “mechas” can be opened, so there will be “jin elephants” hiding mother’s paintings. Space”, there will be LITTLE HONG infused with love for their own children, and there will be pet-friendly and intimate companionship Rimba Space planning to unfold…
When all seemingly imaginative ideas are based on the emotions of family members, love for art, love for life, and care for customers; when the design is separated from the pure expression of individuality, it is “people-oriented”, solving problems for people, fresh The golden dome designer releasedHong BomingThe transcendental excellence of the designer is too obvious: talking about business in design is not vulgar, talking about art in design is not kitsch, the promotion of high-end domestic products and oriental aesthetics, the foundation of longevity and the development of Chinese menswear are equally important!Hong BomingThe innovative power of Rimba originates from design and is higher than design!
“Life in Good Clothes” Season 1 Winner List 🎁
1. The “Hot List” of this live broadcast ranks first:Pure man ⬇️
2. Good clothing producer “Hong Boming” selected from “Screenshot and Message Area”:tracyzhou ⬇️
3. Good clothing producer “Hong Boming” selected from “Screenshot and Message Area”:Wahahahahaha doll laughing⬇️
4-6. The top three “watching time” of this live broadcast:Sister Zhao/Hua Ye/Yu Rong⬇️
The above prizes are provided by Rimba Menswear. Within one week from the date of the tweet, please contact the above secret fans as soon as possible➕WeChat: TSBF_1, show the screenshot of the reposted live broadcast room to the circle of friends on the same day, and contact to receive the prize.
secret master
The secret founder/manager behind fashionLiu Peifang
Entered the industry as a reporter, working for 30 years, senior media engineer
Deputy Secretary General of Shanghai Garment Industry Association
Person of the Year in Chinese Clothing