Warum liebt jeder COS?

Text by He Zhexin

Edited by Qiao Qian

COS, short for Collection of Styles, was born in 2007 at the peak of H&M.

At that time, the senior management of the H&M Group realized the need to create a sub - brand that was completely different from the main brand to diversify risks and expand the market. Therefore, COS was launched with a more high - end positioning and quickly stood out.

The H&M Group was extremely cautious in its operation strategy for COS: The headquarters was set in London instead of Stockholm, and in the initial stage, stores were only opened in Paris and London, making it a must - visit for American fashion editors on their European trips. When COS entered the US market in 2013, the American edition of VOGUE even hailed it as "the most anticipated trans - Atlantic brand since Isabel Marant".

In 2017, COS's annual revenue easily exceeded $1 billion, accounting for 5% of the group's total revenue. At the beginning of the pandemic, affected by the sharp decline in offline footfall and the sluggish online growth, the brand once fell into a slump. Moreover, the maximalist trend led by GUCCI at that time was contrary to COS's consistent Nordic minimalist aesthetics. It was not until recent years, as consumer trends returned to rationality, that COS regained its growth momentum.

In the first quarter of 2025, COS ranked sixth on LYST's list of the top ten hottest brands and was the only non - luxury brand on the list. COS's barrel - leg pants ranked sixth among the popular products. As one of the authoritative indicators for measuring the popularity and sales of fashion brands, the ranking on LYST's quarterly list largely represents the popularity of a brand.

"The pricing of COS is neither high enough to reach the threshold of luxury brand ready - to - wear nor within the normal pricing range of ordinary fashion brands," Alice Chan, who specialized in fashion design in the UK for five years, told 36Kr.

Previously, the brands that filled this market gap were called "High Street Fashion" - these brands were known for their craftsmanship and design aesthetics close to those of luxury goods, while maintaining a more restrained product update rhythm than fast fashion. "This concept originated in the UK, specifically referring to fashion brands that emerged on the main commercial streets of London," Alice told us.

Now, large fast - fashion groups are beginning to realize the commercial potential of this niche market. At the beginning of this year, COS launched a collection of contour jackets with a shearling turn - down collar, priced at around £1000 (about RMB 9770). This pricing strategy has already broken through the price ceiling of traditional fast - fashion brands. "We hope to find the middle ground between high - street brands and luxury brands," Daniel Herrmann, the brand general manager of COS, once told the media.

Image source: COS official website

The core customer group of COS consists of those "aspirational consumers" who used to pursue luxury brands. Alice believes that a large part of this consumer group has gradually turned to more cost - effective options due to the soaring prices of luxury goods without a corresponding improvement in quality - and COS just fills this gap, winning favor with its design and craftsmanship that match the price.

For example, COS is no longer classified as a mid - range brand like Theory or Massimo Dutti, but is frequently compared with high - end designer brands such as The Row and Phoebe Philo. This change is also reflected in its job titles - Karin Gustafsson, the design leader of COS, holds the title of "Design Director" instead of the commonly seen "Creative Director", suggesting a greater emphasis on craftsmanship and practicality.

As the Xiaohongshu user @Li Dalenghengleng said: "COS is the 'exquisite and literary youth', while Massimo Dutti has become the 'old relic of fast fashion'."

For a brand like COS, the offline experience cannot be replaced by the online one. In the first quarter of 2025, COS was one of the only two brands under the group to open new stores, the other being Arket.

Since the second half of last year, COS has significantly accelerated its store - opening speed in China, opening three new stores in Beijing Chaoyang Joy City, Shenzhen Ping An Finance Center Mall, and Xi'an Mixc City respectively. There are rumors that its first store in Wuhan at Wushang Mall is also about to start construction. According to the official website, COS currently has a total of 36 stores in China. In terms of the number of stores, the Chinese mainland remains COS's largest market.

COS Xi'an Mixc City store

"China is a key market in our global strategy," COS told 36Kr. "The opening of the first store in Xi'an is another important milestone in COS's development journey, marking our official entry into the northwest region of China and further improving our retail network layout across the country."

From another perspective, the quiet rise of brands like COS is largely due to the group - based development of luxury brands.

In the past 30 years, the luxury goods industry has gradually changed from a landscape dominated by family - owned enterprises to an oligopoly controlled by two or three business tycoons. These tycoons often know little about design but are very proficient in capital operation. Of course, before this, although luxury companies also cared about profits, their primary goal was to produce the best possible products. But now, for luxury groups, brands are just tools for making money, and profit is their sole pursuit.

Some designers are unable to bear such a change and choose to leave. Besides establishing their own brands, the position of creative director in fast - fashion groups is also a good option.

Previously, Uniqlo appointed Clara Waight Keller, the former creative director of Givenchy, as its design director; later, Zara entrusted Stefano Pilati, the former designer of YSL, with its more high - end capsule collection; Jonathan Saunders, who was just appointed as the chief creative officer of &Other Stories last month, was previously the creative director of Diane von Furstenberg - more designer talents are moving from traditional luxury brands to large - scale fashion groups.

As for the younger generation, does COS need to please them?

Its bosses remained non - committal. "The customers we refer to actually represent more of an attitude towards lifestyle - they have a big - city mindset, are sensitive to culture, and well - informed."