"PLAYTOP" Receives National Team Procurement and Collab with BYCOO, Aims to Interpret Outdoor Functional Apparel with Eastern Aesthetics | Early-stage Project
While outdoor sports brands are competing on parameters such as "sun protection", "quick-drying", and "warmth retention", a new brand established just three years ago has started to integrate "Oriental aesthetics" elements into functional clothing on the basis of functionality.
Founded in 2022, "PLAYTOP" is an outdoor brand that combines Oriental aesthetics with natural functional materials, targeting high - intelligence elite groups aged 25 - 40 who pursue both appearance and comfort. In the 2025 snow season, PLAYTOP ranked first in the active search of Xiaohongshu users for ski quick - drying clothes.
Currently, PLAYTOP has obtained 12 exclusive patents and environmental protection creative new material awards from multiple countries. Its products have been purchased by the national team and the Military Academy of Sciences. It is also the first outdoor knitting brand to continuously appear on the China International Fashion Week.
The birth of PLAYTOP stems from a combination of "luxury goods + supply chain". The founder, Liang Chen, has a background in fashion design. She has worked at Chanel and Burberry and has 8 years of experience in fashion design entrepreneurship. Her partner has a background in providing supply chain services for the national team and the Military Academy of Sciences. In 2022, the two saw opportunities in the ice - snow and outdoor sports sectors and jointly founded PLAYTOP.
In 2025, PLAYTOP achieved a sales volume of 30 million yuan, and it is expected to double to 60 million yuan in 2026. Liang Chen told 36Kr that its positioning is clear: to interpret outdoor functionality with Oriental aesthetics, making functional clothing such as base layers, mid - layers, and outer layers not only "functional" but also "good - looking".
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Make functionality a visual symbol
In the field of outdoor clothing, base layers have long been regarded as functional products, and the competition among players mainly focuses on technical indicators such as fabric moisture - wicking rate and heating speed. PLAYTOP's approach is to add Oriental structural aesthetics on the basis of functionality.
The most typical example is its patented "Dragon's Ridge" design. PLAYTOP creates a raised functional area on the middle line of the back of each piece of clothing through three - dimensional weaving. The inspiration for this design comes from Chinese armor culture - just as the back armor protects a warrior's spine, this functional area can fit the curve of the spine, assist in core strength, and isolate air through the hollow fiber structure, regulate temperature and humidity, and prevent cold after exercise. Liang Chen hopes that it will become a visual symbol for the brand to last for a century, just like the classic elements of Chanel.
Official product image
A similar concept is also reflected in other product lines of PLAYTOP: the armguard structure (bracelet) extracted from armor is integrated into the upper - limb protection design, symbolizing "resisting external aggression"; the lines of the Ruyi cloud shoulder are transformed into the shape of a wide - brimmed sun hat, combining the waterproof and breathable properties of palm straw weaving with Oriental beauty; the openwork carving in traditional architecture evolves into a weaving texture that emphasizes both breathability and compression.
Official product image
"Oriental aesthetics is not just about dragons and phoenixes. It is about presenting beautiful Chinese patterns in a minimalist and international way," said Liang Chen.
In terms of materials, PLAYTOP's products achieve functionality through yarn formulas rather than relying on post - finishing additives. For example, volcanic mud is carbonized at high temperature, ground, and blended with polyester to achieve far - infrared heat storage and antibacterial and deodorizing effects; 16.5 - micron merino wool combines heat insulation, breathability, and ultraviolet protection.
From skiing to tennis, golf, and hiking, a hit product means brand awareness
In the first three years of its establishment, PLAYTOP focused on product refinement and did not expand on a large scale. Liang Chen's strategy is to first establish a viable model and ensure positive profits in each channel.
Currently, PLAYTOP's hit product, the "Peak Mulan" quick - drying suit, ranks first in the skiing functional layer category on Xiaohongshu and fifth in the same category on Tmall.
In terms of category distribution, skiing products account for 80% of PLAYTOP's total revenue. On this basis, it further extends to hiking, tennis, and golf. "We found that the users who participate in ice - snow sports also have a high overlap with tennis and golf players. These sports are relatively niche, while hiking is a more popular activity. We can use good products to enter this market," Liang Chen explained the logic of category expansion to 36Kr.
In the golf category, thanks to Liang Chen's years of design service background, PLAYTOP has reached co - branding cooperation with brands such as BYLF. PLAYTOP is responsible for R & D and production, and the products are sold in BYLF's offline stores.
PLAYTOP's co - branded golf products with BYLF
In terms of new product development logic, PLAYTOP has established a "dual - six matrix of appearance and functionality", making the aesthetics matrix and the functionality matrix two gears. "When developing each product, we can make various combinations along the gears, and the inspiration is endless."
From the product details, the Mulan suit reflects its "appearance + functionality" dual - wheel logic: the side waist support belt is upgraded, and the orderly ribbed weaving increases the support force by 150%, creating a waist - hip difference; the muscle patch tissue mimics the tendon - crossing structure, reducing muscle tremor energy consumption; the calf strap uses three - dimensional circular weaving to stabilize muscles and relieve shock and pressure; the three - dimensional waist design with a lower front and a higher back makes the lower back warmer.
Liang Chen revealed that PLAYTOP creates about 10 hit products each year, with a single - item sales volume of over 10,000 pieces. In 2026, on the basis of creating hit base - layer products, the knitted mid - layer and outdoor accessories will become PLAYTOP's new focus.
Not too expensive to afford, and not willing to compete like a white - label brand
In terms of pricing strategy, PLAYTOP has chosen a middle - of - the - road approach.
"There is no absolute leading brand in the base - layer and mid - layer categories," said Liang Chen. In terms of price range, PLAYTOP positions its base layers at 200 - 300 yuan, mid - layers at around 500 yuan, and outer layers at around 800 yuan, similar to the price range of Bananain. "We don't compete like white - label brands, but we are not too expensive to afford."
On the channel side, Tmall serves as the brand's showcase, Xiaohongshu is responsible for precise product promotion (targeting female users in first - tier cities who value daily aesthetics), and Douyin and Video Accounts are the fastest - growing new channels. Offline, in addition to ski equipment stores, the brand has also entered outdoor comprehensive stores and is displayed alongside brands such as Icebreaker and Kailas.
From the ice - snow scene to hiking and comprehensive training, from volcanic mud to merino wool, from the "Dragon's Ridge" support to the "slim - waist" shaping, PLAYTOP wants to redefine the outdoor base layer with the language of Oriental aesthetics - to make every piece of clothing have a visible "backbone" on its spine line.