How Adidas Turned the Tang Jacket into a Cultural and Commercial Success
When Adidas released its Tang jacket ahead of Lunar New Year 2024, it was intended as a limited regional drop for Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Instead, it became one of the most recognizable fashion phenomena in China’s modern streetwear scene. Queues formed outside flagship stores, social media buzzed with styling posts, and resale prices surged. By 2026, the jacket had evolved from a seasonal item into a cultural symbol. Its resonance, however, came from more than design alone. It captured a pivotal moment in China’s emotional landscape.
Post-COVID Reconnection with Cultural Identity
The pandemic reshaped how many Chinese consumers view identity, heritage, and consumption. Lockdowns, limited travel, and global tension prompted renewed appreciation for domestic craftsmanship and cultural symbolism. Young consumers began favoring products that reflected confidence and continuity rather than globalized trends. This mindset drove movements such as Guochao (国潮) and Neo-Chinese (新中式) fashion. The Tang jacket fit naturally within this shift, offering a modern, wearable link to tradition.
Reimagining Tradition for Everyday Wear
The Tang jacket draws from Tangzhuang (唐装), garments whose roots trace back to styles popularized during the Tang dynasty, a period celebrated for cultural openness and artistry. Adidas incorporated traditional details such as Mandarin collars, frog-button closures (盘扣), and symbolic knot fastenings into its signature three-stripe silhouette. The collaboration with Chinese designer Samuel Guiyang further grounded the project in local aesthetics, combining his contemporary tailoring approach with Adidas’ streetwear identity. These features, traditionally associated with harmony and fortune, were reimagined with modern proportions and materials, creating a garment that felt both authentic and current. This balance made it appealing to fashion-forward youth and culturally mindful consumers alike.
Overseas Chinese and Global Amplification
A major factor behind the jacket’s rise was its enthusiastic reception among overseas Chinese communities. For diaspora consumers, cultural symbols hold heightened emotional weight. Living abroad often deepens one’s sense of heritage, and the Tang jacket became a stylish conduit for connection. On Xiaohongshu, Instagram, and TikTok, users abroad showcased it as both fashion and pride. That content flowed back into China’s digital sphere, fueling a cross-border feedback loop that transformed a regional launch into a global cultural trend.
Platform-Driven Storytelling and Scarcity
The product’s spread reflected the dynamics of China’s integrated social platforms. Users posted unboxings, Lunar New Year family photos, and reunion clips featuring the jacket, telling stories grounded in emotion rather than advertising. Algorithms amplified these personal narratives, while limited inventory created natural scarcity. The result was a self-perpetuating cycle of desirability and visibility. Adidas did not need aggressive promotion, as community storytelling and peer validation drove success organically.
From Sportswear Brand to Cultural Participant
Adidas’ emerging cultural role became clear in October 2025, when it closed Shanghai Fashion Week SS26 with its “Power of Three” showcase. Merging traditional motifs with innovative performance fabrics, the event signaled the brand’s transformation from an international sportswear supplier to a meaningful participant in China’s fashion ecosystem. Adidas was no longer adapting to cultural trends; it was helping shape them.
Photo: Adidas Power of Three at Shanghai Fashion Week
Key Lessons for Global Brands
The Tang jacket’s success underscores three lessons for global brands:
- Cultural timing matters. The piece aligned precisely with post-COVID shifts in identity and emotion.
- Diaspora communities amplify trends. Overseas Chinese audiences acted as bridges between cultures and markets.
- Depth outperforms decoration. Genuine cultural integration builds lasting value beyond surface-level localization.
By treating heritage as a creative foundation rather than a marketing layer, Adidas
transformed local culture into enduring global equity.
What’s Next
Adidas continues evolving this culturally embedded approach through new Lunar New Year capsules, community activations, and regional exclusives. As Chinese consumers increasingly prize meaning alongside aesthetics, brands that invest in true cultural understanding will be best positioned for lasting relevance and long-term cultural impact.
Eini Kärkkäinen is a cultural analyst and strategist working at the intersection of Chinese consumer culture, luxury, and digital transformation. With a First Class Honours degree in Business and Management and a background in cultural studies, she combines cultural insight with practical marketing and strategy experience to examine how heritage and identity influence contemporary Chinese consumption.
