With the pandemic forcing people to spend closer to home and heightened geopolitical tensions shining a spotlight on national identity, it’s no surprise that local brands are thriving in China. But how exactly are companies playing up their heritage? And what does ‘made in China’ now imply?

Due to the pandemic, international fashion brands were unusually absent at October 2020's Shanghai Fashion Week, freeing up the spotlight for Chinese designers. With domestic spending a key focus of the country’s economic recovery, there’s a growing sense of pride in ‘Made in China’.

Chinese consumers are known as the driving force behind the success of numerous European business sectors, but have been slow to show the same support to home-grown Chinese brands. However, as the quality improves so does trust, creating new opportunities for local brands.

In times of uncertainty, people often make purchases that reaffirm their identity – yet many ‘global citizens’ championed local firms during the pandemic. Canvas8 spoke to Sharon Ng of Nanyang Technological University to understand the impact of global-local identities on shopping habits.