At Keqiao's China Textile City, the Dongsheng Road outdoor fabric zone is becoming a window into the industry's upgrade. Beyond traditional outdoor fabrics, a differentiated player targeting high-end business menswear has emerged: Haoli Textile, backed by over a decade of supply chain experience from the Qiting brand. How does a company that started with school uniform fabrics leap into the light luxury segment with prices up to 600 RMB per meter? The answer lies in a combination of plant dyeing, dual-brand synergy, and AI-driven digital tools.
From School Uniforms to Light Luxury: The Logic of Dual-Brand Positioning
Qiting's trajectory is representative. Launched in 2013 and registered in 2014, it initially operated at the East Market with school uniform base fabrics, building stable customers and a mature supply chain through solid quality control. But in 2018, as competition intensified and margins on conventional fabrics compressed, the brand made a key decision: while strengthening its functional outdoor fabric line, it created Haoli Textile to focus exclusively on high-end business menswear fabrics, establishing a dual-brand independent operation model.
This positioning is not just about opening another stall. Qiting was among the first to enter Phase I of the Dongsheng Road outdoor functional fabric zone, while Haoli landed in Phase II. Each brand has a clear track, serving different client groups. Haoli's general manager, Li Xiongzhen, notes that the Dongsheng Road area hosts quality brands, e-commerce sellers, and fashion designers, who demand finer fabrics and yield better order conversions, making it an ideal platform for high-end business.
Plant Dyeing and Natural Fibers: Value Anchor for High-End Menswear
From its inception, Haoli has adhered to a natural and eco-friendly positioning, using only natural fibers such as wool, silk, and Lyocell, and replacing chemical dyeing with plant-extracted colors. This process not only ensures environmental friendliness but also imparts unique textures and stories, directly supporting a price range of 100-600 RMB, effectively avoiding price competition in the low-end market.
For buyers, this means high-end menswear brands and designer fashion orders, which often demand strict standards on texture, quality, and eco-attributes, find a differentiated selling point in plant-dyed fabrics. Meanwhile, Haoli leverages its own mill and 15,000-square-meter warehouse to offer both stock and custom orders: small urgent orders are handled quickly, custom lead times range from 3 to 10 days, and the fastest delivery can be within one hour. This supply chain capability is particularly valuable for designer brands seeking quick response.
AI Digitalization: Efficiency Revolution in High-End Fabric Services
Haoli's digital exploration is noteworthy. Through the AI Fabric mini-program, core fabrics such as waffle, health knit, double-sided plain knit, mesh, air layer, and pique have been digitally cataloged. Designers and buyers often bring fabric swatches to find similar options; previously, manual matching and color card comparison were inefficient, and remote communication with foreign trade clients was time-consuming. Now, the system can match identical or similar fabrics with one click, improving accuracy and saving significant labor time.
The value of digital tools for high-end fabric business goes beyond efficiency. It transforms customer service, making remote communication intuitive and reducing sample shipping costs. More notably, the AI Fabric experience hall at Dongsheng Road is about to enter trial operation, featuring smart body measurement, 3D virtual try-on, fabric visual creation, and garment simulation, presenting physical and virtual samples through online-offline integration. This signals a structural shift in how fabrics are displayed and sourced.
Dual-Brand Synergy and Foreign Trade Channel Multiplier Effect
While operating independently, Haoli shares Qiting's industrial chain support. The outdoor fabric production line uses Italian imported raising machines, enhancing capacity, bargaining power, and production speed. Foreign trade channels target European and American markets, with exported fabrics meeting EU standards for fluorine-free environmental protection. Domestic long-term clients include Qiaodun (8-10 years), Xiaobeibei, Yingqi, Macedonia, and Xiaozhubanna, providing resources that help Haoli open high-end menswear customer channels through mutual referrals.
This synergy is already reflected in performance. After two years of strategic transformation, overall brand performance improved significantly last year, and current order growth suggests continued momentum this year. For other Keqiao merchants, this case illustrates that high-end upgrading is not simply about raising prices; it requires systematic reconstruction of materials, processes, supply chain, and service models.