Metersbonwe

Metersbonwe, also styled as Meters/bonwe, is a Chinese casualwear brand operated by Metersbonwe Group, formally Shanghai Metersbonwe Fashion & Accessories Co., Ltd. The brand was established by Zhou Chengjian and opened its first store in Wenzhou on April 22, 1995. It developed around a mass-market proposition: fashionable clothing at accessible prices for young Chinese consumers, particularly men and women between approximately 18 and 25 years old. The business grew from its founder's early experience in garment making and trading. After moving to Wenzhou in the early 1990s, Zhou worked in clothing sales and tailoring before producing winter coats for other factories. This experience provided the manufacturing and merchandising base for creating an independent brand. Rather than relying entirely on company-owned stores, Metersbonwe expanded through franchisees and a coordinated design and retail system. The company also assembled teams of French and Chinese designers to make its collections more responsive to changing youth fashion preferences. Celebrity marketing became an important part of the brand's identity. In 2003, Metersbonwe appointed Taiwanese singer and actor Jay Chou as an image ambassador. The association strengthened the label's visibility among younger consumers and helped connect it with contemporary Chinese popular culture. The company used the slogan "Be Different," reflecting its effort to present casual clothing as a form of individual expression rather than only basic everyday wear. The brand expanded rapidly during the 2000s. By early 2007, it reportedly had approximately 1,800 stores across China and more than 5,000 employees. Its retail presence and relatively affordable pricing made it one of China's most recognizable domestic casualwear labels. The company also invested in brand presentation and cultural display: its Shanghai headquarters, opened in late 2005, included a public fashion museum containing historical and ethnic costumes and accessories. The collection was intended to support the brand's fashion credentials and public image. Metersbonwe's core assortment has centered on casual apparel, including tops, bottoms, denim, outerwear and accessories. Its principal customer promise combines accessible pricing, youthful styling and broad physical availability. The brand's growth model linked design, marketing and franchised retail rather than positioning the label as a luxury or specialist sportswear house. The company has also faced scrutiny associated with apparel supply chains. In 2011, Greenpeace included Metersbonwe among brands discussed in its Dirty Laundry report, which examined pollution risks and hazardous chemical discharges connected with textile suppliers in China. The report alleged that facilities associated with suppliers serving the named brands showed evidence of chemicals including alkylphenols and perfluorinated compounds in waterways. This episode placed environmental management and supplier oversight among the issues relevant to the brand's public profile. Metersbonwe remains a China-focused casualwear brand with a legacy of domestic scale, celebrity-led marketing and youth-oriented positioning. Publicly available reference material in this dossier does not establish a current store count, current leadership roster, detailed international footprint or current financial performance.

Metersbonwe emerged from Zhou Chengjian's early work in China's garment trade. After moving to Wenzhou in the early 1990s, Zhou combined daytime clothing sales with evening tailoring. In 1992, he reportedly produced thousands of winter coats for other factories, gaining practical knowledge of garment production and building the resources needed to develop an independent label. The first Metersbonwe store opened in Wenzhou on April 22, 1995. The company pursued a different route from a purely manufacturing-led apparel business: it developed a consumer brand, used franchisees to extend its retail reach and invested in design capabilities. French and local designers were brought together to create clothing aimed at an increasingly fashion-conscious young Chinese audience. The combination of reasonable prices, current styling and broad distribution supported rapid growth. The brand's most visible early-2000s turning point was its relationship with Jay Chou. He became Metersbonwe's image ambassador in 2003, giving the company a prominent connection to music, entertainment and youth identity. Reference material associates the campaign with the brand's recognition as China's best-selling clothing brand in 2004, according to an evaluation attributed to the China National Garments Association. Metersbonwe's popularity also grew as domestic consumers increasingly sought branded casual clothing rather than unbranded garments. Metersbonwe expanded its corporate and cultural presence during the same period. A new Shanghai headquarters opened in late 2005 and included a fashion museum for the public. The museum displayed ancient and ethnic costumes and accessories, some of which were described as not being held by national museums. The collection was also intended for display in a new Shanghai Nanjing Road store planned for the late 2000s, connecting retail expansion with fashion and cultural presentation. By early 2007, the company reportedly operated approximately 1,800 stores throughout China and employed more than 5,000 people. Its growth depended heavily on a broad retail network and the appeal of youth-focused casualwear. The brand's stated slogan, "Be Different," summarized its marketing emphasis on individuality and nonconformity while remaining within a mass-market price range. Metersbonwe later became part of wider scrutiny of environmental conditions in Chinese textile supply chains. In July 2011, Greenpeace published Dirty Laundry, a report that named Metersbonwe among several international and domestic apparel and sportswear brands. The report described testing at facilities associated with textile suppliers and identified chemicals such as alkylphenols, perfluorinated compounds and perfluorooctane sulfonate in samples from waterways linked to the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. The publication raised questions about supplier monitoring and chemical management, although the available reference material does not establish a final legal finding or a specific company penalty. The available sources establish Metersbonwe as a major China-focused casualwear brand with roots in Wenzhou, a later headquarters in Shanghai, a franchise-centered expansion model and strong use of celebrity marketing. They do not provide enough verified current information to describe its present store network, current executives, current financial condition or confirmed international operations in detail.

• 2011

  Greenpeace publishes Dirty Laundry report

  [2]Dirty Laundrygreenpeace.org

  Greenpeace included Metersbonwe in a report examining hazardous chemical pollution associated with textile suppliers in China.

• 2007

  Domestic retail network reaches approximately 1,800 stores

  [1]Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  By the beginning of 2007, reference material reported about 1,800 stores across China and more than 5,000 employees.

• 2005

  Shanghai headquarters and fashion museum open

  [1]Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The company opened a new Shanghai headquarters containing a public fashion museum with historical and ethnic clothing and accessories.

• 2004

  Brand receives best-selling-brand recognition

  [1]Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material states that Metersbonwe was evaluated as China's best-selling clothing brand for the year by the China National Garments Association.

• 2003

  Jay Chou becomes image ambassador

  [1]Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The company began a high-profile celebrity marketing association with Taiwanese performer Jay Chou.

• 1995

  First Metersbonwe store opens in Wenzhou

  [1]Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The first Metersbonwe store opened in Wenzhou on April 22, marking the formal launch of the consumer brand.

• 1992

  Founder develops garment-production experience

  [1]Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Zhou Chengjian produced large quantities of winter coats for other factories, building the experience and resources that preceded the creation of Metersbonwe.

Affordable, fashionable casualwear for young Chinese consumers, with an emphasis on individual style and accessible pricing.

• Apparel · 1995

  Casual apparel

  Metersbonwe's central product business consists of casual clothing designed for everyday use by young consumers. The range is positioned below luxury and specialist performance categories, emphasizing accessible prices, current styling and broad availability through the brand's retail network. Collections have included both men's and women's products.

• Apparel

  T-shirts and casual tops

  T-shirts and other casual tops are representative products of the brand's youth-oriented assortment. They support the label's emphasis on informal daily dressing, graphic or fashion-led styling and comparatively accessible prices.

• Apparel

  Denim and casual bottoms

  Denim and other casual trousers form part of the practical wardrobe offered by a broad casualwear retailer. These products fit Metersbonwe's intended use case of fashionable but wearable clothing for younger customers.

• Apparel

  Outerwear

  Outerwear is part of the brand's clothing portfolio. The founder's early production work included winter coats, while the later brand developed a broader seasonal casualwear assortment.

• Fashion accessories

  Accessories

  Metersbonwe has also marketed fashion accessories alongside its apparel. Accessories complement the brand's casual clothing offer and contribute to a complete youth-fashion retail proposition.

• 2011

  Environmental allegations in Greenpeace's Dirty Laundry report

  Greenpeace named Metersbonwe among apparel and sportswear brands discussed in a report on hazardous chemical pollution in Chinese textile supply chains. The report described testing that found substances including alkylphenols and perfluorinated compounds at facilities associated with suppliers in the Yangtze and Pearl River delta regions. The available material does not document a final court judgment, regulatory penalty or confirmed company liability.

  Source

Read more

• 2003Jay Chou image ambassador campaign

  China

  Metersbonwe selected Jay Chou as an image ambassador, using his popularity in music and entertainment to strengthen the brand's connection with young consumers and contemporary popular culture.

  Outcome. The association became a prominent part of the brand's early-2000s identity and was linked in reference material to strong brand performance in 2004.

  Source
• Be Different

  China

  The brand's corporate slogan, translated as "Be Different," framed its casualwear as a vehicle for individuality and nonconformity while retaining mass-market accessibility.

  Source

• 2005

  Combine headquarters development with fashion cultureStrategy

  Background

  As the brand expanded, it sought to present itself as a fashion-oriented organization rather than only a mass retailer.

  Action taken

  The company opened a Shanghai headquarters with a public fashion museum and planned to extend parts of the collection to a Nanjing Road store.

  Aftermath

  The initiative added a cultural and heritage dimension to the brand's retail and corporate presentation.

  Source

• 2003

  Use celebrity endorsement to reach youth consumersStrategy

  Background

  The company sought to distinguish its affordable casualwear through stronger cultural relevance and visibility among younger customers.

  Action taken

  Metersbonwe appointed Jay Chou as an image ambassador.

  Aftermath

  The endorsement became a defining marketing association and was linked by reference material to the brand's strong 2004 sales position.

  Source

• 1995

  Launch a branded casualwear businessStrategy

  Background

  Zhou Chengjian moved from garment production and trading into building a consumer-facing apparel label for China's developing youth market.

  Action taken

  Metersbonwe opened its first store in Wenzhou and focused on fashionable casual clothing at accessible prices.

  Aftermath

  The brand developed into a large domestic casualwear retailer supported by franchise expansion and design investment.

  Source

1. 1Meters/bonwe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Dirty Laundrygreenpeace.org
3. 3上海美特斯邦威服饰股份有限公司 - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4美特斯邦威 - 维基百科zh.wikipedia.org