In recent years, many luxury brands have frequently expanded their presence in China. While reflecting on their century-long history and stylistic evolution, they have also sought to explore aesthetic and cultural reflections within the contemporary context.
After each exhibition, Mr. Tiger is left in awe but also contemplative. Although our foray into fashion started relatively late, in an era where global information gaps and craftsmanship barriers have nearly vanished, will we see the emergence of more such brands domestically in the future? This inevitably reminds Mr. Tiger of a domestic handmade bag brand he has followed for years—Songmont 山下有松.
Returning to the Essence of Brand Thinking
Songmont was initially founded in 2013 by Fu Song and Wang Jie. The name "Songmont" combines SONG (松) and MOUNTAIN (山). The Chinese name, 「山下有松」, draws from the poetic imagery of Eastern aesthetics: "The sky is vast, the mountains are high, and beneath them stands a pine tree." It also reflects a deep cultural and natural connection to Fu Song's ancestral roots in Shanxi. Through its handmade bag designs, Songmont conveys a lifestyle that is simple, elegant, and poetic.
Mr. Tiger first encountered Songmont around 2018, when the brand had already gained significant recognition and a loyal following. Although it was a friend's brand, it was clear that Songmont was still in an exploratory phase in terms of brand identity. As a result, Tai Gear collaborated with Songmont on several projects, aiming to uncover more possibilities for the brand.
For most brands, once they establish a certain level of audience recognition, the next steps often involve refining products and services, followed by opening physical stores to shape a new brand image. However, to think in a more mature, long-term, and sophisticated direction, the focus should shift toward exploring the brand's core values and cultural expression.
This aligns closely with Fu Song's own philosophy. The initial reason for creating Songmont was her inability to find a suitable bag for commuting to work. She then decided to invite her mother to handcraft a bag based on her own design, leading to the birth of the first Songmont bag.
From this, it’s evident that both Songmont and Fu Song are not only expressing themselves through bag designs but also engaging in an inward exploration of design, functionality, and culture.
Now, after more than a decade of development and having launched numerous popular bag designs, how can Songmont, as a true "brand," further delve into its inner essence? The answer might lie in creating exceptionally high-quality offline spaces and hosting brand art exhibitions.
When it comes to physical stores, the biggest issue in China, compared to abroad, is the excessive homogenization of single-brand store designs. Many stores follow a template-like approach, and the convenience of online commerce has significantly impacted the development of offline brands and stores. However, truly high-end international brands often have unique aesthetic expressions for each store. Beyond their classic styles, many items are exclusive to specific stores, creating a strong sense of differentiation and enticing people to explore the brand's sense of mystery store by store.
Maintaining Independent Aesthetic in Diverse Spaces
Over the years, Songmont has perfectly embodied this philosophy in creating its offline independent spaces. They aim to return to and explore the breadth and depth of the artistic conception of 「山下有松」, hoping that everyone who enters these spaces can gaze, walk, wander, and dwell, while also being able to share, listen, and fall in love.
Moreover, the design of each Songmont offline space incorporates the local natural landscape and cultural context. For example:Songmont Chengdu Space – "Inner Bamboo Valley"， Through modern design, it reinterprets the concept of bamboo-lined paths and winding trails, offering a fresh stylistic expression.
Songmont Beijing Space – "Mountain Pavilion": Built with recyclable travertine, it creates a natural sanctuary for the soul amidst the bustling city.
Songmont Shenzhen Space – "Waves Caressing Rocks": Using reef rocks from the sandy sea as raw materials, it integrates details of wave traces, giving the ocean a new symbolic meaning in this urban setting.
Songmont Nanjing Space – "Layered Rocks Supporting Pines": Extracting the city's dominant red and gray tones, it uses travertine to craft a contemporary aesthetic of rolling mountain ridges.
Songmont Shanghai Space – "Wind Caressing the Valley": It feels like stepping into a valley, where the romance under the plane trees and the gentle breeze touch the hearts of those who love life.
From these offline spaces, it’s evident that each Songmont store has its own independent design expression, yet maintains a high level of consistency in brand tone, rather than striving for uniqueness for its own sake. The overall design is intrinsically connected in terms of culture, art, style, and fashion, while also blending local culture and offering a sophisticated interpretation of different artistic conceptions under the same brand philosophy. However, if we were to dig deeper into Songmont’s brand philosophy, nothing would be more fitting than its own independent grand exhibition.
Songmont's "Wild All the Way" Pop-Up Exhibition
Recently, Songmont launched a summer pop-up exhibition titled 「一路有野」 (Wild All the Way)at Aranya Friendship Bay. While showcasing the brand's heritage and reflections, the exhibition drew inspiration from the intangible cultural heritage weaving art of the Tibetan region along the upper reaches of the Yellow River. This season's designs highlight Songmont's commitment to preserving and exploring the rich history and diverse cultures of China's ethnic groups.
Organizing and hosting an exhibition is no easy feat for a brand. From a fundamental perspective, it requires a compelling theme, a rich narrative to support it, meaningful inspiration for the audience, and a cohesive structure that ties everything together. Products are merely one medium for expressing the theme, not the sole focus. Therefore, a high-end brand exhibition is far more than just a scenographic display of new product previews.
Let’s take a closer look at how Songmont’s "Wild All the Way" summer pop-up exhibition masterfully presents these details. The core of "Wild All the Way" lies in the concept of wild, a word with countless interpretations—from its literal meaning to the wildness of animals, nature, and even the human spirit. This extends to themes of exploration, discovery, and harvest.
What pleasantly surprised Mr. Tiger is that Songmont didn’t just focus on external expressions this time. Instead, the brand ventured inward, exploring the "wildness" of the heart, expressing and challenging itself while seeking recognition and being heard. The exhibition also placed a strong emphasis on amplifying the voices and spiritual expression of women.
To this end, during the opening day’s roundtable forum, Songmont invited notable figures such as Li Na, Bai Baihe, AC Zhang Yu, Ouyang Xiadan, Amy, Chen Ran, Li Meng, and Wang Qiang to share their thoughts on the theme of "Wild All the Way."
Li Na, tennis Grand Slam champion and Songmont’s brand ambassador, shared: "No matter your age or where you are, it’s essential to have your own hobbies and interests. Don’t rely on or compare yourself to others—love yourself well."
Actress Bai Baihe reflected: "Beyond its literal meaning, 'wild' represents the changes and strength that come with growth, as well as the ability to act with both gentleness and determination. While pursuing your own ambitions, it’s also important to listen to the call of others’ ambitions."
AC Zhang Yu, investment partner at Sequoia China, expressed: "Being 'wild' means avoiding clichés, maintaining independent thinking and judgment, and finding the smartest way to make the choices you believe are right."
After exploring everyone’s interpretations of the "Wild All the Way" theme in their lives, Songmont further interpreted it through a multi-dimensional exhibition. The exhibition traced the journey of a bag’s design, starting from the Yellow River Basin and exploring all the way to the source of the Three Rivers. It began with a "Prologue" and unfolded through the themes of 源 (Origin) ，色 (Color), 视 (Vision), 匠 (Craftsmanship), 编 (Weaving), and 友 (Friendship), presenting Songmont’s comprehensive reflection on "Wild All the Way."
If Shanxi culture shaped Songmont’s initial aesthetic and poetic sensibility, then traditional Chinese culture serves as the treasure trove for the brand’s exploration of depth and breadth. This season’s designs pay homage to Tibetan herders who use yak hair to weave tiger-tooth patterned knots, while also conveying the hidden blessings and auspiciousness to everyone.
Additionally, Songmont has richly interpreted and presented its beloved poetic artistic conceptions —such as 半日闲 (Half-Day Leisure), 山行 (Mountain Journey), and 遁迹 (Retreat)—through installations, visuals, photography, and paintings. Visitors to the exhibition could not only see, hear, and feel these sources of inspiration but also expand their own thoughts through personal understanding.
Songmont even deconstructed a complete bag, restoring it to its initial design form, and showcased the inspirational references behind each leather cut. These references might come from ancient architecture, natural materials, local culture, or natural colors. This allowed visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the bag itself—from its spatial design to its details,overall structure and its fashionable expression in daily life. What appears to be a bag might also carry ancient culture and contemporary aesthetic expression.
In line with the commitment of many high-end brands to sustainable and eco-friendly fashion, Songmont has also used recycled materials and biodegradable soy ink for its tissue paper and dust bags. This effort aims to reduce carbon emissions, ensuring that fashion not only expresses personal style but also embracesenvironmental responsibility.
Reflecting on Songmont’s development and transformation over the years, including the presentation of the "Wild All the Way" summer pop-up exhibition, Mr. Tiger is not only delighted for Songmont but has also gained a new understanding of "Wild All the Way": The concept of 「野」 (wild) might represent Songmont’s confidence in Chinese design and creativity, its respect for traditional Chinese culture and craftsmanship, its refusal to compromise between artistic expression and commerce, its commitment to building a brand with a strong cultural core and user pride, and its solid presentation of the potential for domestic brands to go global."
This journey of "crossing mountains" is the result of Fu Song’s years of self-exploration and the subtle connection Songmont has forged with fashion and lifestyle. While we may not be able to predict how many domestic handmade brands like Songmont, with such a complete brand expression, will emerge in the future, we can be certain that there will always be those who, inspired by their story, will embrace the spirit of "Wild All the Way" and venture boldly into the unknown, living life to the fullest!
Songmont 2024 Collection
Photo: Songmont
Edit: Zehua Qin