Designers Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang founded their Shanghai-based womenswear brand Shushu/Tong in 2015, quickly building a dedicated fanbase for their bold, nostalgic aesthetic that combines a relaxed attitude with touches of dark romance and subversive primness. The pair have been inspired by the so-called “women in peril” genre of retro horror films, Japanese anime, high-school girl gangs and French erotica. Their collection was available at high-end stockists including Lane Crawford since the brand’s first season, and the list has grown beyond their home market to the likes of Dover Street Market , Opening Ceremony, 10 Corso Como and H.Lorenzo. In 2022, the pair reached a significant business milestone, launching a brick-and-mortar store in Shanghai’s JC Plaza through a joint-venture with Labelhood.
Lei and Jiang grew up in Chengdu, Sichuan province and went to the same high school, but only became friends at university in Shanghai before going on to study together at the London College of Fashion . After graduating from the college’s Womenswear MA programme, Lei cut his teeth working at Simone Rocha , while Jiang got her start at Gareth Pugh before the pair struck out on their own with a brand, which was formed from their nicknames “Shushu” and “Tongtong”. After returning to China, the brand’s first presentation in 2016 was hosted by Shanghai Fashion Week showcase Labelhood. The brand went on to win the fashion week’s New Talent Award for the Autumn/Winter 2018 season. The pair were also the first winners of Erdos’s 1436 x Labelhood Baby Cashmere Scholarship in 2018.
