FROM SHANGHAI TO SOHO: LAUNCHING A CHINESE brand IN america

The Challenge

Urlazh, a Shanghai-based fashion label by designer Jini Shi, sought to launch in the competitive U.S. market with a headquarters in New York City. Known for her quirky, high-fashion aesthetic cultivated on Instagram, Jini needed a launch plan that preserved the brand’s artistic spirit while delivering a commercially viable sales and marketing infrastructure.

Our Role

We led the digital and market entry strategy from end to end, including e-commerce design and deployment, paid marketing, social media rollout, and in-person retail activation. The goal was to build a brand presence from the ground up that was both expressive and revenue-generating.

Strategic Approach

• Designed and launched a fully custom Shopify storefront tailored to Urlazh’s aesthetic and merchandising goals
• Integrated playful, unexpected visual details from the brand’s social identity into a scalable commercial platform
• Built a foundational organic and paid media strategy for Instagram, Meta Ads, and Google Search
• Registered Urlazh for high-visibility trade shows in Las Vegas and managed physical branding assets and POS logistics

Key Solutions

• Custom Shopify Build: Developed a responsive, visually distinct Shopify website that featured product storytelling, editorial-style layout, and seamless mobile performance.
• Brand-Aligned UX Design: Incorporated quirky visual motifs and animations from Urlazh’s Instagram style guide to maintain brand consistency across channels.
• Social + Paid Media Launch: Defined tone, look, and cadence for all social platforms. Deployed targeted paid ad campaigns across Meta and Google to drive initial awareness and traffic.
• Trade Show Activation: Secured booths at key Las Vegas trade events. Designed branded fixtures and an on-site Shopify-connected POS system for seamless order taking and inventory tracking.
• Pop-Up & PR Campaign: Coordinated a multi-city pop-up series and managed a robust PR push, including influencer gifting in partnership with celebrity PR executive Kelly Cutrone.

Conclusion

Urlazh’s U.S. launch successfully combined artful branding with commercial strategy. Results included:

• Fully operational Shopify e-commerce platform at launch
• Growth in U.S.-based followers and significant lift in online traffic from paid media
• Positive retail traction at trade shows with wholesale leads generated
• Brand exposure through influencer placements and PR features