After 20 years in China, OTB Group has unveiled a new APAC headquarters in Shanghai.
Twice the size of its former offices, its new Lee Gardens Shanghai address overlooks the famed Suzhou Creek. According to Diesel, part of OTB, the new offices are meant to “demonstrate OTB Group’s strong commitment to the Chinese market, provide employees with a more modern and better-equipped workspace, and further strengthen its ties with local partners.”
Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel and OTB Group, inaugurated the new offices with a traditional lion dance ceremony in the presence of Tiziana D’Angelo, consul general of Italy in Shanghai, representatives from the JIng’an District government, and members of the local media.
“My strategy and my direction is to invest in China,” Rosso told WWD after the inauguration. “I believe that China is a very big country, very fantastic country; it is a country where if I have good connections with the local people, we have a good chance to build a good, successful story for the future.”
In the afternoon, Rosso stopped by Donghua University, where he delivered a talk to students from several fashion schools in Shanghai.
On the evening of the inauguration, the celebration continued with a trunk show at the Fosun Foundation. Afterward, Rosso and Diesel’s VIP clients watched as a “Diesel 20th Anniversary” display lit up the skyline overlooking the Bund.
For Rosso, experience on the ground still pointed to a subdued outlook for China’s consumer market. But he remained confident in a revival story driven by young consumers. “There weren’t many people in the malls, but I could truly feel the energy of the young generation — it’s incredible,” Rosso said.
“I met with some of the most important landlords and shared my vision of the modern consumer — emphasizing the need to move away from large, single-brand flagship spaces and instead develop dynamic clusters that combine brands of different positioning with entertainment elements to attract customers and drive foot traffic,” Rosso added.