Athletics ascendant of Li-Ning in sports fashion

After the warm reception, the brand's not resting on its laurels. In August, a Li-Ning pop-up shop in Shenzhen, called Ning Space, lasted ten days, blending high fashion and sportswear. The mirrors and lighting there formed a fantasy world filled with technology and mixed concepts of space. "We have received numerous invitations for collaboration," says Hong. "In the second half of 2018, we have plans for crossovers and joint co-operation."

The proof's in the numbers. On August 13, Li-Ning revealed its half-year performance, with a 17.9% rise year on year and 4.713 billion yuan in revenue in the first half of 2018. With that momentum, Li-Ning may have the potential to reach a milestone of 10 billion yuan in annual revenue this year.

"Worship of sports, champion quality and never being content with the current situation – these form the Li-Ning spirit," says Hong. This 28-year-old Chinese sports brand has never stopped moving forward with ambition and confidence. In a fast-changing and rising China, there's certainly much more to come from Li-Ning.