Fashionable Charity: Nathan Zhang of Brandnü

After living in Canada for ten years, Brandnü founder and owner Nathan Zhang returned to China with the hope of working in the charity sector. A chance encounter with Wu Qing, co-founder of the Beijing Cultural Development Center for Rural Women, inspired him to set up shop with the shared belief that women in poverty must be helped. With donated space from Plastered owner Dominic Johnson-Hill and help from various local businesses, Brandnü has grown into a formidable charity shop. Nathan Zhang met with Agenda to tell us all about it in the magazine's November 18 issue.

What is Brandnü, and who does it benefit?
Brandnü is not just a place where you can donate your old clothes, books, magazines, trinkets and other accessories, but also a venue where you can pick up handicrafts from various NGO-supported projects. Brandnü is an ethical trade network for rural artisans, and it works in partnership with China’s socially conscious designers and artists to help redesign rural livelihoods by offering support, resources and better access to urban markets. It aims to connect the energy of young urban designers with the age-old traditions of Chinese craftsmanship using a majority of female, disabled, or unemployed artisans.

Currently the network is partnered with “Rural Women,” a local development organization. Donated items are sold directly in the shop or recycled, redesigned or given to the “Female Network,” which supports migrant workers. Over the past year, Brandnü has contributed to a variety of charity projects, including building two rural libraries in partnership with Dulwich British School, and hosting an exhibition of works by artists from the Beijing Huiling Community for people with learning disabilities. Brandnü is supported in part by Plastered T-Shirts and the JLJ Group. The Brandnü concept is committed to giving something back, and is the first charity shop of its kind in Beijing with all profits directly benefitting rural women in China.

How did you get the idea for it?
The idea was something that just came about, and it’s also something that keeps on growing. People always want to know more about my ideas for the project, networking gave me more and more contacts who wanted to help and get involved with rural women, and I saw opportunities to create something new. It’s a one off shop in Beijing. I work with other charities too, which all help me to develop new areas in the project all the time.

Tell us about your background. What did you do before Brandnü?
I’m originally from the northeastern China. I moved to Canada for ten years in 1999, and came back at the end of 2008. While I was over there I studied marketing, and before I moved back to China I studied Buddhism at the University of Toronto and got a B.A. in Religious Studies. That’s why I was leaning towards NGO and charity work when I thought about getting a job, but I didn’t find anything that really captivated me. I decided to start something on my own. I’ve always liked the concept of fair trade, and shopping in charity shops, but that doesn’t really exist here in China, which is why I got involved with fair trade style handicrafts. I also wanted to create a place where people can donate stuff they don’t want anymore, rather than just wasting things because they’re used.

In a city as big as Beijing, everyone has garbage that can be another person’s treasure. I felt there needed to be a platform for people to donate. Brandnü, however, is not just about selling. We recently donated 348kg of clothing to the Gansu region to help landslide victims.

Why did you decide to move to Beijing?
China is my home and I missed it a lot while I was in Toronto. I’ve always dreamed of coming to Beijing, mainly because of the rich culture here.

Setting the shop up was a little tricky. In the West, vintage clothing is huge. People shop in charity shops and buy second hand clothing from vintage stores all the time. But over here there vintage doesn’t really exist. The same period that produced the retro trends in other countries, saw nothing but blue suits in China. But it’s not only that – there is also a cultural divide that keeps people from buying used goods. Nonetheless younger generations, especially those with overseas experience, are really into the idea of vintage and second hand though, so that’s great.

So was it hard to get people to shop at Brandnü? Do you have a lot of loyal customers?
People love the idea, and have so from the start. We’ve been really lucky. We want to make the project sustainable, and it is hard to break even and make enough money to keep it going. This is where the designers come in. Right now we’re going in a new direction with their help, and we have jewelry, laptop covers, notebooks and much more. The next step will be getting it out to a bigger market.

What are the most gratifying moments you have experienced since you started the project?
I was invited to talk about rural women at an international event in Florence. It was a great chance for me to spread the word about the challenges faced in China. More than 300 people came to the ethical trade fair. The fact that so many people came to support the event, which fell on the project’s first anniversary, was huge.

What’s the best thing about your job?
The people I meet and get to talk to, being able to help people, and knowing that it’s not just talk, but action. I love knowing that people believe and trust the concept, and it is also really rewarding and exciting to see the effect of your work on other people’s lives.

What donations do you need most of?
Clothing is always needed, of course, but old computers are an absolute treat! They go to help education in schools all around China. Magazines are also really good, especially children’s magazines because they help improve literacy and entertain at the same time. Money always helps too.

What’s the strangest thing that has been donated to Brandnü?
A jade dildo! And it was a big one! I just gave it to my friend – I don’t know what my wife’s reaction would have been if I’d brought that home from work! We get thongs from time to time as well. Personally, I don’t wear them, and I can’t reuse them, so they get thrown away!

How can people contribute?
You can support the Brandnü Project by ordering corporate gifts, donating clothing to help migrant groups, victims of disasters and people in need, and you can also donate money directly to the rural women library project – we’ve already built two libraries, but so many more are needed.

Where are your favorite places to go in town?
Wudaoying hutong is my favorite place to be. It’s just so Beijing! There’s this great mix of people; loads of migrant workers that all combine to become your extended family.

Everyone has different backgrounds and interesting lives and stories to tell. The street is a true community, and that’s hard to find in such a big city. It’s really unique. I love Argo for a nice meal, a treat every now and again, but I’m happy on my doorstep with a beer and some chuan’r!

As a matter of fact, that’s where I spend most of my time, drinking with the interesting people who stop by. On any given day you’ll find me with an artist or a writer. If I shop, and I normally don’t, it’s at the Wudaokou Market, and I love to eat at Nice Rice.

To read more from the most recent issue of Agenda, download the PDF here. To find a copy, contact our distribution department at distribution@agendabeijing.com with an idea of where you work, live or play and we'll tell you where you can find one near you.