Alo Lands in China on Tmall, With a K-pop Ambassador and a Luxury-Trained Team

Alo, the Los Angeles activewear brand, has opened its first e-commerce operation in China — exclusively on Tmall, the business-to-consumer marketplace owned by Alibaba. The store went live on Monday with more than 300 products available on preorder, ahead of an official opening on Wednesday. By publication time, the Tmall storefront had drawn almost 20,000 followers. WWD

The launch gives Alo access to Tmall's 88VIP tier — Alibaba's cohort of more than 62 million high-spending customers. Gu Di, general manager of Sports and Outdoors at Taobao and Tmall Group, said the partnership reinforces Tmall's position as the destination for global brands in China seeking high-value customers and scalable growth. WWD

Ahead of the Tmall debut, Alo had already switched on an events-booking platform on WeChat Mini Program — the lightweight apps that run inside Tencent's messaging service. The brand has also named Ningning (Ning Yizhuo), the Chinese-born member of K-pop group Aespa, as its global brand ambassador. Alo announced the appointment on Instagram on June 15 and released a content series titled "Tour Ready" starring Ningning later that month. WWD; Jing Daily

A physical footprint is taking shape alongside the digital one. Alo's first freestanding store in China is said to be a unit in the K11 mall in Hong Kong, slated to open later this year. Company registration data indicates that Shanghai and Shenzhen stores are in the pipeline. WWD

The China push is being led by a team hired from luxury houses. Jimmy Zhu, Alo's president for China and North Asia, was previously general manager of Greater China at Givenchy. Andrew Nip, director of people for the region, spent four years as a human-resources executive at LVMH. Retail director Jasmine Qiu joined from Rimowa and Hogan. In January, Alo appointed Benedetta Petruzzo, a former Dior and Miu Miu executive, to the newly created role of international chief executive officer. Co-founders Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge remain co-CEOs. WWD

Alo is entering a crowded field. Vuori, the California performance-wear brand, has opened eight stores in China over the past two years and plans to reach 20 by the end of 2027. Sweaty Betty opened its first China store three months ago, after its acquisition by the e-commerce operator Baozun in 2025. Maia Active, owned by the Chinese sportswear giant Anta, operates more than 56 stores nationwide. WWD

For a brand built on studio-to-street athleisure, the Chinese market is the biggest test yet of whether the formula travels — and whether a luxury-trained team can sell a premium activewear proposition to consumers who already have plenty of options.