Market – it was ‘Chinatown Market‘ – has created a sort of unintentional pop icon, certainly the label is not afraid to amaze, to make people talk about it. Its collections have exaggerated all-over patterns, colorful patterns, provocative messages, pop symbols that are given a completely different meaning, like Smiley itself – which here loses its original optimistic meaning, becoming mocking.

Behind that smiley is a young designer named Mike Cherman, a previous name linked to Kith and ICNY – brands for which he has been branding curator.

Going back to the name, Cherman is chosen to eliminate “compromising” Market following the rise of the #StopAsianHate movement and discrimination against Chinese culture, targeted and accused of spreading Covid-19.