New Variables in Streetwear Brands' Global Expansion: Yu Shiyu and the AI-Driven Globalization Experiment

As Chinese brands' global expansion evolves from mere product distribution to authentic branding, street fashion has emerged as one of the most visionary yet challenging segments.

Over the past decade, Made-in-China has secured a pivotal position in the global supply chain. However, in the streetwear consumption sector, Chinese original brands still lack significant presence in overseas markets. How to bring Chinese design, aesthetics, and culture to the international market at a higher premium has become a long-term proposition for the industry.

Yu Shiyu, a post-95 serial entrepreneur, is attempting to answer this question with an approach distinct from traditional cross-border e-commerce. Cosmic Talenter Group, led by him, has chosen AI as its foundational capability and a platform-based ecosystem as its core to explore a new global path for streetwear brands.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/a63f1c4e45daf4d81d555e873d8bdd72.jpg

01. Market Background: A Growing Streetwear Track Amid Structural Mismatch

In terms of market size, the global streetwear and urban fashion market continues to expand. Multiple industry studies indicate that the global streetwear market reached hundreds of billions of US dollars in 2024 and is expected to maintain steady growth in the coming years. As a mature e-commerce market and the birthplace of street culture, North America remains the most competitive and representative region for global brand rivalry.

Beneath this growth, however, significant structural issues persist: countless design-driven streetwear pieces struggle to gain meaningful visibility in overseas markets; Chinese designer brands maintain low penetration abroad; and supply chain advantages have yet to translate into brand premium power.

"The real bottleneck lies not in manufacturing, but in branding and efficiency," Yu Shiyu notes.

Against this backdrop, Cosmic Talenter launched its core platform PSYLOS1 in Toronto in 2022, aiming to systematically reduce the systemic costs for Chinese streetwear brands to enter the global market through platformization and technological innovation. In practice, the platform has verified an average order value (AOV) exceeding $200 for some partner brands.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/251ead5f6bd729373c8ce274547b8f93.jpg

02. From Selling Products to Building Brands: A Three-Tier Globalization Engine

Unlike traditional cross-border platforms that prioritize "channel efficiency," Cosmic Talenter focuses on the holistic construction of a brand's lifecycle, forming a three-tier business structure.

Tier 1: PSYLOS1 - A Global Platform for Streetwear Brands

Launching with the North American market, PSYLOS1 focuses on mid-to-high-end streetwear brands, aiding them in achieving overseas cold starts and scaling through content, visual, and marketing systems. The platform integrates AI for trend forecasting, content creation, and campaign testing, reducing early-stage trial-and-error costs for brands. To date, PSYLOS1 has collaborated with nearly 50 brands and achieved 15x growth in 2024.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/3ef403fcf3b562640b45f97d99711158.jpg

Tier 2: Brand Globalization Empowerment - Overseas Upgrade for Mature Brands

For mature brands with annual sales exceeding 500 million RMB, Cosmic Talenter provides comprehensive globalization support. It enhances brand premium through visual identity restructuring, international artist/content collaborations, and media matrix development. The goal here is not merely to increase sales, but to help brands establish clear positioning and premium space overseas. Partner brands have achieved overseas sales accounting for up to 65% of total revenue, with a 300% increase in brand premium.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/567a938843df184e7ec37975431ad5bb.jpg

Tier 3: HOOOD - Exploring Next-Generation Consumer Experiences

HOOOD is an internal innovation platform of the group, focusing on interactive and community-driven streetwear consumption experiences. It attempts to integrate shopping with content and interactive mechanisms to enhance user engagement and long-term loyalty. Within the overall ecosystem, PSYLOS1 leans toward brand-side operations and transaction efficiency, while HOOOD focuses on user experience and community building. The two form strategic synergy, jointly constructing a complete brand growth ecosystem.

03. AI-Native: From Tool to Core Organizational Capability

Within Cosmic Talenter's ecosystem, AI is not regarded as an isolated tool but integrated into the core of organizational operations and business decision-making. Currently, PSYLOS1 is gradually building multi-layered AI capabilities, including:

- Automated processes covering product listing, customer service, multilingual support, and basic data analysis

- Intelligent decision support for trend analysis, product selection, and pricing strategy formulation

- Content generation capabilities for rapid production of visual materials, ad content, and short videos

- Continuous optimization of style recognition, recommendation algorithms, and interactive experiences

- In-house SaaS ecosystem built through internal data repositories and database organization

- GEO-enhanced AI search efficiency

"The value of AI lies not in replacing humans, but in allowing teams to focus more on judgment and creativity," Yu Shiyu states.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/68e08fff65f63c386b6f5032428cedc7.jpg

04. Ecosystem Layout: Synergy of Platforms, Teams, and Resources

Cosmic Talenter has built a comprehensive ecosystem through multi-dimensional layout:

In resource integration: Cosmic Talenter strategically invested in AI cross-border service provider Brandpal and established overseas subsidiaries with several top streetwear brands, forming mutual empowerment.

In organizational structure: Cosmic Talenter has built a diverse team of experts. Founder Yu Shiyu brings a decade of brand operation experience, excelling in business model innovation and resource integration. COO Cao Qixin, with 30 years of brand strategy and business operation experience, drives streetwear industry innovation through exceptional team management, supply chain integration, and global execution capabilities. Partner Ren Quan, co-founder of STAR VC, contributes expertise in capital operation and strategic planning. Former 36Kr co-founder and CTO Wu Min oversees the group's AI empowerment. The investor and advisor team includes industry leaders such as Wish co-founder, the founder of the world's largest sneaker media and exhibition, and NBA team shareholders. The team's capabilities cover brand management, technology, cross-border operations, and capital, supplemented by external partnerships.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/21d9a613279fe07d72b88e996e6457db.jpg

In business model: The company operates with a parallel structure of platform services, brand collaborations, and innovative businesses, advancing globalization with phased goals.

In its planning, Cosmic Talenter prioritizes model replicability and long-term stability over short-term scale expansion.

05. Industry Significance: Offering an Alternative Path for Chinese Streetwear Brands

From an industry perspective, Cosmic Talenter's exploration seeks to answer three key questions:

- Do Chinese streetwear brands have the capability to enter the mid-to-high-end global market?

- Can AI systematically reduce the uncertainty of brand globalization?

- Can platformization be a viable path for streetwear brands' global expansion?

"We are not trying to create the next hit product, but to build a system that enables sustained growth for more brands," Yu Shiyu says.

Amid ongoing changes in global consumption structures, competition among streetwear brands is shifting from supply chain efficiency to cultural expression, content capabilities, and technological infrastructure. While Cosmic Talenter's exploration is still in its early stages, it aims to reshape the path for Chinese streetwear brands to go global through AI and platformization.

"If the Age of Discovery uncovered new geographical continents, today Chinese brands must discover new coordinates of brand value," Yu Shiyu remarks.

Just as Pop Mart pioneered the globalization of trendy toys, Cosmic Talenter is charting a new course for the streetwear sector. "We not only help Chinese brands go global but also enable them to establish a firm foothold in high-end overseas markets, achieving true brand globalization," Yu Shiyu concludes.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/01/ad8fe0b5f35a67b585d52260496c8afd.jpg

This nautical chart is not yet complete, but the course has been set.
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