Daphne International Holdings

What Daphne International Holdings does

Daphne International Holdings is a Chinese women's footwear company headquartered in Shanghai, operating the DAPHNE (达芙妮) main brand and the 圆漾 (Yuanyang) sub-brand. Established in 1990, the company designs, manufactures, and sells women's shoes and footwear accessories through brick-and-mortar retail stores, a Tmall flagship storefront (daphnexl.tmall.com), and its own brand website (daphne.com.cn). Its core product portfolio consists of four-season collections (e.g., 柔韧之光 for 2026, 温柔之境 for 2025, 摩登穿行 for Summer 2024) anchored by the CloudSoft (云软) comfort technology line, and supplemented by recurring designer collaborations such as DAPHNE x JACQUES WEI and DAPHNE x OPENING CEREMONY.

The company operates a sales-led go-to-market model built around celebrity brand ambassadors — Victoria Song (宋茜) as Global Brand Ambassador and Zhao Zhaoyi (赵昭仪) as 2024 Brand Ambassador — together with fashion-event participation (e.g., 2019 AW Seoul Fashion Week) and seasonal pop-up activations such as Côte d'Amour 2025. The DAPHNE Club content platform aggregates editorial, campaign, and collaboration archives, functioning as both a marketing surface and a brand community layer.

Revenue is generated through one-time retail and e-commerce transactions on women's footwear, with no disclosed pricing tiers or subscription model. The company is a single-country/domestic China operator (CHN, East Asia) with no disclosed international expansion, no public funding rounds in the source data, and no disclosed financial figures, headcount, or ownership structure.

Name

Daphne International Holdings

Website

https://daphne.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Daphne International Holdings is a Shanghai-based Chinese women's footwear company, founded in 1990, that designs, manufactures, and sells DAPHNE-branded shoes and accessories through retail stores, Tmall, and its brand website, targeting fashion-conscious urban Chinese women with comfort-focused products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Footwear

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual & Lifestyle Footwear (CRAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Casual & Fashion Footwear Manufacturing (Lifestyle/Streetwear) (IMAOAIAB)

Keywords

• Women's footwear
• Fashion footwear retail
• Comfort shoe technology
• Chinese fashion brand
• Seasonal footwear collections

Headquarters

HQ city

Qingpu

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Women's Footwear Products: Core revenue from design, manufacturing and sale of women's shoes and footwear accessories through retail stores and e-commerce channels in China.
2. E-commerce Sales: Online sales through Tmall platform (daphnexl.tmall.com) and brand-owned website for direct consumer purchases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Daphne designs, manufactures, and retails women's footwear and accessories through its mainline DAPHNE brand and sub-brand 圆漾 (Yuanyang). Core products are seasonal women's shoe collections (spring, summer, fall, winter) complemented by the branded CloudSoft (云软) comfort-cushioning line. The company sells to Chinese consumers through physical retail stores, its brand website, and the Tmall flagship store.

Product overview

Daphne International Holdings operates as a women's footwear brand with a multi-product portfolio centered on the DAPHNE main brand and its sub-brand 圆漾 (Yuanyang). The core product offering includes seasonal shoe collections (spring, summer, fall, winter) featuring the CloudSoft (云软) comfort technology line. The brand maintains an active DAPHNE Club membership platform showcasing campaigns, collaborations with designers (JACQUES WEI, OPENING CEREMONY), and celebrity partnerships. The company sells primarily through its Chinese e-commerce platform (Tmall) and official website, with seasonal collections launching throughout the year under thematic campaign names such as '柔韧之光' (Flexible Light) for 2026 and '温柔之境' (Gentle Realm) for 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 圆漾 (Yuán Yàng): Daphne's secondary line featuring women's footwear and fashion accessories, featured campaigns with 高圆圆 and 孙嘉灵

Products and services

• CloudSoft (云软系列) Comfort Footwear Line Comfort-focused women's shoe product line featuring cloud-soft cushioning technology that provides gentle support underfoot, marketed as 恰到好处的柔软 (the right amount of softness) for comfortable walking.
• 圆漾 (Yuanyang) Sub-brand Footwear Line Secondary women's footwear and fashion accessories line under DAPHNE targeting alternative style preferences within the female consumer base.
• DAPHNE x JACQUES WEI Collection Limited-edition co-branded women's footwear collection combining DAPHNE's footwear expertise with designer Jacques Wei's creative vision, offering runway-inspired designs to Chinese consumers.
• DAPHNE x OPENING CEREMONY Collection Co-branded women's footwear collection developed with independent designer brand Opening Ceremony, introducing contemporary independent fashion aesthetics to DAPHNE's consumer base.
• 2026 Spring Collection (柔韧之光) Spring 2026 women's footwear collection under the theme '柔韧之光' (Gentle Resilience), emphasizing inner resilience and elegance with cloud-soft cushioning for everyday comfort.
• 2026 Summer Collection (柔韧之光) Summer 2026 women's footwear collection under the theme '柔韧之光' (Gentle Resilience), featuring flexible growth and comfortable breathing themes for warm-weather wear.
• 2025 Winter Collection (温柔之境) Winter 2025 women's footwear collection under the theme '温柔之境' (Gentle Realm), focusing on warmth and softness for cold-weather wear.
• 2025 Fall Collection (温柔之境) Fall 2025 women's footwear collection under the theme '温柔之境' (Gentle Realm), presenting autumn colors and natural rhythm-inspired design.
• 2025 Summer Collection (恬逸海岸) Summer 2025 women's footwear collection under the theme '恬逸海岸' (Comfortable Coast), featuring beach-themed, relaxed aesthetics and ocean-breeze styling.
• 2025 Spring Collection (甜梦时分) Spring 2025 women's footwear collection under the theme '甜梦时分' (Sweet Dream Time), exploring ethereal boundaries and dream-inspired styling.
• 2024 Winter Collection (意境畅想) Winter 2024 women's footwear collection under the theme '意境畅想' (Imaginative Realm), emphasizing limitless artistic expression with a focus on comfortable steps.
• 2024 Fall Collection (多面自我) Fall 2024 women's footwear collection under the theme '多面自我' (Multiple Selves), exploring the multiple facets of women and authentic self-expression.
• 2024 Summer Collection (摩登穿行) Summer 2024 women's footwear collection under the theme '摩登穿行' (Modern Walk), featuring urban-themed modern city exploration and simple-line styling.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JACQUES WEIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DAPHNExJACQUES WEI collaboration featuring runway-inspired limited edition designs. This partnership brings high-fashion runway aesthetics to the accessible footwear market, with the collection featured in DAPHNE Club platform showcasing秀场合作系列 (runway collaboration series).
• DisneyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Three-way collaboration in 2018 featuring达芙妮x周笔畅x迪士尼 (Daphne x Zhou Bicheng x Disney), combining celebrity appeal with popular Disney characters in footwear designs.
• OPENING CEREMONYminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration with independent designer brand OPENING CEREMONY to bring cutting-edge fashion concepts to Chinese market. The partnership introduced contemporary independent fashion aesthetics to DAPHNE's mainstream consumer base.
• 宋茜 (Victoria Song)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Brand Ambassador for DAPHNE, featuring in advertising campaigns and brand content across multiple collection seasons. Represents the brand's fashion-forward positioning targeting urban Chinese women.
• 赵昭仪 (Zhao Zhaoyi)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand Ambassador in 2024, featured in advertising campaigns including the意境畅想 (Imaginative Realm) 2024 Winter collection. Supports brand's connection with younger female demographic.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Belle International Holdings: One of the largest Chinese women's footwear retailers and manufacturers, operating multi-brand portfolios including TATA, Teenmix, and Stella Luna. Directly comparable to Daphne as a domestic mass-to-mid-market women's footwear group with overlapping retail and Tmall presence.
• TATA (他她): A leading women's footwear sub-brand under Belle International, positioned in the mid-market segment with strong retail presence across China. Directly comparable to Daphne in customer demographic, product category, and channel strategy.
• Harson (哈森): Chinese footwear manufacturer and retailer with women's and men's lines, operating both branded stores and department-store counters. Comparable to Daphne as a domestic mid-market footwear brand with department-store and mall distribution.
• Red Dragonfly (红蜻蜓): Established Chinese footwear group listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange with a strong women's and men's footwear assortment. Comparable to Daphne as a long-established domestic footwear brand with multi-channel distribution and seasonal collections.
• Aokang International (奥康国际): One of China's leading footwear manufacturers and retailers, with a wide assortment spanning men's, women's, and leather goods. Comparable to Daphne as a legacy Chinese footwear brand with vertically integrated manufacturing and broad retail footprint.
• Cbanner (千百度): Major Chinese women's footwear manufacturer and retailer, previously listed in Hong Kong, with a network of branded stores across China. Directly comparable to Daphne in scale, product category (women's mid-market shoes), and distribution through physical retail.
• JOSINY (卓诗尼): A mid-market Chinese women's footwear brand with extensive physical retail and a growing e-commerce presence. Comparable to Daphne in target consumer (fashion-conscious Chinese women), price positioning, and multi-channel GTM.
• Stella Luna: A Chinese-origin women's footwear brand under Belle International that has positioned itself as a higher-fashion label sold both domestically and internationally. Comparable to Daphne as a women's footwear brand with design-led collections and a multi-channel retail strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Sam Edelman: US-based contemporary women's footwear brand distributed globally including in Asian markets. Comparable to Daphne as a fashion-comfort positioned women's footwear label targeting style-conscious consumers at accessible price points.
• Steve Madden: US-based global footwear brand with a strong women's assortment and active e-commerce presence in China via Tmall. Comparable to Daphne as a fashion-forward women's footwear brand competing for the same urban Chinese consumer through similar channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daphne-international-holdings-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Daphne International Holdings