MEDM

Ding Zhen, better known as KnowKnow of the Chengdu rap group Higher Brothers, launched MEDM in 2018. He named it after what would become his solo debut album: “Mr. Enjoy Da Money,” released the following year. The premise was blunt. Make clothes for the lifestyle he was already living: loud, comfortable, unapologetic. No manifesto, no fashion-school pedigree. Just a rapper who came up through the Chengdu scene and wanted his wardrobe to match his stage presence.

Higher Brothers signed to 88rising in 2016 and became the first Chinese rap act to tour internationally at scale. When the group’s momentum slowed, each member channeled their platform into solo ventures. Masiwei started AFGK. KnowKnow built MEDM. Both brands emerged from the same post-“Rap of China” wave that turned underground Chengdu hip-hop into a consumer economy, but MEDM leaned harder into sportswear codes and pop-culture licensing than any of its peers.

The catalog covers graphic tees, embroidered pieces, tracksuits, denim, and outerwear, held together by the “M” logo and a palette that runs from saturated primaries to earth tones. Embroidery shows up often: cranes, florals, butterflies. So do velcro patches and graffiti prints. The Clottee collaboration in August 2024 brought Edison Chen’s thorn pattern into the mix. The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure partnership in November 2025 put Giorno Giovanna on leather jackets and down coats. MEDM treats licensing the way Supreme treated it a decade ago: as content, not cosplay.

MEDM (Mr. Enjoy Da Money) runs true to size with a slightly relaxed fit. The brand's aesthetic leans into bold graphics, embroidery, and statement pieces, so the cuts tend to be generous enough to showcase the detailing without feeling oversized. Standard Western sizing applies — no need to size up or down.

The brand's pieces are designed to be worn as centerpieces of an outfit, not layering pieces. A MEDM varsity jacket or embroidered hoodie carries enough visual weight that the rest of the outfit should stay relatively simple. Clean denim, neutral trousers, or solid-color basics create the right balance.

Materials include premium cotton fleece, wool-blend varsity fabrics, satin linings, and chenille patches. The embroidery and patchwork detailing is the brand's signature — these are high-touch techniques that require careful handling. Most pieces are dry-clean recommended, especially the varsity jackets and embroidered outerwear.

The varsity jacket is MEDM's signature silhouette. Wool body, leather sleeves, chenille patches, and custom embroidery. Each season brings new colorways and graphic themes, but the quality of construction stays consistent — real leather, dense wool, satin lining. These are heirloom-quality varsity jackets at a fraction of what comparable American or Japanese brands charge.

Embroidered hoodies and sweatshirts feature detailed needlework rather than screen printing. The difference is visible and tactile — these pieces have texture and dimension that flat graphics can't replicate. The embroidery adds production time and cost, but it also means no two pieces age identically.

Graphic denim rounds out the collection. Painted, embroidered, or patchworked jeans and jackets that serve as wearable canvases. The denim weight is substantial (13-14 oz), and the treatments are done after construction for a more natural integration with the base fabric.

MEDM sits in the premium streetwear range. Tees and basic knits start at $60 to $120. Hoodies and embroidered sweatshirts range from $150 to $300. Varsity jackets are the flagship, priced between $350 and $600. Denim pieces range from $200 to $400.

For reference, Golden Bear varsity jackets (the American benchmark) start at $600 and reach $1,200+. Japanese varsity labels like Whitesville price similarly. MEDM matches the material quality — real leather sleeves, dense wool bodies, satin linings — at roughly half the cost, with more adventurous graphic design and embroidery detailing.

MEDM's design philosophy centers on celebration — specifically, celebrating craft traditions that streetwear typically ignores. Chenille patch application, chain-stitch embroidery, leather working, and satin quilting are techniques more commonly associated with heritage Americana or European luxury. MEDM deploys them in a streetwear context with a confidence that borders on audacity.

The varsity jacket program illustrates this best. Each season's jackets involve a production process that would be familiar to Golden Bear or Dehen 1920: the wool bodies are cut and assembled first, leather sleeves are attached with reinforced stitching at stress points, chenille patches are applied by hand, and embroidery is executed on industrial machines calibrated for the specific thread weight and stitch density each design requires. The satin lining is cut separately and attached with binding tape at all raw edges.

This isn't unusual for a $1,200 varsity jacket. It's unusual for one priced at $350-600. The difference is manufacturing geography, not manufacturing quality. The same techniques, similar materials, and comparable construction standards — executed in Chinese factories rather than American or Japanese ones. The product is equivalent; the economics are different.

Beyond the varsity jackets, the embroidered hoodies demonstrate how MEDM brings handcraft sensibility to casual categories. The embroidery is done after garment assembly, meaning the needlework accounts for how the fabric moves and stretches when worn. This is slower and more expensive than embroidering flat fabric panels before construction, but it produces better results — the designs don't distort when the garment is on a body.

MEDM represents a different facet of Chinese streetwear — the brands that embrace maximalism, craft, and unabashed confidence. Where many labels in the scene trend toward minimalism or darkness, MEDM goes the other direction: bold embroidery, chenille patches, real leather varsity jackets. It's streetwear with a sense of occasion.

The craftsmanship sealed the decision for us. When we examined a MEDM varsity jacket for the first time — real leather sleeves, dense wool body, satin lining, hand-applied chenille — the quality was immediately apparent. These are heirloom pieces at accessible prices. The embroidered hoodies showed the same attention to detail: actual needlework, not heat-transferred imitation.

We carry MEDM for customers who want their streetwear to make a statement. The varsity jackets are the anchor recommendation — they're the pieces that most clearly demonstrate the brand's quality advantage. The embroidered hoodies are the everyday entry point, offering that same craft sensibility in a more casual format.

Are MEDM varsity jackets made with real leather?
Yes. The sleeves are genuine leather (cow or lamb, depending on the season), the body is dense wool, and the lining is satin. Hardware is metal, not plastic. These are constructed to the same specifications as American varsity jacket brands that charge two to three times more.

How does MEDM sizing compare to Western brands?
MEDM runs true to size with a slightly relaxed fit. Standard Western sizing applies — no need to adjust up or down. The relaxed cut accommodates layering underneath, especially for the varsity jackets and hoodies.

How do I care for embroidered MEDM pieces?
Embroidered items should be turned inside-out and washed on cold gentle cycle, or hand-washed. The embroidery is durable but the threads can snag in aggressive wash cycles. Varsity jackets with leather sleeves should be dry-cleaned or professionally leather-cleaned.

What does MEDM stand for?
MEDM stands for "Mr. Enjoy Da Money." The name reflects the brand's confident, celebratory aesthetic — streetwear that doesn't apologize for being bold, colorful, and conspicuous. The design philosophy matches: these are pieces designed to be seen.

Anton Khomich is the editorial lead at MING STREET. Based in New York, he covers the designers, studios, and cultural movements shaping Chinese contemporary fashion. Before joining MING STREET, he worked across fashion editorial and brand strategy, with a focus on emerging markets and independent labels. He has tracked the Chinese streetwear and contemporary design scene since 2019.