American brand Brooks Brothers celebrated its 200th year with events in Shanghai this week including a store opening at the HKRI Taikoo Hui complex on West Nanjing Road, a runway show scored by a live orchestra, and celebrity appearances. The pomp overshadowed the clothes themselves, which remained true to the brand’s relentless accessibility, invariably buttoned…
Author: FASHIONISLANDBLOG
Kering Kicks Puma to Shareholders to Focus on Luxury
The French conglomerate that owns Gucci and Alexander McQueen plans to divest itself of German sportswear brand Puma. Kering currently owns 86 percent of Puma shares, but has announced a decision to distribute 70 percent of the company to its shareholders, retaining just 16 percent. To go ahead, the proposal must first be approved at…
Interview: British Designer Rupert Sanderson Cracks China
The Rupert Sanderson flagship at Shanghai ifc Mall. (Rupert Sanderson) Since debuting in Hong Kong in 2010 and mainland China this May, British footwear and accessories label Rupert Sanderson has been hard at work cracking a market not traditionally associated with understated luxury. Boasting a loyal fan base of A-list celebrities and over 100 points…
These Chinese Designers Are Turning Waste into Luxury Fashion
Four fashion designers from Greater China were named among the EcoChic Design Award 2017’s 24 semi-finalists, which were announced early this week. Xia Meng Si, Hung Wei-Yu, and Sung Yi Hsuan, all currently studying or working in mainland China, and Gao Qingzi from Hong Kong, were chosen for their abilities in applying sustainable practices to…
Mulberry Banks on Yang Mi’s Star Power as It Expands in China
Yang Mi with Mulberry CEO Thierry Andretta. (Courtesy Photo) Mulberry is seeking to gain momentum in the Chinese market after posting slow global sales growth in the 10 weeks ending in June. With just a 1 percent rise in like-for-like sales, the British luxury leather brand failed to capitalize on the revival in Chinese consumer…
Peng Liyuan Upends Michelle Obama On Vanity Fair’s Best-Dressed List
Peng Liyuan smiles during the ceremony in which her husband, President Xi Jinping, was given the key to the city in Mexico City, on June 5, 2013. (AFP) When U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama “snubbed” a meeting with Chinese counterpart Peng Liyuan at a summit between the U.S. and Chinese presidents this June, some commenters…
Burberry CEO: China’s Slowdown ‘The New Normal’
In an interview with CNBC after Burberry’s Prorsum Spring/Summer 2014 runway show, Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, weighed in with her thoughts on the company’s recovery from China’s slowdown and crackdown on luxury gifting. “It’s the new normal and we’ve budgeted for it,” she says of the current market conditions. In the video embedded above, she also…
China to Overtake U.S. Fashion Market for First Time: McKinsey & BoF Report
China took center stage today in the release of the State of Fashion 2019 report by McKinsey & Company and the Business of Fashion (BoF) . The report revealed that in 2019, China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest fashion market for the first time. In addition, the report predicts the top…
Smartwatch Showdown: Can Huawei Compete with Apple in China?
Huawei’s newly unveiled smartwatch. (Courtesy Photo) Just eight days before Apple’s scheduled release date for more details about its highly anticipated smartwatch, Chinese competitor Huawei jumped into the burgeoning market with the bold launch of its own device on Sunday. As Huawei takes a clear “luxury” approach to marketing its round-faced timepiece to square off…
From Magnum to KFC, Global Brands Tap Chinese Designers’ ‘Cool Factor’ to Win Over Millennials
Fashion consumers are used to seeing mass-market and designer collaborations—that is, when they’re between the likes of H&M and Kenzo. But in China, these typical partnerships play out in a more unusual way. First, there was Lipton at Labelhood, Shanghai Fashion Week’s presentation platform for emerging, trendy Chinese designers. For this collaboration, the British tea…