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…
Tmall Kicks Off Mei.com-Backed Luxury Channel With Star-Studded Launch in Shanghai
Olivia Palermo (C), Mei.com CEO Thibault Villet (L), and Mei.com CFO Seamon Shi at the launch event for Tmall’s fashion channel. (Courtesy Photo) Luxury brands including Fendi, Dior, and Marc Jacobs may not have official shops on Tmall, but China’s fashionistas can now easily find them on the platform’s newly launched “Luxury Channel” created in…
China’s Luxury Consumers Search For ‘Sense Of Discovery’
Luxury department store Lane Crawford recently opened a Shanghai flagship store twice the size of its Hong Kong location, and Wall Street Journal sat down with company president Andrew Keith to listen to his views on what the Chinese luxury consumer wants. According to him, China is all about the unique, niche fashion brands right now, which…
China’s Hipsters Rejoice: Urban Outfitters Set For Hong Kong Debut
An image from Urban Outfitters’ lookbook. (Urban Outfitters) Greater China’s hipster quotient is about to go up: Urban Outfitters’ first ever Asia location is ready to open its doors on September 30, bringing its alternative, vintage-style aesthetic to Hong Kong. The new 2,000-square-foot location will be located at Queensway Plaza, and is opening in collaboration…
Victoria’s Secret to Open First Full China Location Across From Hermès in Shanghai
Chinese model Ming Xi in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. (Shutterstock) After testing the waters with its beauty products, U.S. lingerie company Victoria’s Secret is taking the plunge in the China market with its first fully stocked mainland China store. According to a report by China Daily, the brand known for its annual supermodel-studded runway…
Prada Expands Inland As Greater China Profits Slow
Looks Beyond First-Tier Cities To Sustain Double-Digit Growth A look from Prada’s Fall 2013 RTW collection. (Women’s Wear Daily) Prada released its first-quarter growth numbers yesterday, and like many other luxury companies in China this year, has seen slowing but substantial double-digit growth rates in China. The company cites Greater China as a main driver…
China’s Ivanka Trump Shoe Brand Factory Criticized as the ‘Worst’
The factory in China that has produced shoes for the Ivanka Trump brand and other US companies is the worst violator of labor rules among many similar manufacturing facilities based on an undercover investigation according to a report published Wednesday by an advocacy group in China. In its report, China Labor Watch, details the labor…
Dior CEO Says China Is a ‘Growing Priority’
China is a growing priority for Christian Dior, according to the Parisian fashion brand’s CEO Sidney Toledano, who did a recent interview with Bloomberg TV in Shanghai. “When we started in China 20 years ago,” Toledano told Bloomberg, “people said we should start small, with smaller products. But we decided to come with ready to wear, couture,…