Marimekko’s new store in Shanghai. (Erica Ji) In early August, Finnish design house Marimekko opened its Shanghai store at the IAPM mall, one month after the opening of its first mainland China store in Beijing. The brand invited press to the new store in Shanghai for a preview of its 2013 Fall/Winter interior décor collection,…
Chinese Designer Guo Pei Invited to Host Haute Couture Show in Paris
Chinese haute couturier Guo Pei is set to host a runway show at the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week from July 2-6, according to a temporary schedule released on the federation’s official website. As the queen of haute couture design in China, Guo Pei is also the only invited Chinese designer to the event (invitations are…
Grading Luxury Brands’ Digital Efforts in 2017
In 2017, several major luxury brands finally realized the importance of developing a comprehensive digital strategy to cater to affluent Chinese consumers, people whose daily lives are heavily interwoven with the internet. Recommended ReadingThe 10 Cosmetics Brands that Dominated China in 2017By Hui Zhi What follows is a detailed recap of major brands’ digital strategies,…
Savile Row Savior: Gieves & Hawkes Plots Epic Comeback with Help from Hong Kong Retail Group
An ad for Gieves & Hawkes posted on the brand’s Weibo. (Courtesy Photo) It’s been almost three years since Hong Kong-based retail group Trinity bought Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes in May 2012 for an initial £32.5 million (US$50 million). Figures after the acquisition reported the British brand accounted for 20 percent of Trinity’s total…
Niche Fashion Labels Bridge Gap Between High Street and High End in China
With the popularity of lesser-known high-end brands in China starting to rise, buyer stores that select, stock, and distribute brands to retailers across the country are cashing in on a newer, fresher fashion market. These alternative brands are increasingly being made available as an option between fast fashion and top high-end luxury brands, initiating a…
Luxury Item Repair Startup Master Bao Gathers Huge VC Interest
Master Bao (包大师) provides a service you wouldn’t think necessary, offering after-sales service on luxury goods that you’d hope luxury brands would themselves provide. Yet, clearly people see a role for the service. In November, Master Bao received a 10m RMB ($1.53m) pre-A round investment led by Haixu Capital, who have also invested in better-known names…
Interview: A-List Stylist Mix Wei Talks Chic Celebs And Chinese Brands
Mix Wei dressed Zhang Yuqi in Ulyana Sergeenko at Cannes Film Festival last year. With the luxury market in China becoming increasingly competitive, one tried-and-tested approach for many brands to boost sales is celebrity endorsement. With a reach of tens of millions on their social media accounts, local stars and fashion icons such as Shu…
Hong Kong Protests Only Part Of The Picture For Retail Slump
The democracy protest in Hong Kong on Monday, September 29. (Apple Daily) As the beginning of China’s Golden Week—one of the busiest shopping times of the year—China’s National Day on October 1 is typically a date that Hong Kong’s retailers look toward with great anticipation. This year, however, they’ve been waiting for the day with…
Chinese Designers: Fashion’s Future Powerhouses?
As China Fashion Week kicks into high gear in Beijing, Bloomberg interviews London-based Chinese fashion designer Ping He, who just unveiled her latest collection at London Fashion Week. In the video embedded above, she discusses her views on the reasons for the success of Western luxury brands in China and the future of Chinese fashion….
How Chinese Consumers Reacted to Dragons on the Runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
While a record number of Chinese models strutted down the runway of this year’s annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the brand’s additional attempts to woo Chinese consumers through dragon-themed outfits were called “racist” in a since-deleted English-language article on Cosmopolitan. According to a look at comments on Chinese social media, the show’s Chinese elements also…