Month: May 2019

Whether it’s watching Dior’s beauty director Peter Philips touching up a model’s makeup in Chengdu, or being able to obsess over the latest trench coat at Burberry’s runway show in London, or a celebrity having an L’Oreal makeover backstage at the Cannes festival, thanks to livestreaming, fans have been able to experience all of the above — and much more — on their phones. Now,  latecomer Tencent officially opened up livestreaming on WeChat in early…

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When acquiring European Luxury Brands, Chinese investors are looking primarily for prestige and heritage that they can cash in on as soon as possible. They all dream about the Louis Vuittons and the Guccis of the world — and the profits that come with them. It seems to be quite easy at first: You buy a famous brand, and then money comes automatically, right? But it’s important to remember: even Gabriel Chanel had to go…

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In 1968, Diptyque created one of the world’s first genderless fragrances, simply named L’Eau. Now, after celebrating the 50th anniversary of the icon scent, the French fragrance house, famous for its chic candles, perfumes, and accessories is having another breakout moment — this time in China. “In 2018, the overall growth rate of the fragrance market in China, according to the third-party data, was about 25 percent, but Diptyque’s growth rate was more than 35…

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“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty,” Coco Chanel once famously remarked, and today, French Maisons like Chanel and Dior are leaders in the luxury beauty segment. They present an image that’s glossy and polished. Their promise is to turn their customers (both wealthy luxury consumers and those striving to one day be those consumers) into the epitome of high-end…

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In China, May 1st is celebrated as International Labor Day. It’s historically been a one-day holiday. This year, however, the State Council has extended it, increasing it to a four-day holiday from May 1st to May 4th, and allowing people to enjoy a four-day vacation (小长假). As much as this is good news to many Chinese workers who live on 996 schedules (working from 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week, a concept…

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On April 22, the famous Chinese luxury handbag influencer Tao Liang — more commonly known as Mr. Bags (包先生) — decided to push his clout to the next level by launching a new WeChat account dedicated specifically to luxury jewelry and watches. Titled @一个有点贵的号 (literally translated ‘an a- little-bit-expensive account’), the account immediately garnered significant attention, with the first article receiving over 95,000 views to date. The response to subsequent articles took in a more…

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Fashion is one of the most wasteful industries. Last year, the British luxury brand Burberry allegedly burned more than $37.6 million of its own unsold merchandise to prevent it from being sold at bargain basement prices. This practice, apparently common in the fashion industry, has spurred criticism from not only shareholders, but also from consumers worried about the environmental impact of this practice and others in the fashion industry. Now, the topic of sustainability is…

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Daigous, China’s personal shoppers who specialize in importing lower-priced luxury goods from the West, are witnessing a period of turmoil within their niche profession. The industry faced a “daigou crackdown” in Shanghai’s Pudong airport in September of 2018 and one Taobao daigou even received a ten-year jail sentence in November of that year, turning public opinion overwhelmingly against the industry overnight. Headlines predicting that the “Daigou business will soon disappear” and that “Daigou is dead” exploded across…

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