The global luxury brand fashion show all but disappeared from China before , but the concept is back — led by Dior, which reprised its Autumn/Winter 2023 show (first held in Paris in February) in Shenzhen on 12 July.
Dior’s big-scale show, a repeat of its presentation in France, had a guest list reported to run close to 850 people and was the first held by a global luxury brand in the city of Shenzhen.
Chanel is planning a show, also in Shenzhen, in November.
Shenzhen: A new fashion focus
The choice of location of Shenzhen by both Dior and Chanel reflects luxury brands’ wish to move beyond the familiar cities of Beijing and Shanghai. The city, which has enjoyed meteoric growth in recent decades, is keen to raise its profile as a fashion location.
At present, Shenzhen has two luxury shopping malls, Luohu Mixc City and Shenzhen Bay Mixc City. Swire Properties, based in Hong Kong, signed a strategic cooperation agreement for further development with the Futian District Government last year. Meanwhile, New World Development, in cooperation with China Merchants Shekou, is launching K11’s first mainland flagship project, K11 Ecoast, in Shekou, Shenzhen in 2024.
Post-lockdowns, Asia is back
The return of the big luxury fashion show is also evident in key markets such as India, South Korea and Japan. Koreans are comfortable with displaying wealth through luxury goods — a survey by consultancy McKinsey found that only 22 per cent of Koreans believe that “showing off luxury goods is in bad taste”.
The role of service and VICs
Sales are typically driven by VICs (very important clients). Their concentration in China’s luxury market is very high, according to a Bain report titled ‘China Luxury Market in 2022’. They are among the first on the guest list of global luxury brands for large-scale fashion shows in China, with the invitees also including VICs from the broader Asia-Pacific region.
Louis Vuitton has also staged small-scale womenswear shows in Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Dalian targeting local VICs.
For Shenzhen this month, Dior created an art installation by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos in Shenzhen Sea World. Bottega Veneta’s Beijing show highlighted creative director Matthieu Blazy’s previous connection with the city of Beijing and will include new looks and China-only handbags especially for the show.
Chinese consumers want to feel valued. The level of service and personal connection becomes as important as the products. In China, everything is connected — a holistic approach reaps its rewards.
