From Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou And Shenzhen To Surong, Hong Kong And Chongqing, International Brand Fashion Shows "Plough Deep Into" China

The trend of "Glocalization" of luxury brands is moving to the next step. Especially in China.

Holding fashion shows by international brands in China is not a completely unfamiliar communication strategy. In the past, it often complements the evolution of consumption vitality and economic development level of different cities in China. However, since 2024, more and more new perspectives on the location of fashion shows have actually revealed the new identity shaping principles of brands facing China. In the frequent interaction with different cities, international brands are also shaping their distinctive cultural and commercial identities in China.

This trend is evident through the site selection of fashion shows and other important communication activities.

As for Ami 2024 Autumn and Winter Fashion Show to be held in Suzhou, China, on April 10, founder and creative director Alexandre Mattiussi said, "Since the founding of Ami, China has always played an important role in the history and achievements of the brand. In 2019, Ami held the brand's first overseas fashion show in Shanghai, China. For many years, Chinese friends have been enthusiastic about fashion and have their own unique views, so we chose to hold this fashion show in China. I'm glad to share this moment with you in Suzhou. "

In order to continue the first fashion show held by creative director Sabato De Sarno in Milan in September 2023, Gucci will present "Gucci Ancora" space in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Shenzhen from March 11 to 17, not only finding the target of mature market, Starting from the brand DNA, we have accumulated rich modern local values in the Chinese market - Gucci community, which connects the Chinese market, and launched a contemporary dialogue facing China based on the meeting of people, the collision and resonance of contemporary art and music.

It is also worth mentioning that last year Chanel 2023/24 Early Spring Vacation Series Conference was held in Shenzhen, which is the first large-scale event held by the brand in China since 2019. At the same time, a special exhibition and meeting of "New Wave" was held in Shenzhen, where we held a dialogue with well-known female directors around the charm of the film and the energy connecting each other. In this international city integrating design, innovation and technology, Shenzhen is undoubtedly becoming Chanel's personalized interpretation of the Chinese market based on the city. In addition, it has become the first choice for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana and Bottega Veneta to enter the South China market for a long time in the past.

In addition, for the LV Early Autumn Men's Show held in Hong Kong at the end of last year, Pietro Beccari, CEO of LVMH, said that he still believed in the importance of Hong Kong as a regional hub. He said: "I am very confident in the revitalization of this city. Because of Hong Kong's unique advantages in the economic and cultural fields, LVMH Group bet on Hong Kong, and of course there is a clear business calculation behind it."

For cities, when culture is used flexibly by brands, urban vitality is also being awakened. The cultural and commercial vitality from different cities and the diversified international brands converge in the Chinese market. As more and more "rising cities" or sinking markets from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Surong, Hong Kong and Chongqing are favored by international brands, will they feed back the Chinese market and emerge more global oriented fashion cities in the future?

Throughout Suzhou, Chengdu and other emerging "cities" in the past few years, their culture and commercial valuation are not equal - the business pattern has problems such as aging business types, lack of vitality, and scarcity of high-end commercial power. The layout of luxury brands in the city will bring about a turnaround for this weak business pattern.

The fashion of one city depends on economic strength, cultural resources, lifestyle and consumers. In 2020, the world's perception of Chengdu will no longer stay in the hometown of China's "national treasure" panda, but will give it an international nickname - "Chengmsterdam" (that is, "Chengdu"+"Amsterdam", the capital of Dutch culture). "Chengdu Taikoo Li Street Photography" has become popular on overseas social media, and the number of international first-line brands settling in ranks as the third in China, all of which marks the development and maturity of Chengdu's fashion culture, and gradually shows the ability to "export".

In recent years, buyers' stores, Guochao brands and Taoshi designer brands have successively landed their first stores in Chengdu, forming a decentralized youth trend field centered on Cosmo, Eastern Suburb Memory, Vanke Tianhui, etc; Chengdu Taikoo Li luxury brand continued to increase, and many new stores such as Barbour and Hoka were launched; Jingronghui has introduced SMFK, New Balance and other new stores around the "trend pioneer" axis... Chengdu has been living in fashion for thousands of years, and in recent years, it has also lived in fashion. Among them, the source of vitality of Chengdu is not lack of market energy injection from the fashion industry, not to mention cultural background collision from international brands.

Taking Suzhou as an example, the number of shopping centers and commercial volume that have opened ranks 7th and 6th among 368 cities in China respectively; Under the high commercial stock, Suzhou's per capita commercial area is second only to Shanghai, ranking second in the country. At the same time, Suzhou is also making continuous efforts at the level of commercial expansion, and Renhengcang Street is one of the fashion business representatives integrating local culture. On December 15, 2022, Maison Margiela Time Limited Boutique Store and Maison Margiela caf é Coffee House landed in the former residence garden of Renhengcang Street in Suzhou. The giant Maison Margiela coffee cup landed on the Xiangmen City Wall, creating the ancient city wall as a unique urban trend punch point; At the beginning of 2023, Jil Sander's limited time experience store named "Suyuan · Sangsheng" made a new appearance in the former residence garden of Renhengcang Street in Suzhou, highlighting the brand design aesthetics in this new narrative space and adding a Soviet image; The upcoming Ami 2024 autumn fashion show further confirms the commercial vitality of Suzhou.

However, the number of high-end and luxury brands in Suzhou is far lower than that in cities such as Hangzhou and Nanjing, which indicates that strong high-end consumer demand has not been met, and also brings potential opportunities for fashion luxury brands and high-end businesses. Therefore, represented by Renhengcang Street, which will open in 2023, Suzhou is becoming an important place for high-end brands to settle down.

As Dong Jianfeng, general manager of Suzhou Renheng Commerce, said, "Every city has its unique temperament, and the commercial body must also have some urban temperament in it. But it is a new temperament produced by kneading the local culture of the city and through transformation. A good commercial real estate practitioner should pass on his understanding of the local culture of the whole city to the brand, and have a good chemical reaction with each other. "

When more and more cities such as Suzhou have seen their fashion potential, a new Chinese fashion landscape is also emerging.

Hangzhou, with digital gene, gathers many beauty clothing and cosmetics enterprises. The pro business policy provides fertile ground for scientific and technological innovation. A number of fashion leading enterprises have emerged, which also gives them the opportunity to stand firmly in the "new international consumption center". Xiamen, with its outstanding regional advantages, has become the place where the fashion trend in South China started, from designers to brands and enterprises, from product R&D ability to the advancement of technology and concepts, and its strength is balanced.

Shenzhen, China's richest entrepreneurial DNA, is not only an important clothing production base in China, but also famous around the world for its "Chinese women's clothing looks at Shenzhen". In recent years, it has also made efforts to create original designs to support clothing enterprises and designers. More importantly, this young but ambitious city, with its mission of "making money", also has consumption strength that cannot be underestimated.

As the strategic height of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area continues to be enlarged, Hong Kong, which is originally the pearl of the East, and Macao, which has integrated eastern and western cultures and has always been a resort and entertainment destination, will continue to write the legend while showing new vitality, and then feed the mainland with new momentum after further strengthening economic ties and cooperation with the mainland, Form a demonstration in the Bay Area under the ripple effect.

Behind the fashion brands' landing of fashion shows in different cities, it is not only evidence of the improvement of fashion visibility in different cities, but also the process of fashion brands' in-depth excavation of local culture. This round of fashion new city, which was picked because of the show, is undoubtedly a new milestone of China's urbanization development - when more and more consumption and talent return, there may be more livable cities with natural fashion culture genes such as Suzhou and Chengdu in the future, which will become a new choice for brands.