In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of Jing Daily’s top posts for the week of September 10-14:
For Luxury Brands In China, WeChat Is The Place To Be#
One of the hottest topics in the China digital marketing world is the potential for Chinese web powerhouse Tencent’s popular WeChat (微信, a.k.a. Weixin), the world’s largest group messaging app, to break into the broader global social media market.
Having already invested time, energy and money into other Chinese digital platforms like Sina Weibo, a growing number of publications, celebrities, and brands are looking to use WeChat to tap a fast-growing user base that now numbers well over 100 million.
Sotheby's Coming To Beijing: What It Could Mean For The Chinese Art Market#
Looking to expand beyond its highly lucrative Hong Kong enclave into the mainland China art market — where it has been to date blocked from holding auctions — for quite some time now, Sotheby’s has finally staked a claim in Beijing.
This week, as reported by the Art Newspaper, the British auction giant inked a ten-year partnership with state-owned Beijing GeHua Art Company, investing some US$1.2 million for 80 percent ownership of the firm.
Riding Fixed In Beijing#
Aside from their minimalist, low-maintenance frames, often customized “fixies” have sustained their presence in the cycling world largely due to their quite literal fixed gear — with the pedals and cogs attached directly to the single gear (and therefore the rear wheel itself), the cyclist is in full control of the bicycle’s speed, acceleration and deceleration. Though many riders find the lack of a free wheel and impossibility of coasting somewhat strange at first, others find this way of riding highly addictive, as this level of control makes the cycle feel like an extension of the rider’s body, allowing for a fast and freeing ride.
Let’s Be Real: This Is Not The End Of China’s Luxury Market#
Over the past several months, the compounding financial woes of leading British luxury house Burberry has become the go-to sob story in business and luxury media alike. Experiencing a global sales slowdown, resulting in disappointing full-year profits, Burberry shares have fallen as much as 20 percent this week, the steepest drop since the company’s 2002 IPO.
As Retail Week reported, “The slowdown is understood to be affecting all regions and occurring throughout the luxury sector, and signals a sudden drop in Chinese consumer spending in particular.”
New York Fashion Week Q&A: VLOV Qingqing Wu#
Compared to last year’s inaugural showing, the S/S 2013 collection showed that VLOV has definitely upped its game, offering more than just monochromatic casual wear. This year’s runway show included a mix of investment pieces, such as luxuriously streamlined suits, sharply tailored jackets, must-have bags, and shirts exploring various and unique colorways while subtly incorporating Eastern influences.
Among the standouts: a salmon-colored suit paired with an ink-printed dress shirt featuring a traditional Chinese watercolor mountain motif.