Gap's First Stores Set To Open, Tiffany & Co's "Blue Book Collection," and Pitting Beijing Vs Shanghai Fashion Weeks#
Will Gap Be Too American For China?#
Over the summer, Gap unveiled plans to open four China branches, with two retail locations in Shanghai and another two in Beijing. The Shanghai stores will be located on Nanjing West Road, in the Venture Tech building, and Huaihai Road, another popular shopping street, while the Beijing stores will be located on Wanfujing Street and Chaobei Joy City.
The stores will feature the full range of Gap adult, GapKids and babyGap products, and will be the first step in a China expansion plan that will also include Hong Kong. As part of Gap's entry into China, Gap Inc. has also partnered with Shanghai Yi Shang Network Information Co., Ltd., an e-commerce company, to create an online shopping site that will reach consumers throughout the country. Gap's first ad campaigns for China, appearing in November fashion magazines, featured two bloggers, including Momo Wang from China.
With fast-fashion European brands such as Zara and H&M having entered the market much earlier, over at Stylites in Beijing, Nels Frye has taken a look at what might set them apart in the Chinese market. With the grand launch party set for this Friday in Beijing, we'll be able to see how the comparatively trend-conscious young consumers react to the classic American style.
For more information, visit Stylites in Beijing.
Tiffany & Co Shows The Blue Book Collection For The First Time Outside Of New York#
This weekend at Beijing's Forbidden City, Tiffany & Co celebrated their 2010-2011 Blue Book Collection, marking the first time the collection of magnificent jewels was shown outside of New York. The Blue Book Collection is the jeweler's annual presentation of handcrafted designs with some of the world's most valuable jewels and diamonds.
Chinese celebrity
Gong Li#
attended wearing the Tiffany Majestic necklace, a piece from the collection. The brilliant stones took over a year to procure, and the necklace took over 700 hours to create, which each stone hand cut and set in diamond florets and platinum mountings. Other pieces on display included the Lucinda star necklace of 17,73 carat yellow diamond, and other jewels by Tiffany's famous jewelry designer, Jean Schlumberger.
Who 'Owns" China Fashion Week -- Shanghai or Beijing?#
This week, Lux Hexun takes a look at and compares Shanghai Fashion Week, Beijing's Contemporary Creative Design Fashion Show, and Beijing's China International Fashion Week. As clear differences arise, Lux Hexun asks how designers or brands should choose between the three events.
Shanghai Fashion Week is characterized as more international, with shows such as the DUTCH Here & Now, about which Jing Daily previously reported, and more focused on attracting international fashion. In comparison, Beijing's China International Fashion Week's main goal is to promote domestic designers, and only attendees can compete for the title of top ten Chinese fashion designers.
From Lux Hexun (translation by Jing Daily team):
In summary, we can draw several paths: foreign brands entering China, emerging brands or designers should select Shanghai Fashion Week; designers looking to be spotlighted should select the Contemporary Creative Design Fashion Show; designers hoping to establish themselves nationally with full coverage should select [Beijing's] China International Fashion Week.