During the New York Fashion Week that just concluded, the Western fashion world finally got the message that the big-spending Chinese buyer is the one to court. With Hermès, for example, getting about 40 percent of their sales in the first half from the Asia-Pacific region, this is a powerhouse demographic the industry can’t afford to ignore.
Here is our look, from the China perspective, of who won and lost fashion week:
Winners#
Angel Chen#
Angel Chen’s debut at NYFW attracted high-profile Chinese fashion influencers like model Liu Wen and blogger Mr.Bags, showcasing the popularity of her color-rich designs among the global fashion circle.
Calvin Klein#
Creative Director Raf Simons led the brand into a new era. This past NYFW showcased his second collection with the fashion house and received plenty of positive reviews. The brand also invited a slew of Chinese celebrities and influencers like Wu Jinyan and Anny Fan to spread the excitement to Chinese fans.
Michael Kors#
Not only inviting a big crowd of Chinese celebrities and influencers to sit in the front rows of its runway show, the American high fashion brand also threw a fan meet-up event at one of its signature retail stores on Fifth Avenue hosted by brand ambassador Yang Mi. The event was one of the first of its kind for luxury brands in the U.S. to court the overseas Chinese consumers.
Simon Collins#
Long before a lot of other fashion-world insiders had caught on, Collins set his eye on the Chinese fashion market and is betting on the increasing influence of China in the global fashion order.
Losers#
Fan Bingbing#
Once the darling of many luxury powerhouses like Louis Vuitton and Valentino, Chinese actress, and superstar Fan Bingbing was missing from fashion week amid allegations of tax fraud.
JD.com#
While its major rival Alibaba hosted its second Tmall China Day event and could brag of a crucial partnership with the CFDA, JD.com has been struggling amid reports that a U.S. college student had accused the company’s founder and CEO Richard Liu of sexual assault.
The Fashion Industry#
Designers unveiled their spring/summer 2019 collections in a climate of uncertainty, unsure of how the China-U.S. trade wars will affect luxury demand, import-exports and the day-to-day business of fashion.