At CIIE, Kering positions itself as China’s partner in creativity

At the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Kering distinguished itself among global luxury businesses. On November 5, the expo’s opening day, the group launched Kering Craft (Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion and Technology), a cross-continental residency program for Chinese designers spanning Milan, Paris, and Shanghai. The initiative reinforces Kering’s ongoing investment in China and demonstrates its support of the country’s fashion and creative industries. Kering has become a familiar presence at the CIIE, participating for the seventh time this year. Luca de Meo, Kering Chief Executive Officer, made his debut appearance at the event on November 5, underscoring the group’s focus on the Chinese market. Since taking the helm in September, the former automotive executive’s leadership of the fashion giant has been closely watched. His first CIIE appearance signaled Kering’s deepening strategic focus on China as a key driver of future growth. From input to co-creation At the Kering Pavilion opening, De Meo announced a strategic partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week to launch Kering Craft, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The program’s name encapsulates its scope and ambition, reflecting Kering’s unique approach to empowering Chinese creativity. Craft mobilizes the group’s core resources across creativity, artisanship, fashion, and technology, embedding them into the development of Chinese talent. The goal is to connect Kering’s global networks and expertise to provide comprehensive support for China’s creative ecosystem. “China is one of the world’s most dynamic innovation hubs, impressing with its remarkable creativity and speed. This vibrant creative energy perfectly aligns with Kering’s vision,” De Meo said. “As we partner with Shanghai Fashion Week in this groundbreaking initiative, we are honored to play an active role in fostering international exchange in business, culture and innovation.” The partnership addresses a longstanding challenge in China’s fashion industry: while creative talent is abundant, few brands achieve global success. Collaborations between international brands and Chinese designers have increased recently, but largely remain limited to short-term partnerships or sponsorships, rarely tackling the fundamental challenge of systemic brand building. Kering has built a systematic solution with a cross-disciplinary, cross-brand, and cross-border perspective. The program selects the promising Chinese creative talent through a joint jury with Shanghai Fashion Week and immerses them in a residency spanning Milan, Paris, and Shanghai, creating a strategic bridge between China’s creative ecosystem and Europe’s industry infrastructure. “We will select the brightest Chinese creative talent and invite them into the heart of Kering,” De Meo said. “They will reside in Milan and Paris for a few months, immersing themselves in our ecosystem with exclusive access to our brands’ archives, ateliers, and advanced Innovation labs.” Through this multifaceted program spanning design, craftsmanship, and business models, Kering will provide participants with a comprehensive development path while enabling Chinese creativity to transition from local expression to global reach. The strategy echoes the three pillars De Meo repeatedly emphasized during his China visit: talent, innovation, and speed. It serves as an engine accelerating the global reach of Chinese creativity and as a key driver of Shanghai Fashion Week’s rise as a world-class fashion hub, but also marks Kering’s fundamental shift from a luxury owner to a builder of creative ecosystems. Underpinning this transformation is Kering’s new corporate signature, “Creativity is our legacy.” Within this vision, creativity transcends commercial aims, becoming a cultural asset meant to endure across generations. This conviction is intended to drive Kering beyond business success, positioning the group as nurturer, shaper, and lifelong steward of the creative ecosystem. From creative legacy to immersive brand experience This philosophy finds its tangible expression in the Kering Pavilion itself. The exhibition design draws on natural motifs as creative highlights, blending craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation to create an immersive display of the group’s creativity. The space balanced openness and intimacy, with flowing structures delineating brand areas that felt unified yet distinct in style. Participating brands included Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Qeelin, Ginori 1735, Kering Eyewear, and fragrance labels under Kering Beauté. Each pavilion curated a multi-sensory journey for visitors. At Gucci, iconic motifs and recognizable patterns sparked a creative dialogue across time. The centerpiece featured 10 scarves selected from the 1950s to 1990s, ranging from nautical themes to poetic florals, tracing the evolution of Gucci’s silk-weaving aesthetic. Visitors were invited to reinterpret these classic patterns through contemporary eyes in painting workshops with artists Cai Yu (蔡钰) and Currynew, creating an interactive experience. At Bottega Veneta, four classic bags distilled the evolution of the brand’s signature Intrecciato leather weave. Originating in 1975, this technique remains central to the brand’s craftsmanship. From the Cabat tote first unveiled in Spring 2002 to the woven basket-style bag in the Summer 2026 collection by Louise Trotter, the pieces collectively showcased a living tradition of innovation within heritage. Balenciaga’s pavilion presented key pieces from creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first ready-to-wear collection, arranged in a circular layout. A central screen projected the Summer 2026 collection show, themed around a “heartbeat,” while visitors could experience the front-row perspective through an Apple Vision Pro headset. Notably, the Kering Pavilion incorporated scent as a key sensory layer. Balenciaga debuted its new fragrance series in the Asia-Pacific region, while Bottega Veneta unveiled its perfume line for the first time. Technology enhanced the experience: Visitors began their immersive journey with the “AR Signature” and then continued with the “AR Treasure Hunt,” exploring exhibits in a hybrid digital-physical space. One group, one voice Kering’s ambition extends beyond the pavilion showcase. Its commitment to “Creativity is our legacy” was evident in sustainability initiatives systematically integrated across product development, spatial design, and industry collaboration. At this year’s pavilion, roughly 50% of the construction materials — including walls, tabletops, and brand signage — were reused from the previous expo, embodying a circular approach. Select installations featured plant-based leather alternatives developed by Peelsphere, winner of the second Kering Generation Award. Beyond exhibition design, Kering has extended its sustainability vision across a broader commercial ecosystem. During the CIIE, the group announced a partnership with China Resources Mixc Lifestyle to scale sustainable initiatives, aligning with national “dual carbon” targets and green building trends. Building on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two parties launched the Sustainable Strategic Cooperation Initiative to pilot zero-carbon stores and promote sustainable lifestyle practices. The initiative addresses sustainability at the very source of commercial spaces, establishing infrastructure for the creative industry’s environmental future. To ensure systematic execution, Tsinghua University was introduced as the technical partner, providing full-process technical support. The collaboration supports both parties’ ESG objectives while engaging consumers and industry partners to collectively advance sustainable lifestyles. In an era of profound transformation for luxury, Kering demonstrated a clear strategic direction at the pavilion. Success relies not on a single brand, but on the collective alignment of all brands under unified leadership. Within the “Creativity is our legacy” framework — from the Craft program nurturing Chinese talent, to artisanal showcases, digital experience upgrades, and sustainability practices across the value chain — every initiative forms a coordinated strategic loop rather than acting in isolation, reflecting organizational discipline and efficiency. This resonance across the group is a method for navigating today’s complex environment and a testament to Kering’s organizational capability. It offers a lesson for the industry: enduring value emerges from a unified vision and synchronized execution. Only by integrating diverse creative forces into a strategic whole can legacy-defining impact be achieved.

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At CIIE, Kering positions itself as China’s partner in creativity