Marni Celebrates China With Ethnic Deep Dive

The Social Edition is our weekly series which deep dives into luxury initiatives in China’s social media landscape. Every week, we highlight brand campaigns distributed on Chinese digital platforms — WeChat, Weibo, Tmall, Douyin, and beyond. Our coverage spotlights global luxury brands, global beauty brands, and local Chinese brands. The latter gives insight into some of China’s most successful campaigns, which often come from local players, and are outside of the beauty and fashion space. In this week’s roundup, we look at three campaigns, including the re-edition of "Marni Miao" project, Prada's launch of its Outdoor Collection, and Everlane's sustainability initiative in celebration of Earth Day. Marni Celebrates China With Ethnic Deep Dive BRAND Marni CATEGORY Luxury PLATFORMS WeChat, Weibo, Little Red Book MEDIUM Image, Short-Film, Offline Pop-up FEATURED TALENTS Liu Wen (25M Weibo Followers) OVERVIEW OTB Group-owned Italian fashion house Marni is continuing its “Marni Miao” project, a collaboration between brand creative director Francesco Risso and China’s Miao ethnic community that began in 2019. The brand drew inspiration from Miao’s unique and elaborate use of embroidery, weaving, lace, and pleating techniques, using it to explore the evolution of indigenous culture and how it shapes contemporary fashion. Marni also unveiled an offline pop-up exhibition in Beijing on April 20. The related collection will launch at selected boutiques in China in conjunction with a campaign video and images starring Chinese supermodel Liu Wen. NETIZEN REACTION The campaign images, published in collaboration with Wallpaper magazine and photographed by Leslie Zhang, received positive feedback from Chinese netizens. The artistic approach, which meshed modern aesthetics with motifs from Miao culture like the Lusheng (a musical instrument) and silverware, resonated well with local audiences who have been showing greater pride in domestic cultures. The campaign hashtag #MiaoBiShengHua (Miao笔生花) has garnered 536,000 views on Weibo thus far. VERDICT Marni’s dedication to building a dialogue between traditional crafts and modern fashion reflects the booming trend of cultural confidence that many of today’s Chinese luxury and fashion shoppers are adopting. The brand's interpretation of Miao, a minor ethnic group in China with a relatively large population, shows how global brands are paying genuine attention to Chinese culture beyond mere appropriation — and redefining local luxury in the process. Prada Rolls Out Offline First Strategy to Present New Outdoor Collection BRAND Prada CATEGORY Luxury PLATFORMS WeChat, Weibo MEDIUM Image, Offline Pop-up OVERVIEW Prada announced its special ready-to-wear collection “Prada Outdoor,” drawing inspiration from the natural world and presenting the new items in a series of four mocked-up settings — garden, coast, mountain, and snow. The collection made its debut — the “Garden” — at the SKP Mall in Beijing, which featured a luxurious private garden as well as a tent, deckchairs, a picnic table and chairs. The pop-up initiative will then launch in Shanghai’s and Xi’an in succession. NETIZEN REACTION Prada’s new pop-up launch coincided with SKP’s anniversary celebration running from April 15 to 25, which offers various shopping vouchers and tasty treats to the mall’s many customers. Though the initiative is offline-oriented, many netizens shared their in-person experience on social platforms such as Weibo and Little Red Book. Meanwhile, other netizens video recorded Prada’s ad that played on SKP’s outside wall starring brand ambassador Cai Xukun and posted them on Weibo. VERDICT Outdoor utensils, such as hammocks, blankets, and cushions, as well as woven picnic baskets, hats, and bags are all part of the Prada Outdoor Collection, which add to the brand’s product categories and offerings. The approach taps China’s luxury shoppers who have a distinct appetite for non-typical products with an iconic brand DNA. Plus, the offline-first strategy suggests that Prada is still betting big on experiential shopping and exclusivity — which taps into consumers’ aspirations on luxury — amid a world of rapid digitalization. Everlane Launches Recycling Campaign in China BRAND Everlane CATEGORY Fashion PLATFORMS WeChat, Weibo, Little Red Book MEDIUM Image, Offline Pop-up OVERVIEW In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Everlane unveiled a special program called Reject Plastic to show its dedication to environmental protection. The campaign consists of two installments, with the first phase featuring three quizzes that measure users' understanding of plastic pollution. Those who answer correctly will have the opportunity to get free products from Everlane's ReNew series. For the second phase, the brand launched a pop-up store in Shanghai in collaboration with local recycle retailer Déjà vu, which included a concept exhibition curated by Everlane, exclusive try-on experiences, and offline purchases. NETIZEN REACTION The campaign hashtag #RejectPlastic has received nearly 710,000 views on Weibo and boasts organic social posts from netizens sharing their experiences at the pop-up shop. Some also commented below the campaign posts about ways to reduce plastic consumption in daily life, showing a rising awareness of sustainability and recycling shopping. VERDICT Everlane announced its goal to eliminate all new plastic in its supply chain by the end of 2021 and has converted 90 percent of its apparel fabrics into recycled ones, presented as the ReNew collection. Each product launch from the collection gives water bottles and other recycled plastics new life by reusing disposable plastics. By leveraging omnichannel campaigns with a local recycling retailer, the DTC brand not only educates consumers about environmental awareness but also invites them to engage in sustainable lifestyles.

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Marni Celebrates China With Ethnic Deep Dive