Are Asian beauty brands outshining global giants during Qixi fatigue?

Subscribe to our Jing Beauty to get the latest on China's world of beauty and wellness. China’s Qixi Festival (七夕节), a traditional romantic celebration that has been observed for over 2,000 years, presents lucrative business opportunities for both local and global brands as couples seek the best gifts to mark the occasion. One of the first luxury maisons to tap the occasion was Dior, which in 2016 created a limited edition capsule of its Lady Dior bag for the event. The release caused a sensation on China’s social media, with locals rushing to purchase the items. Eight years on and luxury players’ strategies remain the same: limited edition capsules featuring romantic elements released three times a year, for Valentine’s Day, 520 Day (also known as I Love You Day), and the Qixi Festival. But consumers are showing signs of fatigue. Domestic and Asian beauty labels are filling the gap with unique collaborations. Here, Jing Daily examines the Qixi offerings from global and local beauty players. Florasis, Winona and intangible cultural heritage Inspired by the Qixi mythology comprising the bittersweet love story of the cowherd and the weaver girl, some C-beauty brands, such as Florasis and Winona, have created embroidered beauty gift boxes that evoke the tale and incorporate intangible cultural heritage elements to make the gifts even more meaningful. Brocade weaving (织锦) is a unique activity undertaken by women of ethnic minorities in Yunnan. These women are master weavers who use vibrant silk threads to create colorful and abstract patterns. This Qixi festival season, Winona collaborated with Yunnan’s brocade weavers to create a beauty gift box that includes a cream, toner and serum that help protect sensitive skin, and a brocade woven bag celebrating Yunnan’s intangible cultural heritage of weaving. Meanwhile, Florasis collaborated with Lu Meihong, a Su embroidery master to create powder packaging. Su embroidery (苏绣) is one of the most ancient silk needlework craft in the world, known for its exquisite elegance. Through using nano-light embroidery threads infused with the elegance of the Song Dynasty, Florasis aims to honor the craftsmanship and bring the vibrant beauty of Su embroidery to life. Netizens have been amazed by the beauty of these makeup products, with many praising them online. Proya Susan Fang co-launch fairy tale gift box This year, skincare brand Proya partnered with Susan Fang, homegrown designer of the moment, to create its Qixi gift box, named “Roaming in the Traces of Love’s Light” (漫游爱的光迹). The geometrical heart-shaped gift box, in different shades of pink and purple and adorned with a bowknot, includes a special gift – a phone charm with pearl-like transparent beads – that has immediately won over consumers’ hearts. Twenty days ahead of Qixi, over 40,000 units had been sold on Tmall. Known for her whimsical, romantic, and girlish aesthetic, Fang is knocking Angel Chen off her collaboration throne to become one of global brands most favored partners. This year, Victoria’s Secret co-created an intimate wear collection with Fang, & Other Stories partnered with the young Chinese designer for an exclusive capsule, and last year, Ugg collaborated with Fang on playful sandals. With local consumers’ rising appreciation for homegrown designers, these independent creatives now present a unique opportunity for brands to showcase their support for China’s young fashion talents. SK-II encourages consumers to DIY their own love story SK-II collaborated with international fashion illustrator Pencil Bryan to present the SK-II Qixi Limited Edition Gift Box, which depicts five scenes of couples expressing their love. The package’s illustration is customizable, allowing consumers to paint the scenes as they like, creating their own unique gift box. Beauty labels have always focused on packaging to grab consumers’ attention, as the items included in the gift box are often the brand’s iconic products. Yet, SK-II’s concept is unique and aligns with young consumers’ desire to express their individuality. A Xiaohongshu user, nicknamed Edison (@爱迪生不吃鱼), wrote: “My girlfriend always appreciates thoughtful gifts. This SK-II Qixi Limited Edition Gift Box, with its DIY design, is perfect. The cover features five pairs representing different expressions of true love, and coloring them allows me to turn the gift into something unique. It’s exactly the kind of gift I want to give.” Heart-shaped gift box, pink shades Givenchy, Gucci, Valentino, YSL, and many other Western brands this year are presenting heart-shaped Qixi gift boxes paired with their iconic lipsticks and fragrances. Those not offering a heart-shaped box, like Byredo and Lancôme, are simply turning their usual packaging various shades of pink. Standing out slightly is Prada’s triangle gift box that opens like a fan, showcasing the abstract scene of a mint green flower in the middle of two pink clouds. As the Italian brand just began venturing into the beauty realm, it is putting more effort into each festivity. Another attention-catcher is Maison Margiela’s Replica fragrance, which comes with a luggage gift box, a small crossbody phone bag, a fragrance-container bag, and a reusable Starbucks-like cup, all in white workwear style. International beauty brands have become less attentive in crafting their Qixi gift sets. Perhaps this is due to intense competition and the proliferation of Valentine’s Day celebrations, making it challenging to excel on every occasion. Qixi, as a traditional Chinese festival, typically garners significant attention. However, lack of innovation from international brands has created an opportunity for Asian and Chinese brands to step in, solidifying their image and market share in China.

Sectors

Insights

Company

Are Asian beauty brands outshining global giants during Qixi fatigue?