Week In Review: July 8-12, 2013

In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of Jing Daily’s top posts for the week of July 8-12: Eye-Enlarging Mobile App A Boon For Guerlain If you don’t happen to be a young, tech-savvy Chinese woman with a penchant for heavily edited mobile self-portraits, taking a photo of yourself with POCO’s “Beauty Camera” (Meiren Xiangji 美人相机) smartphone app can be more than a bit disarming. After using the program to snap a self-portrait, a glimpse of your disappointing regular face, complete with poor lighting and blemished skin, is instantly transformed into a doll-like, luminous, porcelain masterpiece. The changes don’t stop there, however. After the app conducts its initial magic, you can add huge eyelashes and anime-like makeup, widen your pupils, plump your lips, and even reshape your chin. Once you are satisfied with your new, sometimes virtually unrecognizable fantasy cartoon image, you can promptly upload your brand new self to your Weibo or other social media account with the tap of a screen. High-Low ‘Mix-And-Match’ Fashion Catches Fire In China Shanghai-based fashion blogger Meijia S. (Meijia S) Chinese consumers’ growing fashion sophistication is now a well-documented phenomenon: in first-tier Beijing and Shanghai, ostentatious, logo-heavy designs are on the way out, while smaller niche labels such as Stella McCartney, Marchesa, Rag & Bone, and Proenza Schouler have been making headway with China’s fashion elites through runway events, parties, and a rising retail presence. Follow The Money: Chinese Real Estate Purchases Surge In The United States “For Sale” signs are popping up across suburban Los Angeles this summer, as historically low inventories of available homes are exacerbated by surging demand for California real estate among cash-rich buyers from overseas, and especially from China. Asian populations have gravitated to L.A. and Orange County neighborhoods such as Monterey Park, Arcadia, Rosemead, and Irvine for generations, but demand is now expanding to Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes, Malibu, and Manhattan Beach… and all over the West Coast. Luxury Brands Ignoring ‘Huge Unmet Demand’ For E-Commerce In China While many luxury brands in China have been hesitant about diving headlong into the country’s e-commerce market due to concerns over infrastructure, quality, and distribution issues, a new report argues that companies who aren’t getting into the market now are missing out on a massive opportunity. We’ve seen many new statistics and reports on e-commerce in China lately as it grows at rapid numbers, and a study by China business advisory firm Observer Solutions focuses specifically on this market as it relates to luxury. How Much Will Luxury Benefit From Swiss-China Trade Pact? China agreed to cut import tariffs on Swiss watches by 60 percent in 10 years. (foeoc kannilc/Flickr) Following an announcement in May that Switzerland and China signed a “watch memorandum” in which China agreed to cut tariffs on Swiss watches by 60 percent over the next decade, China and Switzerland this past weekend signed a new free-trade agreement (FTA) in Beijing. The deal could boost some of Switzerland’s most important exports to China, including pharmaceuticals and machine tools, while watches and jewelry, which make up 32 percent of Switzerland’s total exports to China, may only see gains in the long term.

Week In Review: July 8-12, 2013

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Published July 12, 2013

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Week In Review: July 8-12, 2013