Week In Review: May 28-June 1, 2012

In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of Jing Daily’s top posts for the week of May 28-June 1, 2012: Armani Turns To China For "One Night Only In Beijing" & #ArmaniTweetTalks This week, Giorgio Armani will be the latest fashion heavyweight to drop into Beijing, stopping by the city to celebrate more than a decade of Armani in China. Coming years after previous China whistle-stops at Three on the Bund in 2004 and a traveling exhibition organized by the Guggenheim Museum in Shanghai back in 2006. Armani’s “One Night Only in Beijing” event takes place on May 31 at the New Tank in the city’s 798 Art District, the largest such fashion happening at that venue. The event will center around a runway show “presenting the world of Armani” — or at least the Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani A/W 2012-2013 men’s and women’s collections, Giorgio Armani Privé S/S 2012 collection, and 15 Giorgio Armani Privé couture looks “created specifically as a tribute to China” to around 1,000 attendees. Walmart-Funded Chinese E-Commerce Site Yihaodian Expands Into Wine Market China’s booming e-commerce market continues to attract an ever-increasing number of retailers, all with eyes on tapping demand from the country’s middle class for everything from apparel to automobiles. Noting a tightening of the purse-strings among consumers as China’s red-hot economic growth rate cools, companies hoping to take advantage of the rising interest in wine in China have been some of the more interesting to watch in recent months, with some adopting popular online sales models in an attempt to actually get individuals to buy. Design Spotlight: Zhouzhuang Blossom Hill Boutique Hotel Opening its doors this month, the Blossom Hill Boutique Hotel seamlessly blends the best in modern global and ancient Chinese design, whisking guests off to the Ming Dynasty without depriving them of cutting-edge convenience. Located in the southern Chinese water town of Zhouzhuang, a village with a history of over 900 years around 1.5 hours away from Shanghai, the hotel sits among well-preserved ancient homes with views of the waterside. Known as the “Venice of the Orient,” Zhouzhuang’s deep historical wealth, cultural background and unique local traditions make it a perfect getaway for stressed Shanghai residents or visiting tourists looking to escape the noise and pollution of the big city. Chinese Retailer Bosideng Goes Global While Luxury Brands Seek Acceptance As major international mass-market retailers like Uniqlo, H&M and Zara continue to expand in the China market, some Chinese fast-fashion brands are setting their sights on overseas markets. Taking a different approach than competitors like Ochirly — into which LVMH invested US$200 million earlier this year — that focus singularly on the mainland China market, mass-market retailer Bosideng recently announced plans to make its international debut in London. According to a company release, Bosideng, which currently operates over 8,000 retail outlets throughout China, will officially launch a “premium menswear brand” at its first overseas flagship on London’s South Molton Street on July 26. Bentley Tests Chinese Response To New SUV With Weibo App Major brands have been quick to leverage the popularity of the Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo to do everything from hold sweepstakes to live-stream events, but recently the British ultra-luxury automaker Bentley turned to Weibo for a novel purpose: to pick consumers’ brains. On track to see China surpass its long-time largest market, the US, this year in terms of sales, Bentley is working to tailor its EXP 9 F SUV concept — recently seen at the Beijing Auto Show — to the tastes of what the automaker sees as the vehicle’s expected top export destination.

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Week In Review: May 28-June 1, 2012