What Prada is doing right in APAC

Things are looking promising at Prada. Despite flat retail sales last quarter, the brand’s ability to hold ground in a slowing luxury market is being read less as a miss and more as a mark of resilience. In Q1 2025, Prada Group, which also owns Miu Miu, grew revenue 13% YoY to 1.34 billion euros ($1.5 billion), supported by Miu Miu’s ongoing momentum, with retail sales up 60%. The Prada brand, by contrast, posted flat retail growth, falling just short of analyst expectations by 1.74%. Still, in a market environment where stagnation signals strength, Prada’s long-term plays, particularly in China, are starting to pay off. Asia-Pacific remains a stronghold. In 2024, the Group’s retail sales in the region rose 11% YoY to 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion), with China contributing significantly to fourth-quarter acceleration. In a climate of cautious consumption, Prada’s strategy — combining functional design with cultural alignment — is helping the brand maintain relevance among a younger, more pragmatic Chinese audience. Jing Daily reached out to Prada for comment on the recent results. How Prada connects with China’s urban professionals At Milan Fashion Week in March, Prada’s Fall 2025 collection struck a chord with China’s rising cohort of urban professionals, reflecting their shift toward considered, investment dressing. The structured silhouettes and fluid tailoring align with local interpretations of modern “power dressing,” serving both work and social settings with quiet precision. “I think Prada has a unique style compared to other brands,” says a 29-year-old, Shanghai-based commercial producer who requested anonymity. The consumer, who owns Prada’s nylon bag and has his eyes on a men’s jacket from the brand, finds himself leaning toward Prada over competitors thanks to the maison’s “playful, but not too flamboyant clean fits with a good amount of subculture streak. It also uses color better than other brands do, too,” he says. The brand’s localization efforts go beyond product. Last year, Prada timed its Blossoms Shanghai collection to coincide with the release of the hit Chinese domestic TV drama, nodding to its aesthetics with tie-dye shirt dresses and vivid mohair coats. While unmistakably luxury, the capsule leaned into entertainment’s crossover with fashion, offering a rare example of prestige-led pop culture synergy in China. Prada’s cultural strategy: TV, ambassadors, activations It’s not Prada’s first foray into China’s cultural mainstream. The brand has steadily built equity across the country’s influential pop and entertainment industries through a roster of high-profile ambassadors, including actor Li Xian, actress Jia Ling, and singer Chen Haoyu. In 2023, Prada also made headlines in China by becoming the official partner of the country’s Women’s National Football Team, a move that aligned the brand with the country’s growing sportswear economy and resonated widely online. The announcement, made on July 10, sparked an outpouring of positive sentiment on Weibo, where the hashtag “This time, Prada picked the right person” trended on the platform’s Hot Search List, amassing more than 470 million views. But Prada’s journey in China hasn’t been without turbulence. That same year, the brand’s global ambassador Cai Xukun was embroiled in a sex scandal, prompting a backlash just as he was becoming a key conduit to China’s Gen Z consumers. Netizens were quick to point out a pattern, highlighting past ambassador controversies involving actors Zheng Shuang, and Li Yifeng, each of whom exited the entertainment industry following personal scandals. In response, Prada has recalibrated its local strategy, favouring partnerships with athletes such as Olympic shot putter Gong Lijiao, long-distance runner Li Zhixuan, and basketball player Yang Shuyu, and figures perceived as more stable and culturally unifying. The move reflects a broader industry shift toward sport as a space of aspiration and authenticity, one that allows luxury brands to tap into national pride while future-proofing against the volatility of celebrity culture. Consumer loyalty: Driven more by design than celebrity That said, for some Chinese shoppers, Prada’s ambassador rosters hold limited sway. “I don’t pay much attention to [Prada’s] ambassador choices,” says the shopper. “Design is more important. If a design isn’t original enough or can’t represent who you are, then you won’t want to buy it.” The diversification of taste and purchasing behaviour among Chinese consumers is also reshaping the competitive landscape, says Pooky Lee, a fashion curator and creative consultant based in Shanghai’s Jing’an District. “While heritage houses like Prada continue to hold strong appeal, there’s a growing interest in homegrown designers and niche labels that offer something fresher, often with a more experimental edge and accessible price point,” Lee says. “That said, I wouldn’t frame it as direct competition. It’s more about layered brand recognition.” Retail expansion and capital investment Behind the scenes, Prada has been investing heavily in its mainland business. In March 2024, the brand’s Shanghai entity increased its registered capital by 32.4% to RMB 1.22 billion ($192.13 million). That capital injection has supported ongoing retail expansion and store upgrades: in September, Prada opened a 700-sqm flagship at Nanjing International Finance Center. A new store is also slated for Hong Kong’s K11 Musea, marking the brand’s return to the mall after a four-year hiatus. In total, the group opened nine new stores in the first half of 2024, completed 36 renovation or reset projects, and closed 22 locations. The brand is also experimenting with hospitality to deepen customer engagement across Asia. The debut of Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai in Shanghai, a cultural space co-created with filmmaker Wong Kar Wai, and the launch of Prada Caffè in Singapore, point to a more immersive, lifestyle-oriented approach. “Prada has done a remarkable job crafting an ecosystem of offline experiences in China,” Lee says. “What stands out to me is [the brand’s] ability to balance format and substance in these activations. Each experience isn’t just visually impressive; it carries emotional and cultural resonance. That depth, rooted in sensitivity to local narratives and aesthetics, is what transforms an ‘immersive luxury’ concept from performative to truly meaningful.” Scaling cultural nuance beyond Tier 1 cities But scale remains a challenge. “Cultural narratives often require a certain level of knowledge base from the audience,” says Lee. “One of the key challenges ahead will be how Prada can extend this kind of engagement beyond first-tier cities, and make its cultural expressions resonate more widely without losing their depth.” As Prada expands its presence across China, sustaining the emotional nuance and cultural specificity of its activations will be key to ensuring they connect with a broader demographic while preserving the brand’s refined positioning. Yet, with the acquisition of Versace expected to close later this year, and Miu Miu driving Group-level momentum, Prada’s steady hand in China could prove critical to its longer-term strength. Holding fast in a volatile market may not be glamorous, but in today’s luxury economy, it’s no small feat.

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What Prada is doing right in APAC