Jing Daily’s Top Posts For The Week#
In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of Jing Daily’s top posts for the week of December 6-10:
China’s Top 10 Domestic Luxury Brands Of 2010
Now that 2010 is winding down, it’s about that time for the annual “Top 10″ lists to start appearing. This week, the Chinese luxury portal NobleChinese went the extra mile and actually posted several top 10 lists, chosen by readers on a range of topics, including favorite domestic Chinese luxury brands, celebrities known for their involvement in the luxury industry, and high-end gifts. Though each of these lists is interesting in its own way — and they all offer some insight into brand perception among Chinese netizens — we’re only really interested in the top 10 domestic luxury brands of 2010.
While many (if not all) of these brands will be unheard-of outside of China, the list — dominated by producers of traditional Chinese spirits and featuring two cigarette manufacturers — is interesting in that it illustrates just how far Chinese fashion and jewelry brands are from widespread acceptance and recognition among Chinese netizens.
“The Chinese Have Always Had A Weakness For Watches”
Jing Daily has previously looked at the cultural aspect of China’s obsession with luxury watches, a love affair that has had far-reaching implications for the industry. From localized product lines and design partnerships with Chinese artists to star-studded events and the appointment of domestic brand ambassadors, major watchmakers have taken the extra step to cater to one of their most important (and loyal) markets. But a quick look at the history books indicates that China’s interest in timepieces stretches back to its imperial past, when Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci first dazzled Ming Dynasty emperor Wanli with European clocks in the late 16th century.
In the centuries thereafter, though China adopted the Western 24-hour time standard in 1670, adoption of European-style clocks and watches remained largely restricted to the nobility.
Looking Back: A Decade Of Change In The Chinese Luxury Market
This week, the Chinese site Fashion & Beauty takes a look back at the last decade in the Chinese luxury market, illustrating how quickly it’s come so far. With major brands opening new, increasingly lavish, flagships on a regular basis, it’s easy to forget that China was a virtual blank slate 10 years ago, and that the market at that time was far more challenging than it is today.
Considering the country’s GDP in 2000 was around a fifth of its current size, and that breakneck economic growth didn’t really take off until the country’s WTO ascension in 2001, this isn’t terribly surprising.
This summer, Jing Daily covered the opening of Brand New China (BNC), a boutique at Beijing’s Sanlitun Village founded by Hong Huang (洪晃), a popular media figure, publisher and blogger. Specializing in designs by up-and-coming domestic designers, BNC is among the handful of Beijing boutiques that cater to the burgeoning demand from more adventurous Chinese shoppers, many of whom are looking for something beyond the low-end Chinese brands or higher-end Western brands that dominate the market.
Recently, Hong spoke to the 21st Century Business Herald about her new store and her thoughts on the future of domestic fashion design in China.
Don’t Miss: Zhang Xiaogang “16:9″ Exhibition (Beijing, Dec. 9-26)
Running through December 26 at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, Zhang Xiaogang’s new exhibition, “16:9,” organized in cooperation with Pace Beijing and sponsored by the art-loving cognac house Martell, features new work never before displayed by the artist. Best known for his “Bloodline” series of oil paintings, Zhang, like other top Chinese contemporary artists like Zeng Fanzhi, has increasingly tried his hand at sculpture and mixed media in recent exhibitions, most notably last year’s “The Records” at Pace Beijing.
In many ways, “16:9″ — named after the standard video broadcast ratio — is a natural extension of last year’s “Records” exhibition, with Zhang continuing to explore a variety of media, from sculpture to installation.