Kevin Fan, who is the fashion editor of the Japanese Fashion magazine Scawaii! China group, recently take my interview about the Vintage Fashion.
As the fashion editor of a Japanese magazine, he introduce the Vintage market in Japan nowadays. He said that Vintage now is one of the hottest trend in Japan. The age range of the consumers are around 20 to 30. Concern about their limited salaries in competitive society, Vintage shop is a good choice for young people in Japan. The Vintage Fashion Stores in Tokyo have already over 400. As the one of the most fashionable city in Asia, various styles and lower price became the most important reasons that attract young people to shopping in.
And Shanghai now is a fashion market that growing so fast. New generation keep following the new trend from abroad especially from Japan or West. They still meet the same problems as the young people in Japan: the lower incoming level. The new products form brands or Luxury are expensive for them to afford, their demand suddenly satisfied by the sellers on Taobao(Biggest online retailer in China, similar as eBay) that selling the stylish clothing or fake brand products in cheep price. And young people in Shanghai got the good receptive ability when they discovering the new trends. When the Vintage became popular in West, a part of young people in Shanghai or Beijing already follow this trend. Kevin said, they still pay attention on the power of the online platforms like Renren or Kaixin(similar as facebook) and Sina Microblog(simialr as Twitter). After the street style is popular, thousands of people retweet the photos or styles taken from LOOKBOOK.nu. When the people around you talking about or retweet the vintage styles, naturally you will influence by them and become one of them after. In addition that some celebrities love vintage styles and share their style on Sina Microblog such as Elva Hsiao, one of the pop diva in China. Especially some of them educated in West, they are easily became the conduits of western styles and influence their large amount of fans.
Monday, 6 December 2010
MA FASHION DIARY- 04/11/2010: The questionnaire
Today I make a questionnaire about vintage and luxury. I put it on my Chinese blog. So I can get the real information or feedback of the Chinese market and consumers.
Here are all of the questions:
The valid date is 06/12. We can check the result after.
Here are all of the questions:
If not considering the price, which one of the followings will you choose?
1. Luxury Brands
2. High Street Brands
By relating to your incoming, which one will you choose from the following options?
1. Vintage Luxury Stores, the price is more acceptable
2. Authorized retail store
Which promotion mode of Luxury Brands will attract you more?
1. Visual Way (including posters, ad campaign photo-shoot, window display and decorations of the stores, visual events)
2. Written way (including emails, newspaper， short message service)
Please choose 2 options form the followings shows your opinion in the most effective ways to attract consumers.
1. AD campaign photo-shoot
2. Promotion Video
3. Window display and installations
4. Promotion events
Vintage is the one of the most popular fashion trend in the Western. What’s your opinion about Vintage fashion?
1. International fashion trend, pleased to accept
2. Vintage is kind of second hand clothing, can’t accept
If the vintage clothing store open in China, are you willing to buy?
1. 1.I’d love to
2. 2. Can’t accept
If the vintage clothing store send a part of the incoming to charity organizations, is that more attractive for you to buy the vintage clothing? (or more help to you to understand vintage fashion)
1. Yes
2. No
Sunday, 5 December 2010
MA FASHION DIARY- 01/11/2010: Japanese Fashion Exhibition in Barbican
Today, I go to Barbican London to see the exhibition named Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion.
Introduction of the exhibition on the website of Barbican:
Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion is the first exhibition in Europe to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion, from the early 1980s to the present. Curated by the eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the Kyoto Costume Institute, the exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty embodied in clothing.
Japanese fashion made an enormous impact on the world fashion scene in the late 20th century and designers such asIssey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto redefined the very basis of fashion. Their works will be shown alongside Kawakubo’s protégé, the techno-couturier Junya Watanabe, together with the acclaimed Jun Takahashi, and the new generation of radical designers including Tao Kurihara,Fumito Ganryu, Matohu, Akira Naka, Mina Perhonen and Mintdesigns.
Video:
When the new fashion abroad been introduced, they always choose to open a exhibition to public when they first came. This exhibition inspired me about the power of exhibition. In my opinion, exhibition is a very good way to explain and present a new fashion to publics, especially the fashion from abroad. Future Beauty is a good sample that explain the Japanese fashion to the people in UK. Related to other example I read from the books, when the Luxury brands such as Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani first came to China, all of them choose the fashion show or fashion exhibition to introduce their styles and products. All of these inspired me to thinking about use exhibition and fashion events to explain the Vintage styles to Chinese audience.
Introduction of the exhibition on the website of Barbican:
Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion is the first exhibition in Europe to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion, from the early 1980s to the present. Curated by the eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the Kyoto Costume Institute, the exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty embodied in clothing.
Japanese fashion made an enormous impact on the world fashion scene in the late 20th century and designers such asIssey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto redefined the very basis of fashion. Their works will be shown alongside Kawakubo’s protégé, the techno-couturier Junya Watanabe, together with the acclaimed Jun Takahashi, and the new generation of radical designers including Tao Kurihara,Fumito Ganryu, Matohu, Akira Naka, Mina Perhonen and Mintdesigns.
Video:
When the new fashion abroad been introduced, they always choose to open a exhibition to public when they first came. This exhibition inspired me about the power of exhibition. In my opinion, exhibition is a very good way to explain and present a new fashion to publics, especially the fashion from abroad. Future Beauty is a good sample that explain the Japanese fashion to the people in UK. Related to other example I read from the books, when the Luxury brands such as Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani first came to China, all of them choose the fashion show or fashion exhibition to introduce their styles and products. All of these inspired me to thinking about use exhibition and fashion events to explain the Vintage styles to Chinese audience.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
MA FASHION DIARY- 30/10/2010: Interview-Leo: The Fashion/Retail Curator of Burberry China Group
This weekend I interviewed one of my friend: Leo Huang, who is the Fashion / Retail Curator for BURBERRY China group. As the person who working in real Chinese fashion industry and international luxury brand, he got the a lot of experience that can help me to direct my POS.
First of all, I ask the him about the marketing strategies of these luxury brands when they entered China, especially on their brand image, styles, ad campaigns and promotional events. He said that he formerly worked for Louis Vuitton, when the new trend began to sale in West, you can found same style sale in the retail store in China. Same thing happened on ad campaigns. In China, they still used the latest one and updated soon after the same ad campaign or style launched in West.
Now he works for Burberry China Group. He said this year Burberry get back the majority ownership of all their retail stores in China and plan to wildly expand their business in China. Except a lot new stores will open across more and more cities in mainland China, the new line or collections will be updated almost at same time when they launch in UK. The ad campaigns and promotional events will immediately follow the new trend. He told me the example: In this October, Burberry London launch their new seasonal collection call "Winter Storm", this collection is totally the new trend and western style. Before the Winter Storm launched in London, the China group was asked to prepare the new visual merchandising and promotions in order to ensure the Winter Storm can launched in China at the same day. And the ad campaigns and promotion video were post to lot of well-known media platform including Vogue China, ELLE China, Youku(same as the youtube in China). Leo provide me the number of how many people clicked the promotions on these platform. As the result, 9,965,760 people interesting in Winter Storm after the ad campaign and promotion video been posted for only 2 weeks.
These information shows Chinese people desire the latest western styles no matter they suitable for Chinese or not. They love these well-appearence looks in the ad campaigns and want to have the same one. Also, this interview still shows the importance of the styling or visual merchandising in brand image including these ad photo-shoot, promotion videos or even the window display.
First of all, I ask the him about the marketing strategies of these luxury brands when they entered China, especially on their brand image, styles, ad campaigns and promotional events. He said that he formerly worked for Louis Vuitton, when the new trend began to sale in West, you can found same style sale in the retail store in China. Same thing happened on ad campaigns. In China, they still used the latest one and updated soon after the same ad campaign or style launched in West.
Now he works for Burberry China Group. He said this year Burberry get back the majority ownership of all their retail stores in China and plan to wildly expand their business in China. Except a lot new stores will open across more and more cities in mainland China, the new line or collections will be updated almost at same time when they launch in UK. The ad campaigns and promotional events will immediately follow the new trend. He told me the example: In this October, Burberry London launch their new seasonal collection call "Winter Storm", this collection is totally the new trend and western style. Before the Winter Storm launched in London, the China group was asked to prepare the new visual merchandising and promotions in order to ensure the Winter Storm can launched in China at the same day. And the ad campaigns and promotion video were post to lot of well-known media platform including Vogue China, ELLE China, Youku(same as the youtube in China). Leo provide me the number of how many people clicked the promotions on these platform. As the result, 9,965,760 people interesting in Winter Storm after the ad campaign and promotion video been posted for only 2 weeks.
Burberry Winter Storm on ELLE china
Burberry Winter Storm on GQ china
Number of people that click the Winter Storm on different platform
These information shows Chinese people desire the latest western styles no matter they suitable for Chinese or not. They love these well-appearence looks in the ad campaigns and want to have the same one. Also, this interview still shows the importance of the styling or visual merchandising in brand image including these ad photo-shoot, promotion videos or even the window display.
MA FASHION DIARY- 29/10/2010: charity & vintage
After tutorial with Jas this week, we talked about the charity. Jas said, Oxfam is now the largest vintage stores in UK and it was originally a charity shop. They selling second hand goods including vintage clothing to help the people who need money in the world. It got the lot of support in UK. So we think about whether it can be one of the good reasons for Chinese people to buy the vintage clothes.
Then I do a research about Oxfam from internet:
Oxfam was originally founded in Oxford in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief by a group of Quakers, social activists, and Oxford academics; this is now Oxfam Great Britain, still based in Oxford, UK. It was one of several local committees formed in support of the National Famine Relief Committee. Their mission was to persuade the British government to allow food relief through the Allied blockade for the starving citizens of Axis-occupied Greece. The first overseas Oxfam was founded in Canada in 1963. The committee changed its name to its telegraph address, OXFAM, in 1965.
Then I do a research about Oxfam from internet:
Oxfam was originally founded in Oxford in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief by a group of Quakers, social activists, and Oxford academics; this is now Oxfam Great Britain, still based in Oxford, UK. It was one of several local committees formed in support of the National Famine Relief Committee. Their mission was to persuade the British government to allow food relief through the Allied blockade for the starving citizens of Axis-occupied Greece. The first overseas Oxfam was founded in Canada in 1963. The committee changed its name to its telegraph address, OXFAM, in 1965.
Shops
Oxfam has numerous shops all over the world, which sell many fair-trade and donated items. They opened their first charity shop in 1948. The proceeds from these usually get paid to different charities or are used to further Oxfam's relief efforts around the globe. Much of their stock still comes from public donations but they currently also sell fair trade products from developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America, including handcrafts, books, music CDs and instruments, clothing, toys, food and ethnic creations. These objects are brought to the public through fair trade to help boost the quality of life of their producers and surrounding communities.
In 2008, Oxfam GB worked with over 20,000 volunteers in shops across the UK, raising £17.1 million for Oxfam's programme work.
Of the 750 Oxfam charity shops around the UK, around 100 are specialist bookshops or book and music shops. Oxfam is the largest retailer of second-hand books in Europe, selling around 12 million per year.
Oxfam has near to 15,000 shops worldwide
Oxfam shop in Cirencester, England
Oxfam clothing and shoe bank
These still two Oxfam charity store in Hong Kong China. Here is the website address of HK Oxfam: http://www.oxfam.org.hk/en/default.aspx
In 2008, Oxfam HK worked with over 100,000 volunteers in Hong Kong, raising 190 million Hong Kong dollar for Oxfam's programme work.
Oxfam HK charity sale on the street
From the number we can see clearly that people pleased to support charity and buy the second hand goods form them. As a part of China, that is quite a good example and point for me to research and compare with the consumers in Shanghai.
Monday, 22 November 2010
MA FASHION DIARY- 28/10/2010: Brand names and Luxury
By keep reading the book named "Chinese Fashion from Mao to Now" , it shows the brand-name fashions not only changed Chinese appearance, it also signified a change in life attitudes and behaviors.
After 1980s, Chinese people finally came to accept new ideas as well as more casual and individualistic expressions in dress. More and more international brands open their store in big cities such as Shanghai.
The younger generation in the 1990s embraced global brand names without any of the governmental restrictions that marked their parents' first encounters with Western fashions in the late 70s and early 80s. They took pride in owning popular labels like the German brands Puma and Adidas; the american brands Nike, Lee, and Esprit; and Australian brand Jeanswest.
"Anyone can be a luxury brand in China if they market the right image," said Chris Torrens, editorial director of consulting firm Access Asia. As a result, virtually all homegrown fashion brands adopted an English or French name as a marketing strategy to capitalize on the prestige associated with foreign brand names. But the effective ad campaigns and promotional events of global brands started to make brand wearers aware of the hierarchy of brand names, which were differentiated not only by price but also by brand image.
The points in last paragraph shows the importance of the visual brand image and styling, in my opinion, is the most important ways in brand image. These make me think that I can using styling to crated a new luxury look for vintage style. It seems more exciting and more suitable for what I want to do after get the knowledges of the Chinese fashion market.
After 1980s, Chinese people finally came to accept new ideas as well as more casual and individualistic expressions in dress. More and more international brands open their store in big cities such as Shanghai.
The younger generation in the 1990s embraced global brand names without any of the governmental restrictions that marked their parents' first encounters with Western fashions in the late 70s and early 80s. They took pride in owning popular labels like the German brands Puma and Adidas; the american brands Nike, Lee, and Esprit; and Australian brand Jeanswest.
"Anyone can be a luxury brand in China if they market the right image," said Chris Torrens, editorial director of consulting firm Access Asia. As a result, virtually all homegrown fashion brands adopted an English or French name as a marketing strategy to capitalize on the prestige associated with foreign brand names. But the effective ad campaigns and promotional events of global brands started to make brand wearers aware of the hierarchy of brand names, which were differentiated not only by price but also by brand image.
The points in last paragraph shows the importance of the visual brand image and styling, in my opinion, is the most important ways in brand image. These make me think that I can using styling to crated a new luxury look for vintage style. It seems more exciting and more suitable for what I want to do after get the knowledges of the Chinese fashion market.
MA FASHION DIARY- 26/10/2010: Interesting Examples
I found some interesting examples of importing luxury brands.
Pieree Cardin is the first haute couture designer to enter China. In 1979, Cardin held fashion shows in Beijing and Shanghai. Cardin's debut fashion show would become one of the most memorable East-meets-West fashion milestones in post-Mao China. Cardin brought with him a Western fashion lexicon new to the Chinese: fashion shows, fashion models, fashion designers, and luxury brands.
Yves Saint Laurent opened his fashion exhibition at Beijing's Palace of Fine Arts to the public in May 1985. However the head of the Chinese Writers's Association described his clothes as "too sexy" for Chinese women.
Giorgio Armani opened his store in Beijing, he chose to use a red lacquer Chinese-style door for the front of the store. Armani later cited this design choice as one of the company's first mistakes in China.
I think these are very useful for my POS and seminars.
Pieree Cardin is the first haute couture designer to enter China. In 1979, Cardin held fashion shows in Beijing and Shanghai. Cardin's debut fashion show would become one of the most memorable East-meets-West fashion milestones in post-Mao China. Cardin brought with him a Western fashion lexicon new to the Chinese: fashion shows, fashion models, fashion designers, and luxury brands.
Yves Saint Laurent opened his fashion exhibition at Beijing's Palace of Fine Arts to the public in May 1985. However the head of the Chinese Writers's Association described his clothes as "too sexy" for Chinese women.
Giorgio Armani opened his store in Beijing, he chose to use a red lacquer Chinese-style door for the front of the store. Armani later cited this design choice as one of the company's first mistakes in China.
I think these are very useful for my POS and seminars.
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