02 May SHFW AW24 : LUXURY RUNWAYS WERE FLOCKING

Amidst the excitement of 2024 Shanghai Fashion Week, the market has seen Luxury fashion brands flock back to stage their runway shows in China. Different from the repeat style of 2023 showcased by Dior, Kenzo, and Bottega Veneta, luxury brands are striving to engage more with local audiences this year. Doing so by inviting local creatives to walk for the show, collaborating with the local artist, or designing shows in historical Chinese aesthetic settings, etc. 

HERMÈS WITH 8 LOCAL CREATIVES 

On 3rd April, Hermès delivered the highly anticipated 2024 Men’s summer runway show at the West Bund Museum in Shanghai. Surprisingly, the stage showed up well-known local creatives from 8 different sectors, including director GUO Fan, actress WANG Yang and athletes Wu Dajing, etc. The appearance of these familiar faces immediately captured the attention, and their performance was much discussed. Many complimented them as the ‘hotties in the uncle circle 叔圈天菜’ while there are opposite voices about the plain effect on ordinary body size. 

Pictures from Hermes official account: Director GUO Fan, Actress WANG Yang and Athletes Wu Dajing walking for the show

LOUIS VUITTON COLLABORATED WITH LOCAL ARTIST SUN YI TIAN

15 days after on 18th April, Shanghai was once again under the spotlight with the buzzing Louis Vuitton show at Long Museum, where the Pre-Fall 2024 global collection in mainland China debuted. The new collaboration collaborates with the popular post-90 artist SUN Yi Tian, who features a lighthearted and realistic painting style. In the meantime, the prelude of this grand show was significantly exposed, while the posters could be found everywhere in the city corner. On social media, hashtag #LVbigshow has garnered 970 million views on Weibo, while the topic also reached the second-highest spot on Weibo’s “Hot List.”

The plastic toy poster in the city, phots from @Shanghai sights & @ Louis Vuitton

AMI SHOWCASED AT THE ANCIENT CITY WALL IN SUZHOU

Being close to Shanghai and sharing a similar cultural style, Suzhou has started to become a trendy fashion destination, seeing increasing brands and local creatives embracing this city. On 10 April, Ami Paris presented its Fall Winter 24 show on the ancient city wall in Suzhou. With the captivating night view and the city moat, the show subtly combined the leisurely vibe of Suzhou with French elegance. 

The ancient city wall in Suzhou, photos from @AMI

More events are approaching with Balenciaga planning to unveil its spring 2025 women’s and men’s collections in Shanghai this May. However, along with the cancelation of Dior’s show in Hong Kong, we see the market is still uncertain about its promising future. Challenges remain serious and luxury brands are striving to adapt their strategies to align with local consumers for a deeper connection. This adaptability might be more crucial to navigating the complex landscape of the Chinese luxury market as it continues to evolve.

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