China’s luxury
China’s luxury goods industry in the past few years has been maintained over 20% of the rate of growth in the economic crisis occurred in 2008 and 2009 has been the case. British consulting firm OC & C is expected, the Chinese luxury goods market size will increase to 12 billion U.S. dollars next year, will surpass Japan as the world’s first luxury consumer.
But the luxury goods, this time bearing a value of “rare, useless and expensive” items, in China, has the exclusive from the power elite, turned into a middle-class consumption binge. Not only is the original aristocracy and business tycoons in the use luxury goods, China’s middle class were also to wear or have a luxury LOGO proud. Luxury goods in China have gone through what kind of path? The future of luxury goods in China, from consumption to manufacturing, or by a low-key show of change? Has a luxury, just as the difference between, or can give more meaning?
Luxury in China, is the other side of the moment.
China: further stepped into the door of luxury
Luxury is a valuable tool they are trying to prove. These people like to buy, but more concerned about the discount. They have not wealthy to the not concerned about the price of
Reporter / Wang Min (from Beijing, Shanghai)
2009 winter, Beijing Intertrade station. Surging crowd, a young girl leaving for Gucci bag hurriedly sit subway. Behind her is the new hang out this year, Gucci fashion advertising giant.
In China, young girls leaving for Gucci or LV bag subway is no longer a rare thing. Shuttle subway in the city office workers, have been able with the Palm Springs mansion where the rich wives have the same style of luxury handbags.
This winter, perhaps the most luxury consumers with the Chinese mainland close to the moment.
In October, KPMG “China’s Luxury Consumers: catch up with the trend,” The report shows that over the past two years, the Chinese luxury consumer brand familiarity increased awareness of the brand to achieve an average more than 60 in Beijing and Shanghai, consumer awareness The number of brands were 70.5 and 73.3.
By contrast, a total amount of luxury goods in recent years in China soared. In 2004, China’s luxury goods total (Ernst & Young statistics), compared to 20 million; while until November 2009, this figure (according to the global strategic consulting firm Bain & Statistics) is expected to become 9.6 billion.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers is more optimistic. They predict that by 2015, China will become the world’s largest buyers of luxury goods.
A luxury consumption of power is being born. Who created these consumption data, celebrities, Du Lala who is the Big Boss?
Hung Huang, worship technology and the details of
Celebrities, it seems a luxury taken for granted consumers.
Hung Huang, Chang Han’s daughter, scholar Zhang Shizhao’s granddaughter, 12-year-old was sent to the New York Department of State study, the United States in 1984, graduated from the New York State University of Vaasa. Now, Hung is the “iLOOk World City”, “Seventeen” “brand names in the world music” three publisher of fashion magazines, and often the identity of celebrities to attend the dinner and social activities of all kinds of fashion.
She was well aware of the classic luxury brands, with the love of Mashi Si towel sets and Dior saddle bag, Chanel lipstick, and she can even introduce outstanding designers, such as Tiffany Spanish designer ElsaPeretti.
However, few of her own to buy. Hung most want to have a set of clothes, is a classic Chanel suit. She is also concerned about the limited release annual Louis Vuitton bag. Like all women, Hung fascinated by the senior jewelry. “But you know, it was too expensive. But do not buy you can appreciate, to enjoy as part of its value.”
“A lot of people think luxury is to let anyone see it, in fact, but their own enjoyment.” Hung feel that a luxury of the most important is the need to read its processes and consciousness. When she took “So thin bowl of bone meal”, the rice is still a smell, bowls are no special features, but “Your attitude does not like the feeling is not the same, including your mouth will not bite rice different. ” Luxury, every detail of life is to taste to an extreme, with Hung’s tone said, “is hypocritical.”
The true luxury of the Road, in the Hung view, is the “taste” connotations. This kind of thing, you can feel, touch, but it is difficult to express. For example, Hung like Fujian, dried meat floss, fine dress, and jasmine, this is Grandma’s favorite things. “A certain taste and life-related. I am very particular about the grandmother. Rousong our family each time to find a teacher in Fujian are doing, grandmother’s dress does not have much style, but she is very clear which is which pieces of a tailor to do, each one The pin must be exquisite. ”
The most special is the favorite grandmother of Jasmine. At that time Beijing has a master Zhang was known Master Zhang is the most fragrant of jasmine. Every morning, Zhang master to send apprentices to send a basket of jasmine over, and grandmother on the first, Do not pick a cheongsam, as her perfume.
“For me, looking at grandmother’s childhood stress, I feel life should be like.” Hung said, “Of course, these are before the Cultural Revolution.” Revolution in fashion that is practical, Hung think this is the moment a lot of people difficult to understand One of the reasons the luxury experience, “the Cultural Revolution, then out of the chair, there can be no curve, there are carved. absolute is to be able to sit in a chair just people.”
Contact with the modern sense of luxury brands, it is after graduating from university in Hung. In the last century the United States, Hung with the 800 dollars to buy the first one classic Chanel bag cell edges. “For me, this is an astronomical figure ah, but I too would like a. Adolescent experience during the Cultural Revolution, and my heart that the Princess did not evaporate completely awkward, Chanel is the eldest I feel.”
Hung said that, at that time do not know technology, do not understand anything, do not know what the luxury brand, a real understanding of, or wait until later into the fashion industry, “the more simple things, craft and design of more clever.”
She was in some brands of the visit, to see Europeans keep the process and exquisite, like Birkin Bag strict procedures Tourbillon watch hundreds of parts and so on.
In 2009, Hung visit to Cartier diamond cutting and inlay. Hung made this rare opportunity to hold a small notebook to record details of the production of each one. Hung was so moved by the most polished division. Division is responsible for polishing jewelry pieces in the mosaic of sitting before the polishing, one of the masters have done for 23 years. “His job is to wear a cotton thread into the eye to be inlaid jewelry inside, after the mosaic could not see the places where they are polished bright thief.”
“You’re part of the subsequent polishing who can not see, do not think a waste of time?” Hung asked the master. The old man looked at her said, “a thing could not see, can not explain do not exist. God does.”
Hung like a day of worship in this 23-year old man. Hung warned young people today’s luxury consumers, “who do not have to wait to tell you what is craft, this useless. Need to nurture the need to feel.”
Luxury consumption in China in 2008 after the popular “The Devil Wear Prada” has become a popular topic. Hung was asked whether it would become China’s “The Devil Wears Prada”? Hung said that Satan must have its own unique voice, “In the past people said I was the intellectuals I’m happy that I am fashion figure I’ll frown. Now I would like to open up, I am fashion figure, but to do magic head, I still need more knowledge of the industry. “” Du Lala, “the dream of class
Hung bought a Chanel bag is the first in 1984. 20 years later, luxury consumers in China are no longer elite class origins. In early 2009, Hung in the “ILOOK” magazine said, “The world is flat, and our symbol is the brand name. You are Hermes male, I am a Chanel woman, but we are Louis Vuitton bag.”
Hung has a part of everyday friends, these friends of mine the attitude of luxury goods is not consistent. Hung’s mother Zhang Hanzhi, as well as Hung’s most of his friends, especially the intellectuals, including Yung Ho Chang, Liu Sola right has a specific preference for a certain kind of luxury. Zhang and like Yohji Yamamoto’s fashion design, avant-garde like Chanel cosmetics, the mother chapter containing the likes of Louis Vuitton shoes.
However, these intellectuals, the Hung there are many urban middle-class friends. This group has now gradually become the backbone of the Chinese luxury goods.
One is called “Du Lala promotion in mind”, the book, a vivid record of these urban classes. They were wrapped in something called the law of the survival of life in addition to career, is the pressure of life and life confusion. They kept working hard and chase, just to gain a bigger foothold in this society.
Luxury is a valuable tool they are trying to prove. These people like to buy, but more concerned about the discount. They have not wealthy to the not concerned about the price. Hung told the “China Newsweek” reporter, “I have a friend who can tell you to buy ROLEX had better go to Bangkok, more than the Mainland, Hong Kong is cheaper. I do not know how she calculated, but it really fine.”
AmandaMa is the way that “fine” in a. She valued the design of a luxury brand and price, but the shopping channels, not a big shopping mall, but the airport duty free shops, Trustee of the Shopping Service and even the network to buy, more concerned about the direct sales stores information on discount shops. “You have to know, shopping will soon be feeling the joy of the past, I have to determine its value for money.” Amanda said.
As for why to have it, Amanda believes that high-end office work, can not be avoided like a cocktail party can not avoid the nine to five. Coupled with the dress shoes, it must be a ManoloBlahnik or Ferragamo, “you do not have a big office space that people will think you are not ‘too young’?”
Amanda feels like he “has been the trend to catch a move forward,” Once stopped, it will seem incompatible with this bustling city. In the Shanghai subway, the shuttle with exquisite dress of “Du Lala,” who with Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Gucci, the suburban railway stations in Beijing Wudaokou screening machine, for the ladies prepared a plastic bag. A security officer told the “China Newsweek” reporter, “Every encounter many such situations, they are worried about security machine tracks soiled brand package.”
Amanda began to think clearly, “Louis Vuitton” is still regarded as the classic with the public?
Hung said, “This is a natural confusion, Du Lala who have a natural conflict with luxury.”
The concept of luxury changes with the times. There is a luxury of the refined craft sanctified the pursuit of this ideal in Europe from the 18th century, after World War II gradually shattered. “In the past a very long time, people think that manual is a part of human civilization. When the machine era, the human hand devaluation, people think that machines do better than people, pins are dense, the output is also high.”
“Du Lala,” who accompanied the industrial age and transnational corporations elected. They no contact with the craft, and no feeling. At this time, their consumption is innovation. Hung that “he did not just look at how good the manual, it is important is to look at the design, a new style. Luxury design classics, but also with the living situation change. Before the woman’s bag is very small, the present Package growing because more and more women what they need to put cosmetics, and even an online notebook. ”
This is one of many luxury brands in the new environment to sustain their charm reasons. “While the people appreciate the craft is no longer respected, but they did would be more appropriate access to the public’s life.” Administered by the Institute of Tsinghua University, Professor Li Fei told, “China News Weekly” reporter, “the majority of luxury consumers are the middle class that they understand at least unnecessary process, but also can not afford the top luxury goods, you may buy a wallet, a bag or a scarf. These entry products to meet the ordinary people want to experience the luxury of a dream. ”
The first thing Amanda has a luxury No.5 perfume bottle. She sometimes even slightly proudly self-mockery, “can not afford to buy a mansion, married less than the elite. NO.5 wearing perfume, but I can go to sleep, like, like Marilyn Monroe.”
Regal symbols
No matter how the middle class love for luxury goods, the real consumption of luxury items from the past is still the amount of money in rich people. Hoogewerf “2009 Regal consumer price index,” the report said, mainland China’s top luxury goods groups, assets in one of more than 10 million yuan, 82.5 million people, worth Guoyi while 5.1 million people. Another “2009 China’s 10 million richest brands tend to report” showed, luxury cars, luxury watches and jewelry, most of the consumption in the rich list, and these consumption by the economic crisis is not significant.
“Mercedes-Benz is the neighbors had not held open BMW! If you open a Japanese car, are embarrassed with people, say hello!” Should come once the film lines, and now the mainland rich life style. However, in 2009 the new release a film is trying to tell the public, “Open BMW Mercedes-Benz that is nouveau riche, you have a little product.”
Do not know when, the luxury goods seem to draw an equal sign with the upstart. Hung said, “At least there are some rich people, I do not know why they would choose not to buy things and spend money from simply stunned me.”
These allow Hung “stunned” the rich, consumer behavior implicit in these data: 2005 Top Marques Shanghai International Exhibition, 7000 Big Spender created a 200 million yuan in sales, some billionaires on the spot decided to buy; 2008 International Top Private goods exhibition, 10000 people from Beijing-Tianjin-Tang, the Northeast and the rich Shanxi and other places to visit 60 international top brand exhibitors displaying more than 300 rare treasures, of which more than 1 / 3 of the exhibits for the first time in China and Asia Area appearance. In order to maintain the high-end private style, exhibition open to the public, invitation-only VIP. As for the turnover, it has not made public.
From these mysterious consumer behavior, we can unreservedly be carved out of status and hierarchy. Luofusaier in the “class (class),” a book that in the West, the European members of the royal blue blood “visible top-class”, but all business owners is the “senior class.” Conventional luxury brands, has always been first of all be guided by the royal family and nobles consumption, and “there are middle class” will “to have a luxury brand and vanity.”
In China, this broad’s “vanity” is doubled to enlarge. British “Economist” recently said, “The Japanese were once regarded as the most fanatic of the consumer groups, and now the trend of China’s National People’s Congress has its place. Them to accept those who do not understand very well-known brands, and to its own understanding of their consumption . ”
“I think this does not mean that you have to understand what is noble, you drink three years of red wine, drink not feel good?” Hung that has just begun, luxury consumption, perhaps to position, vanity and other factors, but the human taste can not always stop here, “people are in a learning process. When you taste it, you live and on the establishment of a direct relationship between the items.”
Some luxury goods companies also wish to establish such a relationship. Gucci Chinese consumers prepared for the concept store, the company CEO PatriziodiMarco that “more and more and more Chinese consumers are four premium brands for fashion authority and ‘Made in Italy’ represented by the quality assurance process.”
Vacheron Constantin’s mansion in the Huaihai Zhong Road, leading visitors to build within the club. They will be held each year a limited number of VIP events, including a reception with the appreciation of the activities is small, only 20 people each time.
Vacheron Constantin layout of the shop are bookcase, which stood on the clock of history and technology books, as well as brought from the Swiss watch-making tools. Dedicated club on the second floor of the revised Tables. AlexandreKerguen from Switzerland to China’s first watchmaking division, there are about five visitors a day to find him. Alexandre told the “China News Weekly” reporter, to repair the table guests, are a semi-expert, “In the beginning they just buy some something to this, or that, then they began to talk about clocks and watches with me to talk about time.”