Advertisement
Advertisement
Lunar New Year
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
This monkey watch by Piaget came in for some criticism. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Thumbs down over zodiac-themed Lunar New Year collections launched by luxury brands for the China market

Designer and internet users far from impressed with the designs, with one saying they did not show sincerity to the China market

More luxury brands are launching Chinese zodiac-themed collections to mark the Year of the Monkey and cash in on the Lunar New Year mood, but some designs have sparked animated discussion online about their lack of attractiveness.

High-end designers like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Calvin Klein, Piaget and Giorgio Armani have all produced special New Year products this year, hoping to make the Chinese part with their money during the holiday season.

READ MORE: Wanted: fake partner to impress family at Hong Kong Lunar New Year gatherings

“This is not a brand new trend but seems to gather more steam with a wider variety of CNY products available each year,” said Aaron Fischer, regional head of consumer and gaming research at brokerage and investment firm CLSA.

But internet users and a renowned local designer criticised some of the designs.

In the eyes of the designer, Freeman Lau Siu-hong, some of the designs were “too casual” and didn’t show much “sincerity” to the China market.

“Designers just put random animal images on the items, without discovering the cultural meaning behind.” he said.

“They could have shown more sincerity in design if they really wanted to tackle the China market,” he said, though he admitted that this year was “the hardest year for zodiac designs” as a monkey is more difficult to portray in designs compared to other animals.

However, Lau didn’t expect the clumsy designs would significantly hurt the long-established image of luxury brands.

“These products were meant to fit in with the New Year atmosphere. People didn’t place high hopes on the designs” he said.

Fischer added that the zodiac-themed designs often incorporate elements of fun and humour, suitable for gift giving

READ MORE: Hong Kong fair vendors bet on Lunar New Year monkey business to turn a profit

But not everyone was as generous in their views.

“Why do they[designers] need to understand Chinese culture? No matter what designs the luxury brands come up with, there would be rich Chinese who are eager to buy. Easy money,” said a Weibo user.

“It was exactly because Chinese didn’t want this kind of ugly design that they turned to buy luxuries. Now you are designing the same ugly products ... What should I say? ” wrote another Weibo user, who left a comment on a monkey watch by Piaget.

A monkey bracelet by LV.

But irrespective of the merits of the designs, the Chinese market remains a hugely attractive one for luxury brands, with Chinese consumers accounting for 46 per cent of consumption of luxury goods worldwide.

Fischer didn’t expect the new designs to boost bottom lines in a big way, as they tended to have a short shelf life and tended to be cheaper than the main luxury lines.

READ MORE: Lunar New Year 2016: first look at fireworks set to dazzle Hong Kong

Charlie Chen, head of Asian consumer research at French bank and financial services company BNP Paribas, said it did make sense for luxury companies to target Chinese customers, especially when the economic situation was difficult worldwide.

“The China market hasn’t been fully developed,” Chen said. The sales improvements would be more obvious if the brands launched designs that targeted a relatively new market, he said.

Chen also felt that the Chinese-based designs could lure others who were keen to know Chinese culture at a time when the country was becoming more prominent in the world.

“It’s like 20 years ago, when the Chinese bought a T-shirt with English words on it” he said. “They didn’t know the meaning, but thought they looked cool. ”

Post