appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Fran Lu

With Lunar New Year upon us, international brands are out to impress their substantial customer base in China as we enter the Year of the Dragon.
However, it has not been all plain sailing for some of the world’s commercial fashion giants.
Burberry
The British luxury fashion house established in 1856 is celebrating the Lunar New Year with a special campaign built around the auspicious colour red.
Burberry has infused its signature check pattern with red and white while inviting prestigious Chinese stars, such as actors Chen Kun and Tang Wei, to showcase its products.

However, mainland social media quickly likened the red and white check patterns with the similarly styled chequered laundry bags.
One item that features the pattern, is the brand’s mid-length chequered car coat, priced at 24,000 yuan (US$2,990). A laundry bag costs less than six yuan (US$0.84) on Taobao.
Taobao is the largest-ecommerce platform in China and is operated by the Alibaba Group, owner of the South China Morning Post.
Another design from the collection features a romantic red and white rose pattern, which was unfortunately linked by people to the beef slices in hotpot meals.
Bottega Veneta

The Italian high-fashion house’s Lunar New Year collection has won much applause from fashionistas.
By blending beautiful yet discreet dragon shapes into the detail of of handbags and jewellery, it was praised for paying tribute to this year’s zodiac sign in an understated manner.
However, one item from the collection, the Intreccio Nappa Dragon ornament, which costs 12,200 yuan, was met with a cooler response.
One person on Xiaohongshu, China’s equivalent of Instagram, said the emerald green toy made with surplus leather material looks like “a dragon getting an electric shock”.
Apple
Just as Apple released its highly anticipated mixed reality headset Vision Pro, another newly revealed product - a Year of the Dragon MagSafe case for the iPhone 15 series - went viral on mainland social media.

However, the product has faced an avalanche of criticism online, over its pricing.
Many people thought the price, 498 yuan (US$49.95), was unbelievable for “just a phone case” and counterfeit versions soon appeared, selling for as little as eight yuan.
Despite Apple promoting the case– which was designed by Chinese illustrator Yulong Lli – as an auspicious piece of artwork that “brings to life the Dragon’s bold personality”, some said the design did not even feature a dragon, as the creature it uses only has four claws.
Traditional belief says real dragons should have five claws, those with four claws are hornless jiaolong, or flood dragons.
Arc’teryx
The Canadian outdoor apparel brand became a rising star in the Chinese market amid the post-Covid boom in outdoor activities.

Its lunar new year jacket is said to have featured elements of dragon scales, and was soon snapped up by enthusiastic fans.
As a result of its popularity, the price of the outdoor gear jumped from the original 8,200 yuan (US$1,155) to 12,000 yuan in the second-hand market.
However, many were bewildered by its popularity, as they found it simply “too ugly”.
“Despite it being a product that appeals to the Chinese market, it seems that the designer does not know Chinese aesthetics at all,” one person said on Xiaohongshu.


Chinese man marries woman 3 days after blind date video call, regrets 9 days later

Lululemon apologises for China event with actor beating Japanese drum on Great Wall

China’s ‘soy sauce’ intestinal detox scam swindles over 100 seniors out of US$1.5 million

Chinese doctors remove pair of 10cm live worms from woman’s arm after year-long pain

Trending in China

Branded: China netizens liken luxury auspicious red-white Lunar New Year fashion offerings to laundry bags, beef slices, blast pricing

As the Year of the Dragon begins, the world’s top fashion brands are out to grab a slice of the China market with Lunar New Year-themed products, but if online reaction is anything to go by, they are having their work cut out. Photo: SCMP composite/Xiaohongshu/Taobao

Burberry’s auspicious red-white Lunar New Year fashion offering has been likened to either a migrant worker’s laundry bag or hotpot beef slices. Photo: Xiaohongshu

Bottega Veneta’s leather toy ornament looks like “a dragon getting an electric shock” according to many people on mainland social media. Photo: Xiaohongshu

This Apple i-Phone15 case has been ridiculed on the grounds of both price and aesthetics. Photo: Weibo

Simply ugly: that is the verdict of online observers about this jacket from Arc’teryx. Photo: prnasia.com

‘Shameless’: fired Shanghai man who tried to kiss, touch woman colleague on Paris business trip, says being in ‘capital of romance’ aroused him

The case of a man from China fired for making sexual advances to a female colleague during a business trip to Paris has been used to boost awareness about workplace harassment on the mainland. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The man asked his colleague for a kiss and then grabbed her wrists and ankles when she rejected him. Photo: Weibo

The fired sexual predator tried to claim that he had been aroused by the fact that he was in “the capital of romance”. Photo: Shutterstock

China baker asked to hide US$2,800 inside cake as surprise at engagement party celebration tricked into dirty money scam

An innocent baker in China has found himself unwittingly caught up in a crime investigation after he completed an order for a customer who asked him to make a cake with a pile of cash hidden inside it. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo

The innocent shop owner was asked by a customer to conceal US$2,800 inside a baked cake. Photo: Weibo

The “money-in-a-cake” craze has become a popular way of giving surprise cash gifts on special occasions in China. Photo: Shutterstock

Couple in China kick elderly parents out of own home after transferring flat ownership to grandson

An elderly couple  in China have been kicked out of their home by their heartless son and daughter-in-law, forcing them to sleep outside and  find a guest house. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The elderly couple, who are both in their eighties, have been forced to live in guest house. Photo: Baidu

The site of the elderly duo’s old home which they were tricked into leaving and on their return found the locks had been changed. Photo: Baidu

Age-defying China grandmother, 52, with lust for life dubbed ‘northeast Eileen Gu’ inspires many online

An inspirational 52-year-old grandmother in China has received widespread praise on mainland social media after she detailed her skiing exploits across China online. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

The energetic grandmother hits the slopes with her three-year-old grandson. Photo: Weibo

Just a number: “Captain Mengmeng” has told her army of online followers that age does not matter. Photo: Weibo

Dream come true: China construction worker who found fame playing piano on streets excited to meet global star Lang Lang

A construction worker from China, who is also a keen amateur piano player, is set to see his dream come true after an invitation to appear on a TV variety show led to 
a promise from legendary musician Lang Lang that the pair could meet. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

Construction worker and keen amateur pianist, Yi Jianli, delights people by tinkling the ivories on the streets of Shenzhen. Photo: Weibo

Lang Lang saw a video of Yi on social media then sent him a message saying he was impressed with his passion and looked forward to meeting him. Photo: EPA

News

People & Culture

Burberry face ‘laundry bag’ taunt over red and white check pattern
Apple accused of aesthetics ignorance over pricey dragon phone case


As we enter the Year of the Dragon, the world’s top brands are out to impress their Chinese customers, but doing so is clearly not as easy as they think.


Lunar New Year

Fashion

Branded: China netizens liken luxury auspicious red-white Lunar New Year fashion offerings to laundry bags, beef slices, blast pricing

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Burberry face ‘laundry bag’ taunt over red and white check pattern Apple accused of aesthetics ignorance over pricey dragon phone case

Burberry

Burberry face ‘laundry bag’ taunt over red and white check pattern

Apple accused of aesthetics ignorance over pricey dragon phone case