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https://scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3108022/louis-vuitton-picks-wuhan-china-global-exhibition-launch Fashion & Beauty
Louis Vuitton picks Wuhan in China for global exhibition launch – a sign of confidence in world’s biggest luxury market
- The city in central China where the Covid-19 coronavirus was first identified is the first place in the world to host a new exhibition by the No 1 luxury brand
- After a strict lockdown to stop the spread of the virus, Wuhan is nearly back to normal, and Chinese luxury consumers have been spending with a vengeance
Two women take pictures at Louis Vuitton’s new global travelling exhibition “See LV” in Wuhan, China. Photo: Getty Images
Luxury brand Louis Vuitton, the crown jewel of LVMH, the largest luxury group in the world, chose the Chinese city of Wuhan as the first stop for its new global travelling exhibition, “See LV”.
The capital of Hubei province, Wuhan, which has a population of more than 11 million, came to the world’s attention early this year as the place where the Sars-CoV2 coronavirus was first identified.
After one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, the city has returned to something approaching normality, with businesses reopening and people going about their daily lives as if the virus outbreak were a distant memory.
During the summer, pictures of thousands of maskless partygoers at a water park in the city went viral on social media. Wuhan was also the most visited place in China during the recent “golden week” national holiday.
In an announcement about the exhibition, Louis Vuitton calls Wuhan “one of China’s most important cities” and “rich in cultural and historical heritage”.
That the biggest luxury brand in the world chose Wuhan as the place to launch its new exhibition is a clear sign of confidence in the post-pandemic recovery of China and its importance as a luxury market.
The entrance to the Louis Vuitton travelling exhibition at Wuhan International Plaza. Photo: Getty Images
The largest market for luxury goods in the world, China is vital to high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, which has been very active in courting Chinese consumers on their home turf – the brand also held a menswear show in Shanghai in early August.
Before the pandemic, Chinese luxury shoppers tended to make most of their purchases on trips to European fashion capitals Paris, Milan and London, but since China closed its borders and with various countries imposing travel bans, there has been a repatriation of luxury shopping within Chinese borders.
While luxury brands have struggled in tourist-driven markets such as France, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong, they have been thriving in mainland China, where pent-up demand for luxury goods has given rise to the term “revenge shopping”.
Admission to the exhibition, which opened on October 31 and runs until December 6, is free to the public. It explores the 160- year history of Louis Vuitton, from its early days as a trunk maker in Paris to a powerhouse that has become synonymous with modern luxury.