The art of influence: LV's narrative journey in China
Since the opening of the brand's first store in Beijing's Palace Hotel in 1992, Louis Vuitton embarked on its journey into the Chinese market with its iconic Monogram symbol. It wasn't until the 'Louis Vuitton: Voyages' exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing in 2009 that the brand's design philosophy and historical heritage were systematically communicated to Chinese consumers for the first time, marking the completion of Louis Vuitton's journey of cultural integration with the East.
Later, Louis Vuitton's 'City Guides' series—featuring 32 themed editions—blended its travel philosophy with urban cultural heritage, creating 'portable city memories.' In 2022, the Louis Vuitton show in Anaya and the House of Louis Vuitton in Chengdu each became recognized cultural landmarks.
Luxury groups in China are increasingly embracing 'cultural long-termism.' LVMH, Louis Vuitton's parent company, outlined its 2024 China strategy as a shift from short-term traffic tactics to a long-term cultural approach. During the Q1 2025 earnings call, CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony reinforced this direction, emphasizing that sustainable growth in China relies on deeply understanding cultural consumption cycles—not merely reacting to technological trends.
Now, more than three decades later, the brand exemplifies the core principles of Chinese business wisdom through three major events.
Right time (天时 Tiānshí)
At the beginning of June, Louis Vuitton, in collaboration with China Post and DeepSeek AI, launched a pop-up store at the Shanghai Post Museum. This initiative transforms the brand's travel philosophy into digital art and co-branded stamps, aiming to revitalize traditional letter culture amidst the resurgence of cultural tourism and the digital 'Guócháo（国潮）' trend.
Since its inception, 'The Art of Travel' has been central to Louis Vuitton's identity. Through publications such as the 'City Guide,' which explores urban landscapes, the 'Fashion Eye' series featuring evocative photography, and the 'Travel Book' with its artistic reflections on destinations, the brand has crafted a narrative universe centered on exploration. These works embody the belief that 'Life is a Journey,' inviting readers to embark on inspiring odysseys through each page. This collaboration has opened new channels of dialogue with the brand's next generation of target consumers.
Right place (地利 Dìlì)
At the end of June, 'The Louis' was completed at Taikoo Hui on Wujiang Road. This ship-shaped structure pays homage to Louis Vuitton's nautical heritage and Shanghai's port culture. Inside, a 1,200 sq. m. exhibition, a collaboration with OMA, and localized dining options—including Monogram dumplings—deeply integrate the spatial narrative with the city's spirit. This integration of 'spiritual symbols' demonstrates Louis Vuitton's profound understanding of local culture, signifying that a fragmented, symbolic approach is obsolete in favor of a cohesive cultural interpretation.
Right people (人和 Rénhé)
Starting from July, the new travel campaign—beginning along the legendary Lijiang River landscape, captured by American photographer Alec Soth—showcases the Soft Keepall bag on a bamboo raft and Monogram Horizon suitcases with a convoy. Through an international lens, this campaign sheds the 'Western gaze' and aims to evoke widespread emotional resonance with Eastern natural aesthetics.
Following Guilin, the travel campaign will continue to explore China's diverse landscapes. Together with the other two major events, this initiative aims to seize timely opportunities, deepen urban connections, and cultivate cultural empathy.
As Louis Vuitton's presence in the Chinese market quietly extends beyond three decades, it has transcended its origins as a Western luxury symbol to become a cultural and commercial touchstone—growing in tandem with China's '90s-born generation of consumers.
This intergenerational brand evolution can be understood through the dimensions of time, place, and people—navigating market cycles, integrating into the local market, and solidifying consumer perception. This strategic progression, mirroring the ancient Chinese wisdom of 'Right Time, Right Place, and Right People,' has propelled Louis Vuitton's transformation from a mere 'top luxury leather goods' brand to a 'culturally beloved entity in China,' showcasing the brand's enduring power of continuous evolution beneath its classic heritage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
4 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Billionaire Puig Empire to Weigh Share Buyback in Time, CEO Says
The billionaire family controlling Puig Brands SA may weigh options, including buying its stock, to revive the Spanish beauty products group's sagging shares, its chief executive officer said. Shares of Puig, owner of perfume brands like Jean Paul Gaultier and makeup label Charlotte Tilbury, have tumbled more than 34% since its splashy listing just over a year ago as Europe's biggest IPO in 2024. 'Over time we'll consider whether or not it makes sense to make any moves to help investors who have invested in the stock achieve the value they believe it deserves,' Marc Puig said in an interview, referring to a possible family led stock purchase or ways to increase the liquidity of its shares. 'No moves are planned in the short term.' The Puigs are among Europe's wealthiest families. They own Exea Empresarial, which controls 74% of Puig's capital and 93% of its voting rights. Puig shares have tumbled like those of others in the industry including L'Oreal SA and LVMH as they suffer from uncertainty over the effects of US President Donald Trump 's tariff wars and concerns about sluggish consumer demand. For Puig, the decline has come even though it has consistently met targets. 'I don't feel like we've let anyone down,' Puig said. 'We've delivered, we continue to grow.' Most analysts have a 'buy' recommendation on the stock. 'So far everything they've promised has happened,' said Xavier Brun, Head of Equity at Trea Asset Management, which holds Puig shares. On Wednesday, the company reiterated its forecast of 6% to 8% organic sales growth for the year, even after factoring in a 20% US tariff on Europe-made products. Trump has threatened 30% tariffs on products from the European Union. Puig said it expected little impact from the trade war in 2025 since most of the products are already in the US. Analysts like Patrick Folan at Barclays said the company has been less forthcoming about the outlook beyond this year. 'It would be helpful for Puig to come to market and explain what the current moderation in category growth means for them, and clearly state why they could be ok compared to the wider market,' he said. 'It's important to evolve the messaging from the IPO, as the IPO expectations of market growth may no longer be realistic next year or in 2027.' Puig plans to provide guidance for next year once he has more clarity on subjects like tariffs and the dollar. 'It'll be good to clarify these doubts to better measure consumer sentiment,' he said. For now, the executive, who's been at the helm for more than two decades, says the company's going to stick to doing what it does best — creating and selling fragrances. It will also focus on its make-up and skincare products, whose growth stood out in the most recent quarter even as fragrance sales moderated. That strategy of hunkering down and focusing on it core business has paid off for the company in the past. In the early 2000s, when Marc Puig took charge, the company faced financial difficulties and restructured the business to cut costs and allocate more resources toward building its perfume brands. Years later, that turnaround allowed it to stretch its fragrance portfolio. Puig now holds three spots in the world's top ten fragrance label rankings after Jean Paul Gaultier, its fastest growing brand, entered the list last year. Puig's focus on its prestige perfumes portfolio, which accounts about 70% of sales, and pipeline of products should sustain expansion and deliver better growth than its premium-beauty peers, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Andrea Ferdinando Leggieri and Deborah Aitken wrote in a report on July 7. For Puig, much of the work of concocting new perfumes happens inside the glass-walled chamber high up in its new tower in Barcelona, which was inaugurated by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain last year. Here, Gregorio Sola, a master perfumer, waxes lyrical about his trips around the world to find the finest ingredients: sandalwood oil from trees that have to grow for 30 to 40 years or a rare, signature rose. Fragrances inspired by the bold smells of the 1980s and 90s are making a comeback, Sola says. The growth of the market is being fuelled by young consumers' appetite for unique and expressive fragrances. Puig tapped that market early when it started acquiring niche brands like L'Artisan Perfumeur and Byredo, which often have unconventional compositions and limited distribution. Beginning over a century ago as a distributor of French perfumes, Puig made a major shift in the early 20th century to manufacture its own products like Spain's first homegrown lipstick. In the 60s and 70s, it began partnering with fashion designers like Paco Rabanne to launch fragrances — doubling down later by acquiring entire fashion houses like Carolina Herrera and Nina Ricci. The challenge for Puig is to continue to deliver on its promises. 'What we need to do is take risks, tell good stories, and make exceptional products,' he said. 'I'd like to think we're able to continue getting people excited about our products.'
Fashion Network
4 hours ago
- Fashion Network
When Will Luxury's Perfect Storm Pass?
The sector is facing a perfect storm. Chinese spending, the industry's growth engine for so long, has stalled. There are question marks over whether US shoppers, who held much promise after President Donald Trump 's election in November, will pick up the bling baton. And over-aggressive pricing has shut out many younger customers who gorged on Gucci handbags and Rolex watches during the pandemic. It will take time for this indigestion to work its way out of the system. Add in the threat from tariffs and a weak dollar, which translates into less revenue in euros, and it's little wonder the MSCI Europe Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods Index has lost about a quarter of its value since February. The second-quarter reporting season, which starts in earnest this week, is likely to be grim. But over the past week, there have been some glimmers of hope. The worst isn't over exactly, but it might soon be. For a start, appetite among Chinese consumers for Cartier Love bangles and Burberry trench coats doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Chinese spending in Japan is contracting — with Richemont 's sales in the country down 15% in the three months to the end of June, compared with a 59% increase in the year earlier period — due to the stronger yen. This will be a drag on sales across the industry. But Swatch AG said it had seen the first signs of improvement in China, with a pickup in online sales and a reduction in stocks of watches at third party retailers. Swatch Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek often looks on the bright side. But Richemont also saw a 7% fall in sales in China, Hong Kong and Macau in its fiscal first quarter, about half the rate of decline in the preceding three months. This was echoed by Burberry Group Plc, which generates about 30% of sales from Chinese consumers at home and abroad. Chief Financial Officer Kate Ferry said the British luxury brand was also seeing a quarter-on-quarter improvement and 'a little bit of stabilization' in China. In the US, financial markets appear to be shrugging off the tariff trauma, with the S&P 500 Index reaching a new high and Bitcoin touching a record $120,000. Given that US luxury demand is correlated with financial wealth, this bodes well. It's possible this is feeding into demand for Brunello Cucinelli SpA's cashmere already: The tech bros' favourite outfitter said sales excluding currency movements rose 11% in the second quarter, and it forecast a 10% increase this year. Investors shouldn't get ahead of themselves, though. Some of the surprises so far have been company specific. Cucinelli sells to the 1%, and while it might not have a logo, it has become a signifier that the wearer is part of an exclusive club that can afford to pay $400 for a T-shirt and $8,000 for a cable knit cardigan. Not many other brands command this type of clientele. Richemont's jewellery is also shining bright, thanks to the luxury market maturing — many who bought bags 20 years ago are shifting to baubles — and the fact that price increases for leather goods have made bangles and necklaces better value for money. As for Burberry, which reported a 1% decline in fiscal first-quarter same-store sales — less than the almost 4% fall that analysts had expected — this compares with a period a year ago when same store sales slumped 21%. LVMH, the industry bellwether, reports second-quarter earnings this week, and they won't be pretty. The behemoth has gone from being one of the strongest performers to one of the weakest, thanks to its reliance on leather goods, which are suffering the most from consumer fatigue. It is also facing some company-specific issues, such as a hard landing after spectacular growth at Dior, difficulties in its drinks division, and supply chain problems at Loro Piana, a rival to Cucinelli. Yet even though we are probably closer to the bottom of the bling bloodbath than the top, many valuations are pricing in the worst. LVMH is trading on a forward price-to-earnings ratio of about 19.5 times, toward the bottom of its five-year average, while Prada SpA shares have lost about 30% since February, as investors took fright at its €1.25 billion ($1.5 billion) purchase of Versace. While the earnings side of the equation could fall further, this looks harsh. Not all luxury stocks are showing a bust. Investors in Hermes International SCA are paying about 50 times the next 12 months' earnings because the brand typically outperforms in tough times, given that demand for its iconic Birkin and Kelly bags outstrip supply. Burberry's shares have more than doubled since September. A successful turnaround, and the company being able to keep any challenges in check, is already priced in. Kering SA stock has risen about 14% since the Gucci owner named Renault 's Luca de Meo as its new CEO last month. That looks optimistic. Even if De Meo is able to sell Kering's 30% stake in Valentino, he still has €10.5 billion of net debt and creative transitions at most of the company's brands to deal with. For investors, a return to bling's boom years still looks far off. But by the time we get to fashion month in September, conditions might look at little less grim. New designers at Chanel, Dior and Gucci are likely to delve into the archives for inspiration this fall. A brighter luxury market would be another retro trend worth embracing. Bloomberg Opinion
Fashion Network
4 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Hong Kong investigates Louis Vuitton data leak that affected 419,000
Hong Kong's privacy watchdog said on Monday that it was investigating a data leak at Louis Vuitton affecting about 419,000 customers, just after a cyberattack on the luxury brand in South Korea in June. Leaked data included names, passport details, addresses and email addresses as well as phone numbers, shopping history and product preferences, Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said in an emailed statement. Louis Vuitton submitted the data breach incident to the office on July 17. Its French head office found suspicious activities on its computer system on June 13 and then discovered on July 2 that it affected Hong Kong customers, the statement said. The office said it had launched an investigation into Louis Vuitton Hong Kong, including whether the incident involved delayed notification. No relevant complaints or inquiries have been received so far, it said. The incident comes after a systems breach at Louis Vuitton in Korea in June led to the leak of some customer data, including contact information, but it did not involve customers' financial information, the company said.
