The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The Chinese tech and retail giant’s logistics arm Cainiao plans to launch direct freight flights between Singapore and Hainan Island to shuttle duty free beauty products, handbags and watches to the mainland, general manager James Zhao told Bloomberg.
Analysts forecast a slow return to global travel and with $53.5 billion in luxury spending happening in China last year alone, according to Bain & Co. estimates, brands and retailers are working harder than ever to bring their global offerings to the market.
Cainiao will run seven return flights per week between the islands and is also looking to launch freight routes between Hainan and other destinations popular with Chinese tourists, such as Japan and South Korea. Zhao added that flights to Europe will also be considered in the future.
International buyers and talent scouts must cast their nets wider than the usual fashion week incubators, prizes and schools to find the country’s next crop of emerging brands.
Chinese celebrities made a comeback at the European shows this season, but the brands hosting them see the country’s A-listers as more high-risk, high-reward than ever amid fresh scandals and tightening government regulation.
Owners of international brands like Lanvin and Carven faced challenges in their home market under ‘zero-Covid’ rules but China’s economic recovery is now on the horizon.
Critics say they are dystopian, but ‘flawless’ virtual influencers may be worth considering in a market where celebrity brand ambassadors have become an increasingly risky investment.