On November 27th and November 30th, Italian high fashion brand Valentino and famous French fashion brand Dior successively released the 2019 early autumn series fashion show in Tokyo. Bottega Veneta, a brand of Kaiyun Group, will also open a six-storey flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo on December 8. Tokyo has once again become the focus of the luxury brands in the fashion circle.
Pay tribute to Japanese trend culture
Japanese traditional culture has always been a source of inspiration for many fashion designers. Last year, LV creative director Nicolas Ghesquière selected the LV 2018 early spring series fashion show from the Miho Art Museum in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, to confirm this. For this transoceanic site, he did not hide his appreciation of Japanese traditional culture: "The beauty show is perfectly matched with the cultural genes of LV, and we will bring you to a new world that combines the aesthetics of oriental architecture with the beauty of nature. "Today, the Japanese street fashion culture is coming from a more turbulent momentum." At the end of November, two luxury brands, Valentino and Dior, released the 2019 early autumn fashion show in Tokyo, and they greeted the Japanese trend culture with a mix of high fashion brands and street fashion brands.
As early as the 2019 early autumn men's and women's show, Valentino launched the TKY program, which launched the new concept store Valentino TKY in Ginza 6, the oldest department store in Ginza; on the other hand, it also sold the limited MANGA comic series and VLTN in its concept store. TKY capsule series. Among them, the MANGA Comics series is based on the five animals of the brand's 1960s high-grade uniforms, including butterflies, tigers, dragons, snakes and leopards. It redesigns the animal image in the style of Japanese manga, transforming it into a new series of ready-to-wear and Cute tidal ornaments on the handbag. VLTN TKY is a limited capsule series. Hooded jackets, cotton t-shirts and mobile phone cases bearing the words "VLTN TKY" are only available at the Ginza 6 concept store.
Under the promotion of Valentino's TKY program, Japan's red tide brand UNDERCOVER and Doublet also cooperated with each other to launch a new mix of styles in the 2019 early autumn collection. UNDERCOVER was founded in 1990 by Takahashi and its friends. The brand is known for its sub-cultural elements such as street fashion, art and music. In this collaboration, Valentino and UNDERCOVER jointly launched a series of pouch bags of different sizes, and the high concentration of color matching highlights UNDERCOVER's distinctive and iconic style. The Doublet, which was founded in 2012 by Ino, is adhering to the concept of “uncommon in the ordinary†and continues the practice of matching everyday items with innovative single products. In this series, the classic VLTN cotton T-shirt and sweater with exquisite embroidery and tassels show off the intriguing and avant-garde style.
Dior creative director Kim Jones's love of street style is evident in the Supreme x LV co-branded series he had previously checked. He is very passionate about Japanese culture. In order to open a new chapter in the Dior brand and the Japanese market, Dior, who has always followed the romantic singer route, has sailed to the new road of Japanese surrealism this year. In conjunction with the sci-fi theme of the Dior 2019 spring and summer menswear show, he commissioned Japanese contemporary artist Kong Shanji to place a 12-foot female metal sculpture in the center of the T-stage. At the same time, the new clothing features sparkling metal fabrics and futuristic text design, reflecting the futuristic personal trend aesthetics.
Kim Jones said in the statement: "The fashion show in Tokyo is the best way to showcase and celebrate my first Dior early autumn menswear show. Japan is a magical country, I know it very well, and I especially like its incredible culture, History and nature. It is very fascinating and is the source of my inspiration.†It is not difficult to find out in Dior's past designs, such as the cherry blossom print design that was launched and the special fabric dress designed in cooperation with Kyoto silk manufacturer Tatsumura Textile. Or less hinted at the brand's yearning for Asian culture. Dior CEO Peitro Beccari also said in the latest statement that the ideas and innovations rooted in Japanese culture are “very important†for Dior.
Economic recovery boosts domestic market in Japan
In 1982, Valentino brand founder Valentino Garavani and a group of four well-known designers held a special "83 Best Five-person Exhibition" in Tokyo. At the time, the New York Times commented: "This is an attempt to introduce Tokyo as a leading fashion center, with the same name as Milan, London, Paris and New York." So far 36 years have passed, Tokyo has been in international fashion. There is a place on the list. Now it has become the top market for most luxury brands and one of the synergies that drive fashion and retail trends.
According to Vogue, an American fashion magazine, Valentino and Dior have chosen to hold fashion shows in Tokyo. In addition to cultural factors, it is more important to lay out the Japanese market. As early as 2014, Raf Simons, then the creative director of Christian Dior Women's Department, held the 2015 Early Autumn Women's Show at the National Sumo Stadium in Japan and won wide acclaim. Then in April last year, Dior opened the flagship store of the brand in Japan, the largest store in Japan. Coincidentally, Bottega Veneta, an Italian luxury brand owned by Kaiyun Group, also announced that it will open a six-storey flagship store in Tokyo on December 8. The new store to be opened will be the brand's largest store in Asia. "The Japanese customers are very important to us and very loyal to us," said Claus-Dietrich Lahrs, general manager of Bottega Veneta. Japan is one of the world's most important markets for Bottega Veneta.
Since the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear accident have greatly affected the confidence of Japanese consumers. This led to a decline in Japanese luxury goods consumption of more than $10.6 billion in 2012, and it has been plunging into slowing growth and deflation for many years to come. Then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched the economic policy "Abenomics" and the gross domestic product (GDP) gradually improved. Recent data show that the Japanese government expects GDP growth of 1.8% in 2018, driven by global demand for Japanese exports. With the decline in unemployment and the rise in household income, the Japanese’s spending power has also increased significantly, and the Japanese luxury market has finally ushered in steady growth.
Paola Leoni, founder and managing partner of Leoni Corporate Advisors (LCA), said in an interview with FashionNetwork: "The Japanese market is very interesting because consumer confidence is picking up, retail sales are picking up, and domestic demand is very strong." According to a recent LCA According to the study, Japan's luxury goods market grew by 4% in 2017, with revenues growing in most product categories and retail channels. Japanese consumers now spend about $33 billion a year on luxury goods. Among the global brands' profitability, the Japanese market accounts for 30%-40%. According to a McKinsey survey, more than half of luxury executives are optimistic about the market outlook, and they believe that Japan is still the engine of growth and profitability in the luxury market in the future.
Chinese travelers bring luxury goods consumption
In addition to the recovery of the luxury goods market in Japan, which has attracted many luxury giants to settle in Tokyo, the huge demand for luxury goods in China is another reason for attracting many big names to favor the Japanese market. According to statistics, Japan has become a favorite tourist destination for Asian millionaires because of its deep historical and cultural heritage, the “sports wins†across the country, and the decline of the yen. Mario Ortelli, a partner at Ortelli & Co. Consulting, said in an interview with the Fashion Business Review: "Dior and other luxury brands have shifted their focus to Asia. It is a natural thing for Asia to have a growing demand for high-end menswear." According to data released by the National Tourism Administration of Japan, nearly half of the tourists came from China in September this year, and the average cost was three times that of tourists from other countries. Bain Consulting's 17th edition of Bain's Luxury Research has also shown that due to the outbound travel of Chinese tourists, Japan's personal luxury consumption has increased by 4%, while Asia has increased by 6%. Paola Leoni added: “A large number of Southeast Asian tourists, especially Chinese tourists, travel to Japan to increase their attractiveness to the luxury market in the Japanese market.†He expects strong spending power from Chinese travelers to be able to spend a long time. Injecting vitality and confidence into the Japanese luxury market.
In an interview with Luxurydaily, Amrita Banta, managing director of Agility Research and Strategy Consulting, pointed out that in recent years, luxury hotels, restaurants and shopping malls in Tokyo and Osaka have benefited from the influx of tourists. In the future, with the approach of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, this trend will continue. She suggested: "The major luxury brands need to be more eye-catching before the Olympics, not only to be seen by Japanese consumers, but also to the international tourists who come to consume luxury goods. â€