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Bringing the 2020 Fashion Awards to China!
We’re proud to have supported our client, the British Fashion Council in bringing the 2020 Fashion Awards to #China through hosting an #offlineevent event in both #Shanghai & #Beijing where the awards were #livestreamed.
The events brought together #keymedia, #influencers, official partners of the British Fashion Council and #artists to celebrate the 20 honorees of the 2020 #FashionAwards.
The livestream event featured a 30 minute film highlighting the significant changes the #fashionindustry has endured during the past year, and shone the spotlight on those who made humanitarian efforts, adapted their business models and responded to their community’s needs.
As many of our clients are still unable to travel, creating engaging, meaningful events and involving key stakeholders has been a crucial this past year to connect #globalbrands with their #Chineseaudience.
On behalf of our client Maison Alaïa, we hosted several beautiful events to celebrate the launch of their Editions Collection in #China.
No event in China today is complete without a #digital component and these events all included #livestreaming, #influencers, driving #content to #commerce
In #Shanghai, we hosted an intimate community dinner with celebrities, influencers and community leaders.
Over dinner, Maison Alaïa CEO, Myriam Serrano, attended via #livestream to deliver her greetings.
Following dinner, Linda LI, one of China’s leading influencers #livestreamed from the venue on YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP official Tmall Channel.
In Beijing, in collaboration with SKP, the Capital’s leading #Luxury Mall, was a pop-up where we invited both media, KOLs (influencers) and artists to experience the collection firsthand.
The evening generated potential celebrity dressing opportunities and an impressive amount of editorial shooting requests — no surprise considering the Editions collection reflects Mr. Alaïa’s inimitable approach to beauty, his sense of sensuality and his flawless technique.
With #sustainability and #environmentalprotectionism beginning to play an increasingly bigger role in consumers’ lives in #China, we’re proud to support our client, Everlane in their most recent efforts to support the preservation of the world’s delicate ecosystems.
Everlane partnered with #Eleme, China’s biggest online food ordering platform to raise money and awareness for the preservation of rare bird habitats in Shandong Province.
Everlane donated a percentage of sales revenue from their #TmallGlobal store during its 1st anniversary celebration in August, 2020.
This initiative has been recognized by SEE Foundation.
SEE (Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology) is a ground-breaking non-governmental organization aiming to protect the environment.
We’re dedicated to helping our clients in China realize the value in having #sustainability as a core #businesspillar, and proud to see brand like Everlane leading the charge
We’ve got some great openings Gusto Luxe! Be sure to check out the JOBS page. Below details for Account Director (Fashion) based at our headquarters in Shanghai: ACCOUNT DIRECTOR, FASHION (SHANGHAI-BASED) Gusto Luxe • Shanghai, China
Our new playbook outlines how brands can drive sales traffic across China’s digital eco-system through creative crossovers and localised collaborations.
Download the playbook on our content platform www.luxuryconversation.com
The Louis XIII’ “Heritage Awakening” Project traveled to scenic Beidaihe where a new generation of artists and creative talents gathered for discussions about protecting cultural heritage in the modern age.
Drawing inspiration from the past, the vision was to “Think A Century Ahead”. WALLPAPER* Magazine partnered with the project to provide further coverage on artists’ and talents’ respective points of view on cultural inheritance and creativity.
Lindberg, the family-owned Danish eyewear company, displayed their artwork at the West Bund Art and Design Festival in Shanghai.
“Lindberg In Perspective” was created by Lindberg’s very own talented designers. The piece is a manifestation of craftsmanship which exhibits different colours from different angles – a reflection of the many possibilities of Lindberg’s customisable titanium eyewear.
Marvis toothpaste encouraged their WeChat followers to buy products in order to unlock further exclusive content from brand advocate Chen Linong, an actor, singer and idol for the Gen Z demographic. Marvis also featured in a live-stream with icon Austin Li that was watched by over 13 million viewers.
Chinese media and KOLs gathered in Shanghai with Australian Consul General to Shanghai Dominic Trindade, Executive General Manager Eastern Markets and Aviation Tourism Australia Andrew Hogg and Country Manager for China Tourism Australia Mandy Wu. The luncheon announced Tourism Australia’s 8D video launch in the China market and provided guests with the latest China market review in 2020.
Tourism Australia also held its annual flagship event China Showcase with a hybrid event bringing together key customers from China and Australia’s business events industry. The event provides Australian industry with an opportunity to meet and do business with qualified incentive planners and corporate decision makers from across China. Over 70 incentive decision makers from China connected with 60 of Australia’s business events industry.
Fairmont and Sofitel Hotel held brand positioning and experience workshops in Sanya, Zhangjiajie and Hangzhou for Accor Hotels’ Fairmont and Sofitel branded hotels.
Property owners discussed the linkage between properties and brands and devised executable ways to demonstrate brand heritage in a local context. The results of these workshops will be documented as a guideline for the properties to stand out of the high-competitive hospitality space in their respective markets.
Shanghai Village and Suzhou Village, members of The Bicester Village Shopping Collection in China are changing their Chinese names to Bi-Si-Te Shanghai and Bi-Si-Te Suzhou.
The renaming emphasises the linkage to the Bicester Village Shopping Collection and its 11 Villages in Europe and China that provide a gateway for brands to access high-spending guests. At the press conference, the Value Retail China management team, Suzhou Government Officials, partners and media friends gathered together to celebrate the destination’s continued success.
The Fashion Awards 2020, hosted by The British Fashion Council, will be going digital this year as The Fashion Awards come to China through media partnerships and screening events for Chinese fashion industry stakeholders.
The Fashion Awards 2020 will honour and celebrate the designers, brands, creatives and individuals who have created positive change within the fashion industry this year, especially those who made humanitarian efforts, adapted their business models and responded to their community’s needs.
The body of work achieved by Azzedine Alaïa between 1981 and 2017 represents creation in perpetuity — reinventing past collections, experimenting into future collections and transcending seasons over and over again.
To celebrate the launch, events were held in Shanghai and Beijing bringing together a mix of influencers, celebrities, entrepreuneurs and artists. Linda Li and other leading influencers livestreamed from Shanghai and Mai Zi from Beijing.
Canada Goose officially opened its fourth Hong Kong store on the Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. The store offers a complete assortment of its new and most popular styles. The shop also brings the brand’s 60-year heritage to life for customers though Canadian design elements and artwork.
In 2021, Marimekko will celebrate its 70th anniversary. What started as a drive to bring more creative energy to post-war Finland has now become a global design house renowned for its art of printmaking. Throughout the years, the company’s mission has remained the same – to bring joy to people’s everyday lives with bold prints and colours.
To drive buzz on social media, many media and influencers were seeded with The Face Shop (also known as TFS) Wonderland Giftbox. The exquisite design and attractive new products have already won the hearts of many influencers who are proactively posting across Chinese social platforms and driving sales traffic to the brand’s online store.
Our new playbook outlines how brands can drive sales traffic across China’s digital eco-system through creative crossovers and localised collaborations.
Download the playbook for free on our platform for the luxury community, The Luxury Conversation.
The playbook aims to guide global luxury brands through the unique world of next-gen digital media on which Chinese consumers connect, browse, livestream and buy.
It focuses on China’s beauty market which, as the global economy has suffered in 2020, remained strong during early lockdown and has since quickly recovered to not only full strength but year-on-year growth for many global luxury players.
Honing in on the two key social commerce platforms – RED (known as xiaohongshu in China) and Douyin (the name of TikTok in China which is a separate app to TikTok in the rest of the world) – the playbook compiles noteworthy case studies that include cutting-edge tech, UCG (user-generated content), surprising cross-overs and hyper-localised collaborations.
Looking at how the cases drive campaigns from content through to sales, the playbook serves as an insightful guide to any luxury brand looking to stay top of mind of the leading global luxury consumers – Chinese millennials and Gen Z.
Gusto Luxe joined Jing Daily for the panel talk “C-Beauty Secrets: Learnings From Cosmetics Brands”. Founding Partner Chloe Reuter discussed consumer preferences, the evolving demand for domestic and international colour cosmetics and skincare, and the local selling tactics western beauty players can tap to remain competitive, including peer-to-peer social selling, AR/VR try on, and livestream e-commerce.
Marvis’ first brand campaign in China was full of the creativity and artistic flair that the brand is known for. The campaign took the form of an interactive game on the brand’s WeChat account that showed followers how to explore 7 different worlds illustrated by local artists.
Consumers who engaged with the game could win limited edition illustrations to decorate their home, as well as e-coupons and products.
Harrods, the world’s most luxurious department store, was excited to return to Shanghai Fashion Week with a whole new pop-up concept, The Harrods Studio.
During Fashion Week, The Harrods Studio incorporated three purpose-built studios, hosting conversations and creative sessions with industry leaders and insiders, all live-streamed on Harrods WeChat and Weibo. Three big themes guided the studio sessions; from the future of luxury, to how luxury can lead sustainability, to the global influence of Chinese designers.
Harrods guests, industry leaders and KOLs lead the conversations and creative sessions across three-studios, bringing engaging ideas and concepts to digital audiences.
Kids Around gives affluent parents a place to shop for their little mini me’s luxury fashion needs. The brand started its launch event with a 3-day pop up store that showcased luxury brands for kids and Double 11 promotions.
Mary Alice Malone, Founder and Creative Director of Malone Souliers once said, ‘I live very happily in contradiction, the tension of pull and push’ as she referenced the elements of empowerment and control innate to the high heeled shoe.
Such balance is reflected in the new Malone Souliers’ Shop, found in Lane Crawford’s Times Square flagship in Shanghai.
Rituals, the home and body brand from the Netherlands, officially announced 王霏霏 (Wang FeiFei) as its first brand ambassador in China. As a nationwide star of China’s dance world, Fei’s calmness and poise resonates with Rituals brand philosophy.
The Face Shop (TFS), the well-known Korean cosmetic brand under LG Group, launched a series of limited-edition products in collaboration with the famous artist Melanie Johnsson. A special designed giftbox, seeded to influencers, spread the messaging of the limited edition across the social media landscape.
ARKET launched the Nordic outdoor collection during the Double 11 sales festival, collaborating with WeChat media platform ‘Kimo the Knowledge’ to create a style guide for both male and female consumers.
Vivienne Westwood, together with EASTPAK, launched the new co-branded collection Save Our Oceans.
This sustainable collection, made from plastic bottles that pollute the ocean, recreates EASTPAK’s classic design with the pioneering spirit of the British designer.
Gina Jin, a popular actress, wearing alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet, featured on the cover of Madame Figaro’s October issue.
Missoma, a UK-based jewellery brand with a global vision, appointed Gusto Luxe to develop the brand’s strategic communications in China.
Crafted using 18ct gold and sterling silver, Missoma was one of the first brands to design demi-fine jewellery and to use gold vermeil.
Part of the Richemont Group, Watchfinder & Co, the premium luxury watch resource platform is working with Gusto Luxe to develop the communications strategy across the region to increase awareness for the intuitive tech and data-driven platform with bespoke content, finance and advisory concierge services.
Work will include executive profiling, corporate reputation, business-to-business communications and CSR and sustainability communications.
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As we enjoyed a few days off to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival and China National Holidays, we reflect on a busy and fun September.
One of our Founding Partners, Chloé Reuter received the SHERO Award for “Women Entrepreneur” in China. As part of the week-long SHERO conference, Chloé spoke with Kresse Wesling MBE, co-Founder of Elvis&Kresse about why luxury brands have to prioritise sustainability.
As part of our in house “Reuter Academy”, all new hires take part in an induction with one of our Founding Partners. It’s a chance for them to learn about the business, our values, and vision.
As well as enjoy lunch and meet colleagues from other teams! We are also proud of our intern programme which is stronger than ever. Many of our interns go on to become full time at Gusto Luxe.
If you are interested in job openings, please check out our Gusto Luxe company page on LinkedIn.
Cointreau spoke to followers on their digital platforms using some hot buzzwords in Chinese society, depicted in cocktail receipts. Also on the brand’s WeChat mini program, followers were engaged with gamification as the mini program featured a bingo machine game that gave out exclusive prizes.
Swire Hotels told the story of their Houses – The Opposite House in Beijing, The Upper House in Hongkong, The Temple House in Chengdu and The Middle House in Shanghai. Every House has its own art, architecture, interior design, cuisine and story, and this was told across social media via a brand video campaign.
Content meets commerce: Mulberry collaborated with top tier KOLs AnnyFan and SunnieLovesFashion to promote the launch of the Mini Iris bag – a Tmall exclusive edition – through social content creation. The Mulberry store at Plaza 66 in Shanghai also hosted a Tmall livestreaming with AnnyFan.
Maje, the name chosen by its founder, Judith Milgrom, is a combination of the initials of the first names of her loved ones. In 1998, Judith decided to create clothing for active women. The Maje spirit is “resolutely feminine, understated, glamourous and bold.”
Maje collaborated with tier-1 fashion bloggers @yuyuzhangzou on Weibo and Ms. Dubai on RED (Xiaohongshu) to create styling content for its FW20 collection, interpreting different chic styles of Maje girls.
For the French fashion label, it’s clothing, not trends that at are at its core. The Sandro look is “chic, androgynous yet feminine”.
Sandro announced the FW20 collection launch working with celebrity Patrick Shi and tier-1 fashion blogger Cristine Sun, directing their fans to offline boutiques and China’s online sales platforms.
As well as opening their new Chengdu store in September, Maison Margiela invited media across China to watch the live-streaming of the new collection, MM6 Maison Margiela SS21.
Designed by the MM6 team from home, the Spring Summer 2021 Collection meets the moment – questioning the corporate and embracing the domestic.
Stacey Bendet’s Spring collection for alice + olivia is a dancing celebration of New York City’s vibrancy and creative pulse in the midst of extreme change.
The bohemian sporty collection is presented as a live socially distanced performance for New Yorkers and an invitation to experience the city and the resident artists who make it an inspiring place now and always.
Gabriela Hearst is at the forefront of a new generation of sustainable designers, impacting the industry in ways such as staging the first ever carbon-neutral show.
The brand’s China communications, strategy, media relations and social media management began, with the launch of the WeChat and Weibo accounts. Find them on Chinese social media and look out for upcoming events and more on sustainable action.
To celebrate its 1 Year Anniversary in China, premium fashion brand Everlane launched a campaign to raise awareness for the environment by highlighting the need to reduce waste. Everlane partnered with Chinese eco-conscious lifestyle pioneers: Seesaw Coffee and also Eleme, China’s largest food delivery service platform.
The campaign saw the exclusive launch of a sustainable crossover gift box made from re-used lunch boxes recycled by Eleme. The giftbox included organic coffee beans from local brand Seesaw and the iconic Everlane re-cotton T-Shirt.
Nicky Zimmermann looked close to home for her spring/summer 2021 collection. Entitled “Wild Botanica” and infused with the unique colours and textures of the Australian bush and the rich flora surrounding it, the edit is chock full of summer dresses with a difference. Fans in China enjoyed the collection launch across the brand’s WeChat and Weibo pages.
In Shanghai we celebrated the end of the month with cocktails on our rooftop.
We wish you all a very happy National Holidays!
For more, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.
Are you passionate about luxury and digital? We have new positions opening across multiple levels and teams at our Shanghai headquarters (pictured above).
In response to the growing number of environmental and consumption conscious consumers in China, accelerated by Covid-19, Gusto Luxe is now placing brands at the forefront of this meaningful change. Through a multitude of services and a dedicated advisory board, Gusto Luxe is defining how brands approach and communicate sustainability in the China and Asia market. Our Sustainability Advisory board includes Lena Yang (WWD China) and Kresse Wesling (Elvis&Kresse).
Founding Partner of Gusto Luxe, Chloe Reuter, spoke to Lauren Hallanen on her China Marketing Insights podcast, about the state of the luxury market – find the recording on www.chinamktginsights.com. Chloe also spoke to Hey China, in a podcast with Shirley Yu and Martina Fuchs, offering tips for international brands entering China, livestreaming and more.
ARKET launched on Tmall, announced via a two-hour livestreaming featuring rising actor Partrick Shin and famous fashion KOL (Key Opinion Leader) Anny Fan. By introducing the essence of ARKET’s full collection and in-season new arrivals, traffic was driven to the brand’s Tmall page for direct purchase. The livestreaming gained more than 121k views and over 880k likes from the audience.
Everlane have a strong ethos of ‘radical transparency’ and a commitment to sustainability. The brand celebrated one year in the China market, with a campaign that saw collaboration with Eleme, the food ordering platform and Seesaw Coffee. The creative partnership also launched Everlane’s limited edition products and giftbox, exclusive to the campaign.
Maison Margiela launched a limited edition Qixi / Chinese Valentine’s Day collection in collaboration with top-tier KOL SavisLook. The influencer created content saw on-brand styling shots featuring Savi and her fiancé, meant to showcase the unspoken love between a young couple.
As Qixi dominated the season, three top KOL couples created twinning looks in the Marimekko Kioski pre-fall limited collection, to inspire their followers across China’s social commerce platforms and drive sales traffic via click-through.
Too Faced collaborated with RED (Xiaohongshu) influencers and KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) for Qixi to promote the Born Like This Eyeshadow Palette. Authentic reviews by the KOCs prompted further UCG (user-generated content) and interactive discussion in the platform’s comments.
Riding on key moments of the month – International Kissing Day and domestic Summer holidays, Marvis created China-specific storytelling WeChat posts. The creative and tailored visual design prompted consumers to engage in the comments by sharing their own stories on the theme.
Sustainability was the topic at The Middle House, as they supported international shark week with an underwater photo exhibition, Honour the Fins, at the MI XUN swimming pool. The purpose was to raise the awareness around the shark fin industry. Tickets sold out, with 200 people attending and net proceeds being donated to WildAid’s global shark conservation initiatives.
Pierre Marcolini opened a new store in Hangzhou, partnering with a local media figure and KOL Hangzhou Quanzi to boost awareness of the opening and drive traffic to store. As the media’s WeChat post gained over 45k views and 300 comments, over 500 customers clicked-through to the store during the opening launch. Further collaboration with regional Douyin (TikTok China) star 杭州真香姐妹 included a short video and two hours livestreaming session.
Architectural firm Ronald Lu & Partners (RLP) has appointed Gusto Luxe as retained communications agency for Greater China and Southeast Asia. The scope of service includes executive profiling, corporate reputation, business-to-business communications and CSR and sustainability communications.
The latest report from Shanghai-based Gusto Intelligence (the consulting and research arm of Gusto Luxe) and New York City-based insights agency Spark Ideas LLC highlights six key trends amongst Shanghainese women in a Post-COVID-19 China. For the report, email research@gusto-luxe.com now.
Gemfields’ first-ever report on coloured gemstones in China reveals that now is the time to seize the opportunity of meeting Chinese consumers’ expectations of corporate responsibility and sustainability. Titled Sustainability: The Future of Coloured Gemstones in China, the report also presents that up to 35% of Chinese jewellery owners plan to purchase ruby and 25% wish to acquire emeralds in the near future.(read more on The Luxury Conversation)
The report was launched at a live-streaming event with over 11,000 viewers worldwide.
At the Tmall Cosmetics Week, Rémy Cointreau was the official drinks sponsor for the 7-day extravaganza that featured stars, CEOs and influencers at the online-offline event: live in Shanghai and live-streamed to all of China.
Too Faced announced its first Asian brand ambassador, Song Zuer, and launch a Tmall Super Brand Day campaign titled #我全都耀# (Shine At Every Moment). The campaign includes collaborations with multiple tiers of KOLs and KOCs across WeChat, Weibo and RED that directly drive traffic to the brand’s Tmall store.
Sotheby’s concluded its spring sales series in Hong Kong, with 3,794 lots sold across 17 auctions conducted over seven days at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre for a grand total of US$411 million – the seven consecutive Hong Kong series to exceed US$400. The sales series witnessed 5 works selling for over US$12 million and 16 world auction records.
EAST, the business lifestyle hotel brand by Swire Hotels has unveiled a new statement “Where It All Starts”, with a new branding campaign rolling out in July across the brands’ social media and digital platforms. Named after the place where the sun rises, EAST is all about bringing bright ideas and boundless energy in work and play.
The Shop project of The Middle House invites selected designers and artists from Shanghai to present their collections and spark creative dialogue. Now, Farfetch has arrived at The Shop with a community gallery. Created by leading Chinese influencers, you can visit The Shop at The Middle House and find the inspiration behind the collections, staying in touch with the fashion pulse of the city.
We hosted a multi-brand Press Open House in our Shanghai Showroom, showcasing brands such as & Other Stories, Arket, Everlane, The Face Shop, Mulberry, Rituals, Victoria’s Secret, Vivienne Westwood, Zimmermann and more.
Over 50 media and KOLs attended, with some live-streaming to their followers across China’s digital eco-system and giving their fans a behind-the-scenes look.
Employing the resourceful ritual of Recicla – Maison Margiela’s marque for upcycled vintage finds – tailored garments from the classic gentleman’s wardrobe “transform through heroic cutting and manifest in chivalrous silhouettes.” The new collection was unleashed to the brand’s followers on China’s media and social platforms.
Luxury online retailer Mytheresa is set to launch an exclusive menswear capsule collection with renowned Italian fashion House Gucci, which will be available globally on Mytheresa.com. This collection marks a milestone for menswear at Mytheresa, as the largest exclusive collection debut since the retailer’s category launch in January 2020.
Chinese celebrity Ding Dang was dressed in Zimmermann for their appearances in the reality TV show ‘Sisters Who Makes Waves’.
‘Sisters Who Makes Waves’ is a new Chinese reality TV show inviting 30 well-known female celebrities (actresses, hosts, singers, etc) over 30 years old to compete to debut in a 5-member singer dance group in the end. The main concept of the show is to unite women and encourage them to break through in whole new areas. The show went viral after the first episode started streaming.
Tourism boards globally and brands from Shangri-La to Qantas to Singapore Airlines to Caesars Entertainment to the British Museum all have partnerships with Fliggy (Fei Zhu in Chinese, or ‘flying piggy’), Alibaba’s one-stop travel app.
The Luxury Conversation spoke with Fliggy’s Regional Director, Ada Xu, to learn more about what Fliggy is doing to keep Chinese travellers in touch with overseas destinations.
In June Reuter Communications became Gusto Luxe. We are part of Gusto Collective, Asia’s first brandtech holding company.
On World Environment Day we launched our “Kindness for Tomorrow” programme with activities in our Shanghai and Hong Kong offices. We believe that our business can – and should – make a positive contribution to society and where possible support and encourage sustainability best practices. We will be accountable to meet targets across different areas: People, Environment and Society. Stay tuned for more!
We supported London Fashion Week as it went online and merged menswear and womenwear. With media, influencers and buyers unable to travel from China, we made sure that they could still stay up to date with the latest trends from London through www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
The Opposite House, Beijing – part of The House Collective – revealed its newest bar-restaurant outlet SUPERFLY, a new remixed and remastered collection that demonstrates Sichuan’s evolution – its food, its music, and its culture. Regional influencers created their own content and posted creative spins across Chinese social media.
Marvis creates original, cheeky and iconic toothpastes in seven concoctions that offer protection and fresh sensations. Now in China, we’re working with the brand to re-shape their marketing strategy in China, from target audience analysis, positioning to marketing concept building across all channels. This includes strategy consultation, media investment, influencer marketing, social media operations and campaigns, to boost the performance of online to offline retail channels.
Kids Around is a must-visit concept store for the chicest and coolest kids fashion. HUGO BOSS, Timberland, LITTLE MARC JACOBS, KARL LAGERFELD and more. With expansion plans on the horizon, we are supporting with strategic communications and brand awareness.
For the June shopping festival “618” we teamed up with influencers to create content to drive awareness and drive sales as consumers clicked through to Zimmermann’s Tmall store.
San Francisco-based Everlane partners with the most ethical factories around the world and sources sustainable materials, sharing the full story of manufacturing in what they call ‘radical transparency’.
The brand collaborated with influencers on Red (Xiaohongshu) who created Red-relevant photography, reviews and posts that let their followers know about the brand in an authentic way – before clicking through to the Everlane Tmall page.
Diesel launched its PRIDE capsule collection and curated content via collaboration with Local Opinion Leaders in the LGBTQ community to share their real-life stories.
Marimekko held a Press Open House in our Shanghai showroom. The brand invited media friends and fashion influencers who live-streamed the feel of Nordic nature and Marimekko’s joyful world of bold prints and colours to their audiences on key Chinese social platforms.
