LONDON
New website seeks to expand China's fashion education
Understanding that educating the Chinese luxury consumers comes before commerce, the newly launched members-only fashion website Bomoda offers China's 200 million luxury consumers an opportunity to learn about those Western brands beyond the current handful of favourites.
Expanding China's fashion education is key to the continued growth of the Chinese luxury market.
Run by a staff of eight in New York and other correspondents in London, Shanghai, and Beijing, Bomoda expects to attract 200,000 members by the end of the year.
Graff Diamonds gets go-ahead for IPO
Hong Kong regulators gave London-based jeweller Graff Diamonds listing approval for its plan to raise around USD1 billion via an initial public offering, a person familiar with the situation said on Thursday.
The company, known for selling the world's most expensive jewellery, would follow other luxury brands that have had Hong Kong offerings in the past year. Italy's Prada listed last June, while the world's largest jeweller, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co., controlled by Hong Kong tycoon Cheng Yu-tung, raised USD2 billion in an IPO in December.
Chinese wine emerges to find rare success
Wine aficionados are freaking out. Not only did Jia Bei Lan 2009 become the first Chinese wine to win an international trophy in Decanter magazine's World Wine Awards in London, it's now selling for USD142 a bottle – a sticker unheard of for Chinese vintage.
This Chinese red wine has emerged to find rare success in a market heavily dominated by French vintage. The much abuzz Jia Bei Lan 2009 launched this month in Beijing, followed by launches in Chengdu and Shanghai.
Marni and H&M collaboration creates a stir among fashion fans
The latest collaborator to re-interpret its brand's DNA at high-street friendly prices is Italian label Marni – famed for left of centre shapes, quirky accessories and strong use of clashing colour and print. The enthusiasts at the head of the queue were soon eagerly loading up with armfuls of clothes, moving quickly to make the most of their allocated 10 minutes in the roped-off shopping pen.
London 2012: will retailers benefit?
You don't need a ticket to gain extra sales from this year's Olympic Games but, as Mark Faithfull reports, not all retailers stand to benefit from the events taking place in the UK this summer.
Britain's stores tempt Chinese shoppers
As a harbinger of a gradual shift in global power it is easy to miss: a discreet red, blue and green banded symbol bearing the mysterious legend UnionPay. But walk into Harrods, Selfridges and other high-end stores and you will see it at many tills, meaning the shop accepts China's most popular bank card and is thus actively chasing income from one of the few global economies still expanding at speed.
London jeweller Graff plans HK IPO, to open stores in Asia
London-based jeweller Graff Diamonds is looking to raise about USD1 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) planned for next year, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Graff, retailer of some of the world's most expensive jewellery, would use the capital to open stores in Asia, expand production of high-end pieces and finance a larger inventory of rare gemstones, the Financial Times reported earlier on Wednesday.
Aquascutum with Chinese characteristics
In this article, managing director William Fu Sing-yam talks about how YGM Trading tailors Aquascutum's London designs to mainland's varied climate and tastes.
Though many parts of China are spared England's drizzle and its cool weather, London-based trench coat pioneer Aquascutum is making inroads among deep-pocketed consumers on the mainland.
World GDP likely to slump next year
A global downturn is likely next year, when the deeply intertwined economies of the United States and China will probably suffer a hard landing, according to Lombard Street Research, a London think tank.
Google opens first ever "store" in London
Google opened their first ever "store" this weekend. To everyone’s surprise, it is based not in New York or California, but in London, UK.
The store is known as "Chromezone" and is actually a mini-store within a popular electronics retail store. It is a 285 square foot outlet, based inside the PC World store on Tottenham Court Road in Central London.
