Veritable 'V' comes to China
By Jie Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-08 10:40

The Valentino "V" logo has enjoyed great popularity in China ever since the famous fashion brand was invited to do a runway show in Beijing during the first China Fashion Week in 1992.

From that time on, people have been seeing Valentino "this" or Valentino "that" in department stores as well as in mass product fashion markets across the country.

The prices range from thousands to less than 50 yuan (US$6) and many of these "brand" items are fake, not the real thing at all.

It was not until the end of last month when Michele Norsa, CEO of Valentino, came to Beijing to sign a contract with Babei Group as its only agent in China that most Chinese cottoned on to the fact that there was seldom any veracity to the "V's" they had been buying.

The establishment of the new partnership is a prelude to Valentino's true entry into the Chinese mainland market. Babei, the Zhejiang-based fashion company, will first bring Valentino men's line for autumn/winter 2004 into the Chinese mainland market, and Valentino women's wear will hit the Chinese mainland in 2005. A Valentino boutique is scheduled to open in Shanghai in September 2005.

Jiang Hengjie, vice-president of the China Fashion Association, expressed his warm welcome to Valentino and said that the press and fashion industry insiders should make efforts to correct the image of Valentino in the minds of Chinese consumers.

"I still remember very clearly that about 12 years ago, Valentino was invited to bring his couture collection to the first China Fashion Week. The traditional Chinese way of counting time uses 12 animals that recur in cycles of 12 years. So now, with the completion of such a cycle, we can verily say that Valentino has finally arrived," said Jiang.

"The huge potential market in Asia attracts all the Western luxury fashion brands including Valentino. We are focusing on the Japanese market in 2004 and the following year it will be China," Norsa told China Daily.

"I believe China will surpass the United States and Japan to be the largest consumer market for luxury brands in five to 10 years."

"Valentino has won thousands of loyal consumers over the past half century throughout the world, and China, not an exception, has many Valentino followers such as me. I look forward to the day when people can buy real Valentino without going abroad," said Jin Yao, general manager of Babei Group.

Chinese super model Jiang Peilin was lucky to get to wear a blue, flower-print dress designed by Valentino specially for the occasion of the signing of the partnership with Babei. "I am very excited wearing this dress that Valentino designed for me to wear today, although I have worn dozens of gorgeous and luxurious dresses in my life," Jiang told the press.

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