“In the last few years we have grown tremendously both in terms of recognition and number of stores in China,” said Gucci CEO Patrizio di Marco. “Today Gucci symbolizes a perfect balance between fashion authority and heritage, values that the increasing number of Chinese luxury consumers are seeking out along with the assurance of quality Italian craftsmanship that our Made in Italy label represents.”

In Shanghai, Frida together with Patrizio di Marco, officially inaugurated the new Gucci flagship store at the Golden Eagle. As of the end of June 2009, this is Gucci's 28th store in Mainland China and the first to reflect Frida’s new design concept, following on from open-ings in New York, Rome, Munich, Hong Kong and London. Celebrations included a store opening cocktail, where Frida presided over the official ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a black tie dinner for 120 specially invited guests in honour of the charity for amblyopic children supported by CCTF (China Children & Teenagers’ Fund).

Gucci entered Mainland China in 1997 with openings in Beijing and Shanghai. At the end of June 2009, the brand has 28 directly operated stores in Mainland China and 9 in Hong Kong.

 

 

Also in May, Bottega Veneta opened its seventh store in Mainland China at the Shanghai Golden Eagle Shopping Plaza. It provides a distinctive and private shopping experience that reflects Bottega Veneta’s heritage. The inspiration for the store is the same as it is for the House: to design and create contemporary, timeless, and beautiful objects. “I am very pleased with our continuous development in this important market” said Creative Director Tomas Maier “This is a significant step towards our objective of offering the entire range of Bottega Veneta products and exquisite shopping experience to more customers in Mainland China”.

To celebrate the opening, Bottega Veneta created the Shanghai Duette, an urban handbag dedicated to this cosmopolitan city. Available in an edition of 50, the bag was introduced in the new Golden Eagle Shopping Centre store and sold there exclusively for a limited time. Each handbag is numbered, with the place and occasion inscribed on a sterling plate in the bag’s interior. Following its introduction, the Shanghai Duette was available at select stores in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia Pacific.
“We are grateful for the support and proud to have been a part of the city’s remarkable growth over the past few years. We created the Shanghai Duette to commemorate the opening of this new store and to celebrate the city and our customers” said Maier.

The brand entered the Chinese market in 2007 with two directly operated stores in Shanghai and Beijing. At the end of June 2009, it has 7 directly operated stores in Mainland China and 7 in Hong Kong.

 

 

In June, Balenciaga opened 2 new directly operated stores in Mainland China: Plaza 66 in Shanghai and Hangzhou Tower in Hangzhou. The Balenciaga stores have a unique decor especially conceived by Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière in collaboration with the artist Dominique Gonzales Foerster, and customised for China particularly in the layout and the specific choice of colours and materials. 

These first steps into Mainland China are part of a global retail roll out done by the House over the last 2 years and make a clear statement in terms of future brand development in the country. “We intend to expand our presence in China, whose long-term growth potential is proving to be sound and healthy even with the current global headwinds.” said Isabelle Guichot, President and CEO of Balenciaga. “To effectively sustain our growth in this exciting market, we have created our own Balenciaga subsidiary with a local partner, we plan to open at least two stores in the coming year”, she added.

Balenciaga first entered Chinese market in 2005 with a franchisee store in Hong Kong.