Dior reprises Fall 2023 show in Shenzhen
OverviewOn July 12, Dior presented its Fall 2023 ready-to-wear show at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shenzhen. The show, featuring a commissioned large-scale installation titled “Valkyrie Miss Dior,” debuted at Paris Fashion Week in February. Dior brought the installation to Shenzhen and invited the artist Joana Vasconcelos to attend the event in person. The house also broadcasted the runway via livestream and invited brand ambassadors and celebrities to share their impressions with online audiences.Netizens’ ReactionThe show’s livestream on Weibo garnered over 52 million views within 12 hours, and the hashtag “Dior Fall 2023 Ready-to-wear Shenzhen Show” drove over 180 million reads within two days. The high online traffic and engagement rate were thanks to the celebrity endorsements. Before the show, Dior posted teaser videos starring well-known actress Zhang Ziyi, brand ambassador Liu Yuxin and Ora Yang, as well as brand China jewelry ambassador Jiang Shuying.Dior’s Shenzhen show was one of the top trending topics on Chinese social media on July 12. Photo: DiorVerdictFor luxury brands with global ambition and sufficient financial resources, hosting runway shows beyond the “Big Four” fashion capitals in the West has been a well-established strategy for connecting with regional cultures and customers. This month, after Dior concludes its Shenzhen show, Bottega Veneta and Kenzo will unveil shows in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively.Although launching repeat shows in China is not uncommon for fashion brands, Dior was a pioneer even before the pandemic. In 2019, the house brought its Spring 2020 collection to Shanghai and hosted a livestream session on its social channels. Still, the selection of Shenzhen as a location this time demonstrates the house’s adeptness in the post-pandemic era. Shenzhen is an economic and cultural hub in south China that houses local tech startups and the headquarters of Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Huawei. The city ranks eighth worldwide on Forbes’ list “The Cities With The Most Billionaires 2023” and came in sixth in 2022. This huge buying power convinced Louis Vuitton to launch its touring exhibition Louis Vuitton& in Shenzhen in November 2021 and will see Chanel replicate its Cruise 2024 runway show there in November. Leading luxury brands continue to map out spectacular shows and marketing events in China, even after the mainland’s borders reopen to outbound travel — allowing Chinese fashion media, KOLs, and top-tier customers to descend on global fashion weeks. The reason is simple: Consumer behavior in China has shifted in the past four years and will not return to what it was pre-pandemic. That means brands will have to balance their virtual and physical touchpoints, in China and around the world, to stay relevant.
Overview
On July 12, Dior presented its Fall 2023 ready-to-wear show at the Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shenzhen. The show, featuring a commissioned large-scale installation titled “Valkyrie Miss Dior,” debuted at Paris Fashion Week in February. Dior brought the installation to Shenzhen and invited the artist Joana Vasconcelos to attend the event in person. The house also broadcasted the runway via livestream and invited brand ambassadors and celebrities to share their impressions with online audiences.
Netizens’ Reaction
The show’s livestream on Weibo garnered over 52 million views within 12 hours, and the hashtag “Dior Fall 2023 Ready-to-wear Shenzhen Show” drove over 180 million reads within two days. The high online traffic and engagement rate were thanks to the celebrity endorsements. Before the show, Dior posted teaser videos starring well-known actress Zhang Ziyi, brand ambassador Liu Yuxin and Ora Yang, as well as brand China jewelry ambassador Jiang Shuying.
Verdict
For luxury brands with global ambition and sufficient financial resources, hosting runway shows beyond the “Big Four” fashion capitals in the West has been a well-established strategy for connecting with regional cultures and customers. This month, after Dior concludes its Shenzhen show, Bottega Veneta and Kenzo will unveil shows in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively.
Although launching repeat shows in China is not uncommon for fashion brands, Dior was a pioneer even before the pandemic. In 2019, the house brought its Spring 2020 collection to Shanghai and hosted a livestream session on its social channels. Still, the selection of Shenzhen as a location this time demonstrates the house’s adeptness in the post-pandemic era.
Shenzhen is an economic and cultural hub in south China that houses local tech startups and the headquarters of Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Huawei. The city ranks eighth worldwide on Forbes’ list “The Cities With The Most Billionaires 2023” and came in sixth in 2022. This huge buying power convinced Louis Vuitton to launch its touring exhibition Louis Vuitton& in Shenzhen in November 2021 and will see Chanel replicate its Cruise 2024 runway show there in November.
Leading luxury brands continue to map out spectacular shows and marketing events in China, even after the mainland’s borders reopen to outbound travel — allowing Chinese fashion media, KOLs, and top-tier customers to descend on global fashion weeks. The reason is simple: Consumer behavior in China has shifted in the past four years and will not return to what it was pre-pandemic. That means brands will have to balance their virtual and physical touchpoints, in China and around the world, to stay relevant.