There’s been a lot said, speculated and surveyed about the luxury market in China - and the oft-too-used term, how to “crack” it. But perhaps there’s less being done on-site, making the real-time, real-life connections required to build global-reaching bridges in the sphere. Which is why Ricardo Ferrer, CEO and Co-Founder of TrustLuxe, set-up his platform in Shanghai, the first of its kind on the Asian continent. And in December, he was joined by Carmen (TrustLuxe is one of her Portfolio companies) and acclaimed British fine jewelry designer Shaun Leane, for a week-long series of talks and events in order to meet with the region’s customers, media, designers and fashion students.
First on the agenda was a trunk show for Shaun, to celebrate the launch of his eponymous brand in China. The intimate event was held at TrustLuxe's showroom, which provides luxury brands that don’t have a local flagship store, typically smaller labels, with a platform to showcase their designs, thus facilitating their entry into the local market. It also serves as a trusted resource for discerning Chinese customers, enabling them to discover these new niche labels.
Carmen with jewelry designer Shaun Leane pictured in the Trustluxe showroom.
Next stop was a panel discussion at K11, mainland China’s first art and luxury shopping mall, chaired by Jerri Ng, editor-in-chief of local fashion and lifestyle magazine Modern Lady. Carmen, together with Shaun Leane and Ricardo Ferrer, held court at this event, surrounded by works of art from creatives including Ryan Gander. The topics under discussion included everything from start-ups to social media and creative inspiration.
Carmen’s feature in Modern Lady had also just launched, where she was part of The Incredibles feature, alongside Michelle Obama and Tory Burch. Between the talks and events, Carmen also met with a few more editors from BoF China and Vogue China for features and discussion.
A panel discussion hosted by Modern Lady's Jerri Ng at Shanghai's K11 art village with Carmen, Trustluxe co-founder and CEO Ricardo Ferrer and Shaun Leane.
The last major event in Shanghai was held in collaboration with the The Condé Nast Center of Fashion & Design. Attended by over 300 people, including the panel - Carmen, Ricardo, and Shaun - as well as students, and members of the local industry. Mentoring was a hot topic, as many of the students sought advice on how to find someone to give them support in the competitive field that fashion can undoubtedly be. Carmen reiterated one of her key messages - ‘think big, start small’ - to the group and encouraged them to take advantage of the free tool that is social media to promote their brand and designs. She specified that with WeChat, a Chinese social media platform that seems to combine the best of all Western platforms, there’s never been a better time to expertly bridge between social and commercial.
Here are a few more pictures from the events:
At the Conde Nast Center of Fashion & Design.
Jerri Ng and Ricardo Ferrer
Find out more about TrustLuxe here.