Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 37 Week of 20 October 2025
(1) L’Oréal’s Kering acquisition fuels its China fragrance ambitions
Personal care giant adds Creed, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga to its portfolio, unlocking fragrance potential in China’s underdeveloped market.
(2) Louis Vuitton in Chengdu: A case study in localized luxury
The Louis Vuitton City Guide is no longer just cultural marketing — it has become one of the brand’s most valuable IPs and a long-term bet on brand equity.
(3) Diesel parent bullish about China market prospects
OTB Group, the parent of Italian denim specialist Diesel and owner of luxury brands including Maison Margiela, is positive on the Chinese market and is investing more in it, founder and chairman Renzo Rosso said.
(4) Kim Jones Appointed Creative Director of Bosideng’s New Premium Sub-Label
The Chinese outerwear giant tapped the veteran designer to lead its new high-end urbanwear line, Areal.
(1) L’Oréal’s Kering acquisition fuels its China fragrance ambitions
(Photo Credit: Jing Daily)
L’Oréal’s €4 billion ($4.6 billion) all-cash acquisition of Kering Beauté—expected to close in early 2026—marks a seismic shift in the luxury beauty landscape, granting L’Oréal ownership of Creed and long-term licenses for Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga’s fragrance lines. For Kering, divesting its beauty arm (despite its 421% YoY revenue surge to €323 million in 2024) aligns with refocusing on reviving core fashion houses amid Gucci’s decline, while L’Oréal strengthens its dominance by integrating these iconic brands into its existing portfolio of YSL, Armani, and Prada Beauty.
The deal capitalizes on fragrance as China’s fastest-growing yet underpenetrated luxury category (below 5% adoption vs. Europe), where Creed’s heritage and L’Oréal’s retail ecosystem can transform scent into an experiential identity for young consumers. L’Oréal’s parallel investments in Asian niche brands like China’s To Summer and Seoul’s gender-fluid Borntostandout reflect a dual strategy: leveraging Western legacy while tapping into regional innovation, evidenced by Tmall data showing niche fragrances growing twice as fast as established ones (10% vs. 5%).
This acquisition underscores luxury beauty’s consolidation trend, where specialized giants like L’Oréal eclipse independent efforts. Kering gains liquidity to stabilize its fashion operations (after H1 2025 revenue fell 16% and Gucci sales dropped 26%), while L’Oréal cements its prestige hierarchy. The included 50/50 wellness joint venture signals evolving boundaries between beauty, lifestyle, and collaboration-driven growth, reflecting a structural pivot in luxury’s future model.
News Source: https://jingdaily.com/posts/l-oreal-s-kering-acquisition-fuels-its-china-fragrance-ambitions
(2) Louis Vuitton in Chengdu: A case study in localized luxury
(Photo Credit: Jing Daily)
Louis Vuitton launched its City Guide: Chengdu Edition this October through a pop-up space titled “Chengdu Chill” at Regular Yuanye cultural venue, transforming the traditional travel guide into a multi-sensory brand narrative. The initiative embedded the brand within Chengdu’s relaxed local culture—known for tea houses and leisure—by integrating the new “Journey to China” fragrance collection, updating The Hall’s menu with local flavors, and creating a “books, scent, food” matrix that elevates travel storytelling into an experiential commercial loop.
Building on long-term insights into Chengdu, Louis Vuitton collaborated with poet Zhai Yongming for the guide’s update and designed the pop-up within Regular Park’s industrial aesthetic, featuring a traditional Sichuan opera stage to bridge heritage with contemporary settings. The space hosted interactive activities like tea readings, calligraphy workshops, and chef classes, while opening night events—such as bamboo weaving, sugar painting, storytelling, and live music—fostered a cross-generational cultural dialogue, amplifying engagement through its WeChat Mini Program and generating over 1.14 million views on Xiaohongshu.
This Chengdu activation continues Louis Vuitton’s regionalized approach, following 2023’s “Hello, Shanghai” pop-up at Fotografiska and its Chinese-language podcast, and 2024’s “Beijing Fun” multi-location events. The introduction of the “Journey to China” scents—Rain Tea, Ink Mark, Moon Tale—blends international perfumery with East Asian aesthetics, using snuff bottle-inspired designs to merge cultural motifs with luxury. Together, these efforts map a multidimensional, locally-grounded brand presence in China, balancing global prestige with intimate urban engagement.
News Source: https://jingdaily.com/posts/title-louis-vuitton-in-chengdu-a-case-study-in-localized-luxury
(3) Diesel parent bullish about China market prospects
(Photo Credit: Diesel/Facebook)
Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, during his visit to China marking the brand’s 20th anniversary, reaffirmed his commitment to investing in the country despite a downturn, stating that market challenges present opportunities to secure better retail spaces at lower costs. While OTB Group (Diesel’s parent company) is restructuring its store network by closing underperforming locations, it continues to open in premium spots, reflecting Rosso’s long-term confidence in China’s scale and strategic importance to global luxury.
Rosso noted that OTB outperformed the broader market in 2024, achieving slight growth while many competitors declined, attributing this resilience to strategic positioning and adaptability. His optimism aligns with recent industry signals, such as LVMH’s report of improved Chinese demand sparking an $80 billion sector rally, though China’s luxury market remains pressured by property crises, job insecurity, and trade tensions.
OTB, which owns Jil Sander and reported €1.8 billion ($2.11B) in 2024 turnover (a 4.4% drop), postponed its IPO from 2024 to 2026, with Rosso emphasizing no financial urgency due to strong cash flow. His focus remains on organic growth and strategic investments in China, underscoring a patient, confidence-driven approach to navigating global economic uncertainties.
News Source: https://insideretail.asia/2025/10/17/diesel-parent-bullish-about-china-market-prospects/
(4) Kim Jones Appointed Creative Director of Bosideng’s New Premium Sub-Label
(Photo Credit: The Industry Fashion)
Kim Jones is taking his signature blend of street and luxury to China. The British designer, best known for reshaping the look of luxury menswear at Louis Vuitton and Dior and serving as artistic director of Fendi, has been named creative director of Areal, a new high-end urban wear line by Bosideng, one of China’s largest outerwear retailers.
The appointment, confirmed to Fashion Network by Bosideng creative director Pietro Ferragina, signals the company’s growing ambition to position itself as a global brand. The vision for the new line, which will carry a higher price point, is to offer clothes that fuse Bosideng’s technical outerwear heritage with a high-end, city-centric aesthetic. Ferragina described Areal to Fashion Network as a “capsule” that will be distributed at two pop-ups and 50 stores in China this autumn.
Shanghai-based Bosideng, known for its down jackets and functional performance gear, reported sales over $3 billion last year and has expanded internationally in the last decade, selling in 72 countries. The brand staged its first show at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, and previously collaborated with Jean Paul Gaultier in 2019 and 2020.
