Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 72 Week of 6 July 2026
(1) Louis Vuitton Awarded RMB 10.3 Million in Trademark Infringement Case Against Molly Tea
A Chinese court has ordered bubble tea chain Molly Tea to pay Louis Vuitton (LV) RMB 10.3 million in damages for using a floral pattern strikingly similar to LV’s iconic Monogram. The brand, which operates nearly 2,500 stores in China, must also cease using the infringing logo across all platforms.
(2) Adrian Cheng’s Associates Quietly Acquire Stakes in French Luxury Brand Au Départ and Other Overseas Labels
Associates of Adrian Cheng, founder of ALMAD Group and former CEO of New World Development, have quietly acquired stakes in several overseas luxury and streetwear brands, including 192-year-old French leather goods house Au Départ, streetwear label Alyx, and Italian vintage brand Wild Donkey.
(3) Hong Kong Fashion Design Week Sets September Date to Showcase Global Creative Rhythm
Hong Kong’s premier fashion event returns this September 1–14 with the theme “Rhythm of the Heart”. Merging with the CENTRESTAGE trade show, the festival will present eight flagship programs showcasing the vibrant pulse of Asian design, making it a must-watch event for global entertainment and lifestyle followers.
(4) K-Fashion Wave: KKR-Backed Musinsa Ramps Up Asian Retail Blitz Ahead of Multi-Billion Dollar IPO
South Korean fashion giant Musinsa is spearheading a massive Asian store expansion ahead of an estimated $8.3 billion IPO. Capitalizing on the global K-culture wave, the retailer plans 100 stores in China and flagships in Japan, cementing K-fashion as the next major export alongside K-pop.
(1) Louis Vuitton Awarded RMB 10.3 Million in Trademark Infringement Case Against Molly Tea
(Photo Credit: CCTV)
The Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province has ruled in favour of Louis Vuitton in a trademark Infringement case against Shenzhen-based bubble tea chain Molly Tea, ordering the company to pay RMB 10.3 million in damages.
The court found that Molly Tea had used a four-petal floral graphic pattern highly similar to LV’s registered Monogram motif across its brand logo, store decor, and product packaging. LV holds seven registered trademarks for the four-petal floral pattern, which has been used extensively on its luxury products and enjoys high market recognition.
The court further noted that Molly Tea has applied to register the four-petal floral trademark in March 2024 but the application was rejected for “invalid trademark” reasons, indicating the brand was aware of the infringement risk before rolling out its rebranding in late 2024. The court ordered Molly Tea to cease using the infringing logo across all operations, including physical stores and online platforms, and to publish public statements on its website, Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and its mini-program to eliminate the adverse effects.
The case has attracted widespread attention in China’s consumer sector. Molly Tea operates nearly 2,500 stores in China and over 50 overseas outlets across the US, Canada, the UK, and Thailand. The company had previously launched legal action against its US franchise partner in June over alleged trademark misuse, before itself being found liable for trademark infringement against LV.
News Source: https://finance.cctv.com/2026/07/03/ARTIpIr9rZwjYz5MRIsJvgpb260703.shtml
(2) Adrian Cheng’s Associates Quietly Acquire Stakes in French Luxury Brand Au Départ and Other Overseas Labels
(Photo Credit: Ming Pao)
According to Economic Daily investigation, associates of Adrian Cheng, founder of ALMAD Group and former CEO of New World Development have quietly taken stakes in multiple overseas luxury and streetwear brands, significantly expanding his fashion business portfolio.
French media reports from 2017 indicated that Cheng’s family holding company Chow Tai Fook Enterprises had acquired Au Départ, the 192-year-old Parisian Luxury leather goods brand. However, corporate filings show that the operating entity, Au Depart Entity Limited, has since transferred its parent company to Au Depart (HK) Holdings. Key personnel across multiple Au Départ entities include So Sze Wan (K11 by AC Limited’s Chief Legal Officer) and Kun Zhang-who shares the name and age of the founder of ShanShui Capital, a Hong Kong investment firm that previously acquired a stake in Citybus.
Cheng also holds a controlling stake of over 75% in Wild Donkey, an Italian vintage brand with So Sze Wan appointed as a director in November 2024. The report suggests Cheng is quietly building a diversified luxury and streetwear portfolio spanning French heritage leather goods, contemporary streetwear, and Italian craftsmanship.
This move aligns with a broader trend of Greater China investors acquiring stakes in European luxury and fashion brands, seeking to leverage Asian market growth and distribution networks.
News Source: https://finance.mingpao.com/fin/instantf/20260706/
(3) Hong Kong Fashion Design Week Sets September Date to Showcase Global Creative Rhythm
(Photo Credit: HK01)
The third annual “Hong Kong Fashion Design Week” (Hong Kong Fashion FashionFest) is officially scheduled to take place from September 1 to 14, 2026. Centered around the theme “Rhythm of the Heart,” the mega-event aims to highlight the city’s unique cultural pulse and its status as a leading global fashion hub. Spearheaded and funded by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the HKSAR Government, this year’s festival marks a major milestone by integrating with CENTRESTAGE, Hong Kong’s prominent international fashion trade show, to create unprecedented industry synergy.
The two-week extravaganza will feature eight flagship programs organized by six major industry institutions. Lawmaker Sunny Tan, representing the Textiles and Garment sector, emphasized that the festival is strategically designed to align with international fashion calendars, thereby channelling global industry attention and creative energy directly into Hong Kong. For foreign lifestyle and entertainment enthusiasts, the event offers an unparalleled look into Asian design talent, cross-cultural collaborations, and high-production runway spectacles that blend local heritage with cutting-edge global trends.
(4) K-Fashion Wave: KKR-Backed Musinsa Ramps Up Asian Retail Blitz Ahead of Multi-Billion Dollar IPO
(Photo Credit: Bloomberg)
Musinsa Co., South Korea’s dominant fashion platform, is launching an aggressive offline retail expansion across Asia to challenge incumbents like Uniqlo and fuel momentum for a highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO). Backed by global private equity giant KKR & Co., the Seoul-based company aims to reach a valuation of up to 10 trillion won ($8.3 billion), making it one of the region’s largest upcoming market debuts.
To demonstrate global scalability, Musinsa plans to establish 100 brick-and-mortar stores in China by 2030, alongside flagship outlets in Japan—including a high-profile launch in Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya district in mid-2026. The retailer is also planning near-term expansions into Southeast Asian hubs, including Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
This massive retail push leverages the global surge of “K-Culture,” where international obsession with K-pop and K-beauty has organically spilled over into South Korean street style and lifestyle trends. Anchored by its highly popular private label Musinsa Standard, the platform is transitioning from an online sneaker community into a global powerhouse. Additionally, Musinsa acts as a creative incubator, investing heavily in independent streetwear labels to export authentic Korean youth culture directly to global consumers.
News Source: https://themalaysianreserve.com/2026/07/02/kkr-backed-musinsa-ramps-up-asia-store-push-ahead-of-ipo/
