Hermes tests the European appetite for his young Chinese brand
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Sunglasses Shang Xia , which is to revive destroyed in the Chinese craft that had almost fully felt by the Chinese Cultural Revolution , including the old types of porcelain , furniture and Kashmir, part of a new generation of Chinese brands make their way into the goods market European luxury sung .
The young brand hopes its showcase Paris, just a few meters from the Hermès boutique , help its profile among European customers , as well as the legions of Chinese tourists in the French capital every year.
"This morning I have three pairs of shoes to Chinese tourists who have discovered sold the brand," said artistic director and chief Shang Xia Jiang Qiong Er, which owns 10 percent of the company. Hermes control another 90 percent.
Last year, the Chinese luxury brand shoes Stella Luna has opened its first European store in the trendy boulevard of Paris Saint- Germain.
Shang Xia is the brainchild of Patrick Thomas, CEO leaving the French brand that wants to challenge the view that products are made in China is synonymous with poor quality.
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About 90 percent of the Shang Xia products that are a € 4,000 ( $ 5.300 ) with son china tea set hand-woven bamboo and 4,700 € cashmere felt coat are made in China .
Thomas, who led Hermès since 2006 , as Chairman of the Shang Xia time he plays the reins of the group Hermes family member Axel Dumas, 43 remain , in February next year .
Despite the recent slowdown in economic growth in China, Hermes is not only to support the growth potential of Chinese brands.
Last year, the French bought luxury and sports Kering group , formerly known as PPR Qeelin Chinese jewelry brand known for its animal form and motifs known from the French Guillaume Brochard , co-founder husband Jiang .
Swiss luxury group Richemont holds Chinese fashion brand Shanghai Tang , and L' Oreal who paid already owned cosmetics brand Yue Sai , last month to add $ 840 million to specialized magical mask holding its Chinese portfolio .
Hermes has an average of more than 10 million euros (13.3 million dollars) spent a year on Shang Xia since its inception in 2008. Today the brand is less than 10 million annual turnover and aims to achieve a balance in the next two to three years , Jiang said .
Shang Xia , ie up and down, plans to spend his first store , which opened in Shanghai in 2010 to larger premises next year. He also had a shop in Beijing since 2012 , but now it is not intended to continue its expansion .
" We want to grow slowly ," Jiang told reporters .
"It took me years to find the right know- how of the craftsmen ," Jiang said , adding that roamed China, had his followers designers , cafe and a team that is . Looking for craftsmen
"The challenge for me and my staff will be hollow to people who are willing to be trained to find ," she said, adding that the younger generations now prefer to learn in bars and cafes where they work, could work a day, when he took to learn a year like bamboo to weave son.
The brand also sells wood furniture Ming dynasty inspired only assembled with mortise and tenon joints .
In China , Jiang said that the customers who were Communist Party officials were " happy to discover the traditional crafts of the country. "
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Jiang , who studied art in Paris , ran his own jewelry business and interior design before Shang Xia .