Fashion show helps JD.com build high-end image

JD.com showcased six luxury Chinese brands in its London Fashion Week show on Sept 19 in a bid to transform its image from a basic e-commerce platform to a high-end marketplace.

The show, which was hosted by Eve Group, featured designs by Eve de Cina, Kevin Kelly, Ne Tiger, By Creations, HMR and X Lando, all of which have strong Chinese cultural elements.

Eve de Cina focuses on Chinese craftsmanship, using images and colors that frequently occur in traditional painting, and Ne Tiger is known for its Chinese-influenced evening gowns and wedding dresses. HMR makes jewelry that resembles scenes and settings from popular Chinese poetry.

JD.com also used the show to announce the launch of a "virtual fitting room" that allows customers to try and buy made-to-measure clothes from the brands showcased in London. The company says the virtual fitting room will generate images based on measurements provided by customers.

Xin Lijun, president of JD.com's apparel and home furnishing business unit, says the initiative is part of a strategy to provide a premium shopping experience.

"As recently as a few years ago, Chinese shoppers were less discerning about fashion. But today, if you want to be serious about selling fashion in China, you'd better be ahead of the curve, and that's what we're doing," Xin says.

The virtual fitting room is currently available only in China.

Xia Hua, chairman of Eve Group, said the 3-D fitting room allows the company to tailor high-end products.

"Our roots are in Chinese culture, so we take the art of Chinese craftsmanship and integrate that with modern designs and services," says Xia, who founded the company 22 years ago.

Olive Hou, founder of London marketing agency Olive's Choice Creative, says JD.com's fashion show has advanced its role from e-commerce platform to curator.

She says the six brands that were featured are medium to upper level Chinese brands, indicating the company's desire to be associated with premium products.

cecily.liu@chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/23/2016 page25)