With high-end brands coming under closer scrutiny for the value of seemingly frivolous luxury goods, players must keep an eye on public opinion.
From Balenciaga’s $1,850 “tattered shoes” to the “leaky” 11,000 RMB ($1,649) Gucci x Adidas umbrella, pricey, yet “useless” luxury items have been met with an onslaught of criticism and ridicule in China lately, drawing over 420 million and 140 million views respectively on China’s top microblogging site Weibo.
Despite Gucci quickly changing the product name of their leaky umbrella to “parasol,” the brand was still met with an online firestorm. Their website stated that “the product is not recommended as an everyday umbrella but is suitable for use as a daily accessory with good collector’s value,” but this only further fueled public outcry. Read the full article from 13 July 2022 on Jing Daily here.
