After the pandemic, Italian fashion houses make their move

Italian fashion brands Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Prada, and Salvatore Ferragamo are planning a major push into China in the post-pandemic era on the back of booming sales.

• Dolce & Gabbana plans to open a new boutique in Shanghai’s Citic Square soon.
• Prada co-opted a grocery store in Shanghai last week to sell vegetables wrapped in its logo.
• Ferragamo has launched pop-up stores in Hong Kong and Beijing.

The context: D&G’s sales rebounded some 20% this year, approaching pre-pandemic levels, and Ferragamo’s are up 83% in Q2. But Italian luxury is facing strong competition from Chinese brands like ICY, who have been able to avoid political trouble such as controversies over Xinjiang cotton, and publicity mishaps like Dolce & Gabbana’s controversial video of a Chinese model awkwardly eating Italian food with chopsticks.