DvF in the PRC

The Shanghai party - PHOTO: DVF Studio, via New York Times

Diane Von Furstenberg, she of the iconic wrap dress is hitting China in a BIG way, reports Jing Daily. Her Journey of a Dress retrospective of forty years in fashion has just opened at Pace Gallery in Beijing, and to celebrate, a lavish 'Red Ball' was thrown in her honour at friend and artist Zhang Huan's Shanghai studio, followed by a no less decadent affair at the US Embassy in Beijing. According to New York Times, Jessica Alba was even there.

Whilst such high-profile events create headlines, Von Fustenberg's longer term goal is a lasting presence in China, and, according to the designer herself to "sell every Chinese a t-shirt." Right now, that's ambitious: there are currently DvF stores in Beijing and Shanghai only, with plans to expand into more top-tier cities. What may well prove more effective, though, are the designer's plans for online retail, following in the footsteps of Armani, whose Chinese language store opened just last year. A step in the right direction, there's now a DvF Sina Weibo account, with a modest but respectable 20,000 fans. It will be interesting to see whether the label takes off here in China, and indeed whether there's space for yet another foreign, luxury brand. One thing's for sure, though: long-term DvF success will require more than a couple of headline-grabbing parties; rather, with so much competition from big players like Chanel, Gucci, et al, not to mention local luxury brands, a sustained persistence over time.

We'll watch and wait with interest for Ms von F's next China move, and just how many of those t-shirts she eventually sells.