As China’s economy grows, worldwide luxury brands are trying to figure out how to tap into this lucrative market. One strategy that has worked well in the last few years is for luxury brands to partner with Chinese contemporary artists. Dior, Ferragamo, Chanel, Prada, LVMH group and BMW are some of the few that are consistently promoting heavy hitter Chinese artists. Some have hung paintings in their stores, others have sponsored exhibitions and a few have had the artists design pieces for collections. Luxury Brands wants to establish a link to China in order to capture the hearts and wallets of the Chinese.

Yue Minjun sculptures in front of the Today Art Museum with a new model of Mercedes Benz, one of the sponsors of the current exhibition

One of the most recent partnerships is Li Xiaofeng and Lacoste. Li Xiaofeng is a relatively new artist on the scene but his porcelain dresses are immaculate. He was not only commissioned to make porcelain shirts for Lacoste, he also designed a limited edition Polo Shirt.

Li Xiaofeng soldier dress

Generally these partnerships are a good thing, boosting the visibility of the brand and the artist. But artist and brand be advised, the wrong images and partnerships can cause a PR disaster. Take DIOR for example.

Jing Daily: Let Luxury-Arts Partnerships Increase Art Appreciation In China
Newsweek: Chinese Artists to Reimagine Top Luxury Brands
ArtINFO: Lacoste Launches Porcelain Polo Shirts by Li Xiaofeng