American fashion brand Michael Kors on Thursday announced the launch of a digital flagship store on Tmall and the Tmall Luxury Pavilion, Alibaba Group’s dedicated platform for luxury and premium goods.
The launch will mark its first e-commerce channel in China, apart from its own site, offering consumers the full line of clothing sold offline, as well as a selection of handbags and footwear. The brand said Tmall would be its main destination for debuting products in China, including new items that will be exclusive to the platform – not sold anywhere else in the world.
“We are excited to launch our new Michael Kors digital flagship on Tmall and Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion,” said John D. Idol, chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings Ltd., parent of Michael Kors, as well as luxury fashion brands Versace and Jimmy Choo. “Consumers are becoming more digitally engaged with luxury shopping in China and Tmall Luxury Pavilion is the perfect venue for us to communicate Michael Kors’ brand vision.”
Michael Kors said it would hold a series of activations in the coming months, including during New York Fashion Week in September, to celebrate the flagship’s grand opening. To celebrate the upcoming Chinese Valentine’s Day, on Aug. 7, Michael Kors launched a special capsule collection featuring graffiti-inspired clothing, handbags, footwear, jewelry and wristwatches.
“Michael Kors is an iconic, beloved brand and we are delighted to partner with them as they look to accelerate their momentum in the Chinese market. This collaboration will bring both exciting products and elevated shopping experiences to the more than 700 million Chinese consumers on our platforms,” said Jiang Fan, president of Taobao and Tmall.
Launched in 2017, Tmall Luxury Pavilion now offers over 115 brands, ranging from apparel and beauty items to watches and luxury cars, including Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Valentino, Burberry, Tod’s, Versace, Stella McCartney, Moschino, Gentle Monster, Giuseppe Zanotti, MCM, Maserati, LVMH-owned Rimowa, Guerlain, Givenchy, Tag Heuer and Zenith. Tmall said it wants to double that number by the end of the fiscal year next March.
