boyutpedia Chapter 108: Is it a case of kings not meeting, or of avoiding my sharp edge?
Chapter 108: Is it a case of kings not meeting, or of avoiding my sharp edge?
Chapter 108: Is it a case of kings not meeting, or of avoiding my sharp edge?
One day later.
Long queues formed again outside the Yuezhi pop-up store, with some people even camping out overnight in tents, hoping to be among the first to grab Yuezhi's letter stockings when the store opened the next morning.
The reason for this buying frenzy is that Yuezhi only sells 100 pairs of stockings per day, and each pair of stockings is so scarce that they can be resold for a high price almost as soon as they are obtained.
Many female internet celebrities who were among the first to snap up the stockings have already reaped the initial benefits of increased online traffic; those who missed out are naturally not to be outdone and have joined the queue.
A major newspaper captured a scene of a group of people queuing up to buy "luxury goods" from China.
This newspaper, called "Madame," is a top French fashion newspaper. Following Karl Lagerfeld's instructions, it gave Yuezhi a secondary headline, with the headline "Chinese Fashion Brands Spark Buying Frenzy, Parisian Girls Set Up Tents Overnight to Snatch Up Goods."
Lin Mu had suggested headlines to the newspaper, such as adding phrases like "Louis Vuitton's strongest rival," but the newspaper and editor-in-chief did not accept them. After all, the newspaper relied on sponsorships from several top luxury brands to survive, and they dared not easily offend these big spenders.
A few days later, in the pop-up store, Lin Mu and Sheng Mingyue were taking stock of their gains from their trip to Paris.
The financial gain was minimal: they brought a total of 1000 pairs of stockings, priced between 20 and 50 euros, and ultimately sold them for 3 euros.
The biggest gain from their trip to Paris was actually their network of contacts.
The power of this network of connections quickly became apparent in the country.
China.
Wulin Square in Hangzhou.
The promotional materials surrounding the Moonknitting shop have been quietly changed, with the background image replaced from pure white to a real-life photo of Parisians queuing up to buy Moonknitting stockings.
The slogan was also adjusted accordingly, changing from "A new force in Chinese fashion, Louis Vuitton's strongest rival" to "A new force in Chinese fashion, a new benchmark for Chinese accessible luxury—Louis Vuitton's strictest father."
This promotional plan immediately caused an uproar among netizens. There are already many loyal fans of Louis Vuitton in China, and Nangong Xiaoxiao's friend is one of them.
She was always proud to be a Louis Vuitton VIP member, and on this day, she went shopping at Wulin Square with Nangong Xiaoxiao again.
When she saw the promotional materials and slogans on the fence, she was furious, as if her lungs had been pierced. She cursed, "This shop's methods are too despicable! They're trying to ride on Louis Vuitton's coattails! Louis Vuitton is a century-old brand that has been serving French nobility for hundreds of years. You're just a small fashion store that's only been established for a few months, and nobody even knows what you sell, yet you dare to challenge Louis Vuitton. It's utterly ridiculous!"
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The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her best friend put her hands on her hips, took out her iPhone, took a picture of the scene, and posted it online, wanting to give it a good scolding and let netizens join in criticizing the store.
Looking at the background image on the fence, Nangong Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "Is this picture real or photoshopped? A Chinese brand that could make Parisians camp out overnight to buy it?"
While editing the copy, her best friend casually replied, "It's definitely fake! Even if there really was such a buying frenzy, that store is definitely not Chinese; it's probably a new local Parisian brand. If it were true, the domestic media would have been hyping it up to the skies."
After editing the message and posting it to her personal blog, my best friend casually refreshed the page.
But this refresh surprised her greatly. A friend had shared content reposted by Tencent News and Toutiao in her feed, with the title: "Chinese brands land in Paris pop-up stores, stars gather, Parisian girls pitch tents overnight to shop, the strictest father of foreign brands has arrived!"
My best friend frowned, her face full of disbelief.
These days, as a model, she's surrounded by people who are somewhat obsessed with foreign things, and she's no exception. She simply can't understand how a "homegrown" brand from China could sell so well in Paris, the fashion capital.
She clicked into the news article and took a closer look. She discovered that the article was reprinted by domestic media, and the source of the information was well-founded. It was the same article published by the top French fashion newspaper, "Guanren".
According to the newspaper article, the Chinese brand called Yuezhi has been favored by fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld for designing hit items, and has also invited rising supermodel Illian to be its international spokesperson.
A host of celebrities gathered at the entrance of the Moonweave pop-up store, queuing up to buy the products. Moonweave's items instantly caused a sensation in the fashion world. A pair of stockings priced at 50 euros could be resold for double or triple the price. There were even rumors that the highest price was 500 euros a pair.
is this real?
Her best friend was incredulous.
If it's true, as a Chinese person, she would inevitably feel a sense of pride. But if it's false, that would be too despicable; it would be pure fabrication.
She scrolled down through the comments section and found that many people had the same question as her.
At this point, some meticulous netizens went abroad to verify the information and actually found the source. The newspaper reporting the incident was not some third-rate tabloid, but the top-tier Parisian newspaper "La Gérard" (The People of Paris). This newspaper holds a position in France comparable to a major newspaper in China, carrying considerable weight.
Her best friend was completely shocked, staring dumbfounded at the fence, muttering, "How could this be? This shop sells stockings?"
Seeing her best friend's expression, Nangong Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Her best friend handed the phone to Nangong Xiaoxiao, and after Nangong Xiaoxiao read it and understood the whole story, she was also greatly shocked.
She initially thought the store was good at marketing, but now she realizes that the store is truly capable. To gain recognition in Paris, the world's fashion capital, its aesthetics and quality must be top-notch.
Nangong Xiaoxiao also sensed a business opportunity. Pointing to the fence, she said, "Sister, this store is definitely going to be a hit! I need to find some scalpers so I can rush in and grab the goods as soon as it opens."
Her best friend thought to herself: Although the claims in the advertisements such as "Louis Vuitton's strictest father" are a bit exaggerated, she is really curious about what the products in this store are like. She would be willing to come and support the store when it opens.
Meanwhile, in the Louis Vuitton store next door.
Store manager Wang Lin was furious, her face turning ashen. She had noticed it back when the Yuezhi store was being renovated.
For some reason, the store was halfway through renovations when suddenly a partition wall was erected, deliberately piquing people's interest. Some alarmist slogans were also posted on the wall, which Wang Lin initially took as a joke.
He represents the official image of Louis Vuitton and has no reason to bother with these small domestic brands.
Unexpectedly, Yuezhi not only didn't stop, but instead became increasingly arrogant, with her promotional slogans becoming more and more exaggerated and excessive each time.
Now they're even using the term "the toughest opponent," and what's even more unsettling for Wang Lin is that those promotional images are actually real.
The Moon Weave has truly caused a sensation in Paris. He has already asked his friends in the Parisian fashion circle, and they have confirmed it. They also said that Karl Lagerfeld highly admires the Moon Weave and has even said that he would launch a collaboration between his brand and the Moon Weave.
"This is clearly a despicable business war!" Wang Lin gritted her teeth inwardly.
Everyone knows that Chanel and LV have never gotten along. Could it be that this is a blow from their hometown, which they have never met, across the ocean?
Faced with this situation, Wang Lin naturally couldn't sit idly by, so he adopted the "reporting tactic" and directly "reported to the parents," contacting the management of Wulin Square.
When Louis Vuitton opened its store in Wulin Square, the contract clearly stipulated that no counterfeit stores or similar luxury goods stores were allowed around the Louis Vuitton store, and no acts that defame or smear Louis Vuitton were permitted.
The current promotional slogan for Yuezhi has clearly triggered the contract terms.
Soon, Lin Mu and Sheng Mingyue received a reconciliation notice from the management of Wulin Square.
The mall's general manager wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a troubled tone, "Ms. Sheng, your promotional slogans really don't comply with the regulations and need to be changed."
Sheng Mingyue looked at Lin Mu, who shrugged. He had already achieved his goal of gaining attention.
However, he quickly came up with a new idea and said with a smile, "Sister Mingyue, let's create a new topic. Let's call it 'Should kings not meet, or should they avoid my sharp edge?'"