Fang Fang: Decoding Pierre Cardin's 30-year brand myth

Moderator: Good morning, everybody, everybody! Visiting our TOM interview room today is the new representative of Pierre Cardin. Ms. Fang Fang is pleased to welcome you to our interview room.

Fang Fang: It is an honor.

Moderator: As far as I know, Pierre Cardin’s affairs in China have undergone some changes. Your predecessor cannot work due to special reasons. Are you in danger of coming to this position?

Fang Fang: My predecessor was the first person in the Chinese fashion scene to introduce foreign brands to China, and for the first time did a fashion show. The model was her first. She unfortunately passed away in March this year. Well, Mr. Cardin at this time, because from the time she was ill, I still have a Miss Zhang Wei as deputy chief representative. The two of us replaced her original work.

Moderator: The transfer is in a hurry?

Fang Fang: We both have been working for Pierre Cardin for more than a decade. Then I was in France. She has been working with my predecessor. We have all learned a lot, so we are not unfamiliar with the Chinese market.

Moderator: You have been in Pierre Cardin for more than 10 years. You seem to be involved in the fashion industry very early. And I think you seem to be learning English literature, a bit far from fashion. Why is it engaged in such an industry?

Fang Fang: This is a very fun thing. When I graduated, I came to China to visit relatives. My sister was looking for a job at that time. In fact, I would like to thank Ms. Song. She recruited a public relations manager at that time and was a Maxim restaurant recruiter. At that time, I Also want to play it. Then I was asked to accompany my sister, and my sister said that you didn't mean to wait for me. You went with me. As a result, she did not choose when I went with her. I was chosen.

Moderator: It seems like a lot of things?

Fang Fang: Yes. It seems to be related to Ms. Song and Pierre Cardin, so they come in.

Moderator: Do you really love this brand in your public relations or market?

Fang Fang: Yes.

Moderator: It may be more coincidental that you first entered Cardin, but after so many years of engaging in so many fashion industries, where does this brand attract you?

Fang Fang: I think first is Pierre Cardin himself, he is a very attractive great man. Because you can also see that fashion brands are slowly learning about the Chinese market. In the international market, other brands of Chinese consumers do not understand the international push. For example, like a big brand, I think there are few people like Mr. Pierre Cardin. Why are we attracted by his personality? It was Mr. Cardin who always said a word. He said that I did not use the brand to reflect the style, but also used the style to reflect the brand. What he means is that all of us who work with him understand his meaning. Our style says that this style is Pierre Cardin's style after it is taken out, rather than the name of Pierre Cardin. This is a big difference. I think the competition in the market is very fierce now. I think it is very rare for me to have my own personality.

Moderator: It seems that at first Pierre Cardin started from a foreign country, its style is very different. It may be possible to make a geometric cut. When it comes to China, it is to treat fashion culture in China. It is indeed such a pioneer in China. Now the Chinese people know this brand and its popularity is very high. However, there are indeed some situations at present. Many people may think that Pierre Cardin may have used many brands to use the brand. This is also a problem that many luxury brands face in China are too many counterfeit products. Especially for Pierre Cardin, what do you think about this issue?

Fang Fang: In fact, there are two aspects. Why there is counterfeit goods? This brand must succeed in counterfeiting people. If you are unsuccessful, there is no need to copy it. As far as I know, we are certainly not the only international brand that has been counterfeited. Like France and Italy, they are all being counterfeited. Well, we are now saying that this situation is not just in China. Mr. Pierre Cardin once told us that he said that this matter sometimes makes you feel that there is no way. He knows this market very well. He often came to China, and China, like these markets himself, had met once. At Nanjing Fashion Festival, our counter was on this side, and the counterfeit was there. He was very angry. At that time, many local newspapers reported that Pierre Cardin and fake Pierre Cardin. Mr. Cardin was very angry and pointed at the counter. For example, in Italy's sobbing shop, many bags are counterfeit when they close the door. There is no way. We do have a lot of problems with the Chinese market. We try our best to follow the industry and commerce in China. We sometimes take legal actions to crack down on this counterfeit product. At the same time, we must also ensure that we unify our own image and keep our Pierre Cardin’s style in place. These two aspects control the issue of infringement.

Moderator: Why is the phenomenon of infringement so rampant, we may have very few channels to buy genuine Pierre Cardin? I do not know if this is the reason? For example, in the Beijing market, where do you sell genuine products?

Fang Fang: We have our counters like Parkson, Wangfujing Department Store and so on.

Moderator: fake brand they will be a small shop on the roadside?

Fang Fang: Like a big shopping mall, I mean Beijing. These big shopping malls because we are more formal these things. And it is a long time. We have a long time in Lufthansa and Parkson. We have a new shop just opened in Henderson. Like this larger one, I think the mall should be genuine. What you say is most likely not ours, and they have many ways and means of counterfeiting. They now have many tricks. Let’s say register a company in Hong Kong because Hong Kong is very easy. He will register an Italian Pierre Cardin or even French Pierre Cardin in Hong Kong, and then commission a Chinese company to sell. Then he used the name of Hong Kong's Pierre Cardin and then found a company that had no connection with China's Pierre Cardin. Because we cannot register in China, we have already taken all the registrations. Or that he changed the LOGO a little bit, and then took us away.

Moderator: Today is to teach us to go to a formal shopping mall to buy, do not go to the roadside shop to buy. Big shopping mall is genuine?

Fang Fang: Fight for it.

Moderator: Because Pierre Cardin's intervention in China's market is very long, most of us see Pierre Cardin selling more men's clothing and leather goods. Many men put Pierre Cardin's belt on the outside. But actually, as far as I know, Pierre Cardin is a very big brand in foreign countries, and there are things for daily use. At present these things will come to China after you come?

Fang Fang: Women's clothing has actually been introduced into China. We all feel that Pierre Cardin men is a little stronger, that is, it is related to time. Women's clothing has just begun to take off in recent years. Women's wear is slowly being introduced to the market, and Pierre Cardin's women's wear has made Chinese consumers more aware of it. Therefore, in fact, women's clothing is in fact, in fact, you have already pointed out that other projects have already had many partners in China. For example, bed linens have just been developed in China but they have been developed and they have performed well. Like Pierre Cardin Furniture we are also looking for partners. There are also many people who would like to contact us to do these things, so I hope that in the near future, everyone will see matching supplies in the market.

Moderator: I personally particularly want to go to a shop, where is the clothes, there is furniture, so that it is very convenient to buy all the products?

Fang Fang: Yes. Then we will open it for you.

Moderator: I think this is a little more convenient, so that everyone can quickly recognize Pierre Cardin.

Fang Fang: Yes.

Moderator: Do I see the clothes you wear today are very simple and is Pierre Cardin's clothes?

Fang Fang: Yes. In fact, Pierre Cardin is concise. Mr. Cardin never pursued fashion. He said that fashionable clothes were clothes that were to be passed away. He thought that his style was the most important. Therefore, his tailoring is always very smooth and particularly simple. He often uses geometry, and colors follow the trend of the world! But his own style is reserved.

Netizens: Are the products that Cardin sells in China mainly processed in China or processed in France?

Fang Fang: Both sides have.

Moderator: Is it definitely a little more expensive abroad?

Fang Fang: We are the brand authorized way. For example, our men's wear is Tianjin, and leisure clothes are Guangdong. We give him styles. They are good or processed in the Chinese market. They can also import from abroad, both of which are available. For example, there are fabrics in two places, but like formal fabrics are imported.

Netizen: What is your underwear, Pierre Cardin produced it?

Fang Fang: Yes. But there are also counterfeits.

Moderator: How do you recognize this?

Fang Fang: Because they are generally fake now, they learn very much.

Moderator: How to identify the authentic brand?

Fang Fang: Our trademark is red, black and silver, this is similar to the imitation. We have a LOGO like this, some counterfeit make this thing a lot, with small words next to it. Our LOGO is very simple, and we may add two more points beside it. And he got a couple of hairs on top of this P on the PC. At the time of registration, it was a human head, so you would not have to look carefully.

Moderator: You must have been working in France for many years and have been working for Mr. Cardin for many years. You should know him well. How do you give us a comment on what he is like in life?

Fang Fang: He is a very funny person. He is a very energetic person.

Moderator: How old is he?

Fang Fang: 84 years old. He also drove and took us everywhere. But for him, work is his life. He is such a person. And he is a very rich interest, for example, when we go back this time, he just happens to be a book release is Pierre Cardin furniture. Thousands of people were waiting for him to sign a book. We all waited for sweat, and he felt no tiredness. When we took him to the Great Wall, he was faster than we were. He was very surprised when he was flying. How was his energy in this age so strong? There is no time difference between him and he has no problem at all.

Moderator: Does he still design?

Fang Fang: Yes. Our company's design is to be approved by him. Although there are many things that occupy a lot of his energy, he is very willing to shut himself upstairs for a day and start making clothes. Sometimes he will make two sets and three sets immediately.

Moderator: We just talked about most people in the country watching Pierre Cardin. You also talked about how to identify the situation. Then how do people in France and Europe feel about this brand abroad? So what is Pierre Cardin’s fashion situation?

Fang Fang: The Pierre Cardin brand is actually very well known in the world. This is because it is a very special year this year because this year marks the 60th anniversary of Mr. Cardin’s career and the 30th anniversary of his entry into China. So we engage in a big event, then it is a very high-end brand in all parts of the world, it is recognized by all consumers as a very high-end fashion brand. In particular, if you say that there are many specialty stores in France, unlike the business methods here, there are counters in France that are not big shopping centers, and there is a specialty store in our famous street in France. In the major cities of France there are such stores.

Moderator: Why did you not adopt such a method in China?

Fang Fang: Domestic and foreign are not the same. For example, if you want to purchase, you may want to go to the mall. You may choose a little more. We will consider doing these things if we are in an exclusive store after becoming an affiliate. So now that many consumers are willing to go to big shopping malls because there is anything, men's, women's or something. It is the convenience of consumers. For example, the underground basement supermarket is like this, and everything can be bought in that place.

Moderator: You just said that this year is a very important year for Cardin. He himself has been in business for 60 years and entered China 30 years. It is also a coincidence number. Maybe you want to do a fashion press conference here to introduce us to this situation.

Fang Fang: Mr. Pierre Cardin had a retrospective in Paris in July. He entered CD company 60 years ago. He sold the brand for the first time. Then he first boarded the Great Wall 30 years ago. This is a particularly coincident figure. Then we will have Pierre Cardin on October 14 this year. We will do the next spring and summer, and this is the release of men's and women's wear this time. Well, the location we chose was a World Trade Street on Guanghua Road. We are very much in scale. We will invite a lot of people. There is very little such table in China, and we have 100 meters. This is a very large scale and it has not yet opened its doors.

Moderator: This property has not yet opened, plus Mr. Pierre Cardin will be even more famous after coming?

Fang Fang: Yes.

Moderator: What is this trend?

Fang Fang: Spring and summer next year.

Moderator: Will he come?

Fang Fang: He will come.

Moderator: Then we are also very much looking forward to his elderly people can come again?

Fang Fang: He has come to China almost 30 times. I said that 30 times I had very strong reservations. And when he first started business in China, Ms. Song started business with him. Let's say Maxim's restaurant. I think he also came several times. So I said 30 times is very conservative.

Moderator: There are many large-scale designers like him coming to China. Other designers may not be. Why is he so?

Fang Fang: He particularly likes China. We didn't know when he came. He described to us that the time to come to China was gray, and he was the only foreign designer to come to China. At that time, there were no models and nothing. When he came, people said that you were a madman or something. How could someone buy your clothes in that place? Now he proves that what he did is correct. He said that I particularly like China. Now no one has poked me again. And he likes Chinese culture. He is a literary person and an artist. He particularly likes drama, song and dance, and movies. He feels like a place where China has an atmosphere of ancient civilization and culture, he has a kind of intimacy. Every time he was invited to him he was especially happy. This is the third time he has come to China this year.

Moderator: Does his design work incorporate Chinese fashion culture to our consumers?

Fang Fang: We originally designed a lot. He particularly likes all aspects of culture. Once he designed clothes like a Chinese pavilion, and then there was a Egyptian ancient pagoda at the time of the performance. He had traveled all over the world. There is a circle below, that is like, that is, he designed it with inspiration. At the earliest time, he designed a fur collar. We called this kind of clothes from the tunic. It was designed long ago.

Moderator: If he comes to China this time, besides participating in this press conference, it is impossible to say that it has brought us other news. Is he doing a retrospective abroad, is it possible to do a retrospective at home?

Fang Fang: We are striving for it and will be with us in this press conference. So now we are coordinating and communicating. It should be possible, but it will not be an entire retrospective. I guess it is dozens of Parisian clothes.

Moderator: You are now wearing Pierre Cardin's clothes for so many years. You are also a consumer and a woman who loves fashion. What do you think of wearing Pierre Cardin's clothes?

Fang Fang: Very comfortable.

Moderator: How about the price?

Fang Fang: I think it is more appropriate. Because it is nothing, Pierre Cardin's clothes have their own style. You say, for example, the clothes you designed more than 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and even 30 years ago are very decent. In France we have very loyal brand advocates, like government dignitaries who love our brand. They think this dress is dead.

Moderator: Is it worth keeping?

Fang Fang: Yes, right. Its clothes are very concise, and it is very convenient for you to match any outfit.

Moderator: Just now you mentioned that Pierre Cardin had been in the Chinese market for 30 years. At that time, the entire situation in China may not be very good. That is, everyone does not understand fashion, and everyone is very plain and has no color. These years have grown so much now that many luxury brands have entered China. We do not say anything about counterfeit goods. I think that competition exists and how we share a big market with them. Does Pierre Cardin have any new measures in this regard?

Fang Fang: When this issue began, we started back in March of this year. In March of this year, we did a 2006 release in 2007. I think that with the competition in the market you must maintain your own style. Some consumers like Pierre Cardin's style he will buy your clothes, other brands he will buy, but he prefers Pierre Cardin. It means that like Paris, we have a fixed customer base and are not loyal customers. We must maintain our own style. Why do we do two big events now? It's because Pierre Cardin products in the Chinese market, especially our own, are some of our Chinese partners who are producing in China. In some styles, there is a deviation from the real Pierre Cardin, and the deviation is great. Our goal is to correct this bias and let Chinese consumers see that Pierre Cardin is a very modern and very young brand. Instead of fixing the age to death, you see that the clothes I wear today are very young. It may take time. We also slowly adjust this time. We just put all of our partners, for example, to unify our image. And then Pierre Cardin's style melted it into our agents' own products. Giving consumers a new look at the Pierre Cardin brand is the most important task we need to do today.

Moderator: Regardless of both the Pierre Cardin brand and you are faced with a great opportunity, there are more things you just faced when you took office.

Fang Fang: Yes.

Moderator: How do you see the life of fashion circles? Already you have worked in this fashion circle for so many years.

Fang Fang: Very busy.

Moderator: May also be a media report, is the activity show more?

Fang Fang: Yes, I have been doing this work. And we have to participate in this exhibition, that exhibition, and also fly in the sky every day. Well, I feel like this kind of feeling that everybody sees is actually an imaginary and unreal life.

Moderator: Tell us about bitterness?

Fang Fang: For example, models need not say anything. Including when we all have to smile, you can't show it when you are tired. Of course, we have a lot of fun in our work, but there are also many things that I just said are counterfeiting, which is very trivial and annoying. I think that every company faces the same difficulties as we do. I feel that sometimes it's a bit like a showbiz. It seems to the average person that it is very beautiful and appears on the camera every day. In real life, sometimes it is cruel. Sometimes it does not mean that we are not on top of it every day. If we really work, we often sweat. If there are no reporters, we will sweat and work there.

Moderator: You are still very much in love with this brand?

Fang Fang: Yes.

Moderator: Has been working in Cardin. The problem is that you are working on a new level. What do you hope to bring to the Chinese like Pierre Cardin?

Fang Fang: I still say something again. Of course, this requires our joint efforts. And let's say we are now in the representative office established by China’s Pierre Cardin. That is a common effort of all of us. You said I took over. I took over with Zhang Wei. The greatest hope of all of us is to give consumers a brand new impression, that is, to wipe out what was originally not Pierre Cardin, and bring the things of true Pierre Cardin to everyone. We are now doing conferences and publicity. It is to tell consumers what is Pierre Cardin and not to be biased. This work is very big.

Moderator: I see your energy is very strong, very much like this job?

Fang Fang: Our company is like this. It must be energetic to engage in this line, or else it will not hold.

Moderator: We very much hope that under your leadership, let us see Pierre Cardin, who is a true face-lifter, and let us see a truly unique Pierre Cardin.

Fang Fang: We also hope so.

Moderator: Thank you very much for your time in our interview room to introduce us to the identification of Pierre Cardin and Pierre Cardin's development in the Chinese market.

Fang Fang: Thank you!

Moderator: This is the end of our interview today for netizens. If you want to know more about the situation, you can follow our TOM interview room report on Pierre Cardin. Thank you, Ms. Fang Fang, and thank you!

Fang Fang: Thank you!