Chow Tai Fook Shanghai pop-up: Key takeaways
- After heated online debate over a traditional Chinese design in luxury branding, CTF have deployed the motif in question
- They do it in a way that looks a lot like they’re taunting Louis Vuitton
- Clearing up whether or not that was the plan is probably not a good idea
Chow Tai Fook (周大福) has opened a limited-run experiential pop-up in Shanghai. Its theme: the baoxiang flower. That wouldn’t be major news except for the fact this flower and the Tang dynasty motifs it often features in have become caught up in one of the country’s most closely watched luxury trademark disputes.
Should any brand be able to copyright a motif from traditional Chinese art?
The controversy began in late June when a court ruling declared Molly Tea had infringed Louis Vuitton’s registered trademarks. LV’s four-petalled flower was at the centre of the case. But the verdict ignited backlash when Chinese social media picked up on uses of the pattern in traditional Chinese art.
Their argument wasn’t that either brand’s logo was identical to an ancient design. It was that no modern brand should be able to claim ownership of a design with roots in Chinese decorative heritage.
Online commenters have joked that LV should sue its wealthy neighbour
And that’s how Chow Tai Fook’s use of baoxianghua becomes more than a conventional heritage-led product story. But that’s not all. The pop-up is running at Shanghai’s Grand Gateway 66 mall in full view of a Louis Vuitton store.
CTF hasn’t publicly positioned the pop-up as a response to the LV case. But its location and imagery have made that an interpretation people have found difficult to avoid. Online commenters have joked that LV should sue its wealthy neighbour. Others called the activation a reminder of where four-petalled floral design languages originated.
The Dao view: Chow Tai Fook best keep quiet about the purpose of their Shanghai pop-up
CTF hasn’t said they’re taking aim at LV. They probably shouldn’t make a statement either way. By leaving the question open, they’re inviting people to talk, and talk is what they were surely after when they decided to deploy a design newly at the centre of a high-profile controversy. It was a cheeky move, but quite a way to insert yourself into the conversation – especially for a brand that’s got such strong Chinese heritage.
