Packaging chinoiserie

Brands tap traditional designs to ride national pride in China's rise and boost sales

Red-crowned cranes, phoenixes, clouds, traditional Chinese style gardens and architecture－elements of chinoiserie－have become more prevalent in consumer goods like clothes, cosmetics and food products, spurring a niche business with tremendous growth opportunities.

Chinoiserie (pronounced shin-wah-zay-ree), which started as an 18th-century decorative style in art, architecture and furniture that used Chinese motifs and techniques, is now so dear to young Chinese consumers that they prefer to buy products that embody the style. They believe such products make a statement about their personality.

Chinese sports brand Li-Ning understands the significance of this trend. Ever since it began to integrate innovative Chinese styles, designs and cultural elements into its sportswear and footwear, the brand regained popularity among young consumers.

Last year, Li-Ning's sales revenue reached 10.51 billion yuan ($1.48 billion), up more than 18 percent year-on-year. It was the first time that the figure exceeded 10 billion yuan, and generated a net profit of 715 million yuan, up almost 39 percent year-on-year, according to its annual earnings report.

"In the past, most fashion trends in China, such as jeans, suits, and T-shirts printed with English letters, came from abroad. In recent years, however, Chinese consumers started to recognize their own culture more. I think a T-shirt printed with Chinese characters is very good-looking as well," said Stella Tian, 27, a bank employee in Beijing.

Zhang Qinghui, chairman of the China Fashion Association, said the re-emergence of chinoiserie as a fashion hot trend, was inevitable, given the country's rapid economic growth, and the attendant national pride.

"The phenomenon shows the cultural consciousness of young Chinese consumers and their recognition of local cultural elements. It also indicates their diversified and individualized spending preferences," Zhang said.

Nancy Lyu, a sales manager working with a foreign company in Beijing, recently cultivated a new hobby-carving colorful traditional Chinese-style stickers from creative printed materials and adorning her cosmetic and jewelry boxes with them. The beautiful and delicate designs, she said, generate a certain calming, feel-good factor in her mind. Besides, the different colors of the stickers act like a code, making each box distinct and easily recognizable.

She bought more than 30 varieties of such sticker sheets from the Forbidden City's online outlet on Tmall, which sells creative cultural products. Tmall is an online marketplace for established Chinese brands, operated by Alibaba Group.

Lyu's fascination for Chinese art and patterns may have started when she bought a box of lipstick tubes co-launched by the Forbidden City and a domestic brand. The box itself sported traditional palace style patterns. In addition, the cube-like base of each lipstick tube had similar floral patterns.

A big box of six such lipstick tubes, with each carrying a distinct color, cost 1,199 yuan, while a single one is retailed for 199 yuan. More than 3,000 such products sold on Tmall in October alone.

Besides, the e-store sells products like notebooks, scarves, accessories like necklaces and earrings, tea sets, phone cases, and many other consumer goods, all embellished with creative designs that are reminiscent of chinoiserie.

"I started to love chinoiserie because of the designs of the Forbidden City. Women often buy something because of their beautiful packaging, and not entirely out of practical considerations," she said.