Transcription
Chinese people love LV. It's the ultimate flex for China's new money and want money crowds. But no matter how much they love LV, they love Chinese brands even more.
LV picked a fight with Molly Tea, and now carrying an LV bag basically means you're a China hater. The only place Chinese people dare to use LV these days is in the bathroom. What's behind the insane downfall? Shushu breaks it down.
Molly Tea is China's 20th largest tea and coffee chain. LV sued for trademark infringement, won the case this week, and Molly Tea was ordered to pay 10 million RMB in damages. But here's the thing, LV's iconic monogram actually pulls from traditional Chinese motifs.
This is a 1,300 year old Tang Dynasty pipa. The colors are spot on, and the design is a traditional sherd even pattern. Then there's all these ancient artifacts, and I'll literally bet you. Go to any city in China, there'll be windows and floor tiles with the exact same look.
So Chinese people be saying, "LV, you're a foreign brand who took a Chinese pattern, trademarked it, and now you're suing the very people you took it from? Hell nah. That's some cultural robbery." China went insane over this story. You got people flooding Molly Tea stores, showing support for the homegrown Chinese brand.
But LV's where the Chinese internet absolutely cooked. Remember that these patterns are everywhere in China, including the windows of public bathrooms. And speaking of bathrooms, did you know LV is actually just short for lavatory? Here's one in rural Hunan, and if you've ever gotten a whiff of an LV bag, Mhm. Doesn't that take you right back to a porta potty on a summer day?
No cap, if you're still carrying LV in China, you're either a China hater or a bathroom lover, according to Chinese social media. Legit the only place you'll still see these bags in China is in the bathroom, holding your ass wiping tissues. The internet hate's gotten so big, it's actually hurting LV sales. Bags are already down 10 to 20% in China's resale market.
But let Let ask you, is all this hate fair? Is the Chinese internet overreacting here? Or did LV ask for this when it started claiming traditional Chinese culture for its own profits?