Interview: Jing Wei
Interview: Jing Wei
We talk to the luxury specialist about her work with brands such as Hakkasan, Burlington Arcade and British fragrance house ROJA, her unique celebrations for Lunar New Year, and how she combines the best of Eastern and Western culture in her campaigns…
Your Lunar New Year celebrations at Burlington Arcade are creating quite an impression. Tell us more…
Promoting Chinese culture in the UK requires deep knowledge of both Eastern and Western aesthetics, and a solid understanding of Western audiences’ cultural preferences, who increasingly appreciate intimate, exquisite and niche art forms. This year, we’ve introduced the ancient and elegant incense-making art of China’s imperial court, along with the traditional craft of lacquered fans which became significant during the Eastern Han Dynasty and reached their peak in craftsmanship during the Tang Dynasty; here, they were prized collectibles amongst the royal family and nobility. The fusion of China’s ancient culture with an historic British landmark in this innovative and inclusive city has created a vibrant intersection of Eastern and Western cultures. We’ve chosen the vibrant and positive colour yellow as the theme to create the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year, complemented by decorative elements symbolising the Snake from the Chinese zodiac.
Interactive art installations such as a Chinese wishing tree at my client, the renowned Hakkasan restaurant – whose backdrop features Chinese paper-cutting art – add to the festival’s London impact. The eatery’s drinks menu features ice cubes inspired by Chinese seals, and the dishes and desserts are infused with Chinese aesthetics, igniting considerable interest!
What do you love about London?
London is a diverse city where I have lived for almost 15 years. I cherish London’s creativity, multiculturalism and artistic atmosphere, and to me, it is the most culturally accepting city globally. Here in the capital, you can experience delectable dishes from all over the world, view exhibitions of copious internationally renowned artists, and enjoy innovative fashion presentations of independent and emerging designers. What I love the most is that London is not only full of creativity and uniqueness, but it also retains so much history, with countless centuries-old British brands dripping in heritage and adhering to their quality craftsmanship.
Where are some of your favourite places?
I have a deep connection with Burlington Arcade, not only because I have worked with them for many years, but also because it is one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world, full of British character. There are many royal warrant holders that serve the British royal family. I also adore Mayfair’s Bacchanalia restaurant – last year, we held the VOGUE China show within Apollo’s Muse – London’s most exclusive room within Bacchanalia, inspired by ancient wonders of the world and home to antiquities dating back to 2AD; it truly feels like a living museum, equipped with ancient Greek and Roman sculptures.
Tell us the biggest highlights of your career and what you love about what you do…
My company guides luxury retail and hospitality brands on entering the Asian market, and simultaneously hosts copious art and fashion events in the UK and China. My greatest career highlights must include bringing the outstanding British luxury retail brands into the Asian market successfully – not only working on their brand promotion with leading Asian partners and creating high traffic engagement but also helping brands to develop their distribution channels in Asia.
Another highlight of mine is I love to host East Meets West cultural and art exchange events in the UK and Asia and witness the blending of different aesthetics and cultures. Each time we host these special London moments, we invite renowned Chinese partners to collaborate with British brands. The greatest challenges are the language barrier, and the cultural and different customs barriers between two partners, however this is also what I am passionate about – overcoming these difficulties to truly highlight the characteristics and advantages of the East and the West; to integrate the advantages of both sides.
How do you view the Chinese market in today’s world?
Recent figures show that China’s luxury market remains the second largest in the world and has been growing rapidly. Its rising ultra-rich and middle classes have substantial purchasing power and a growing appetite for high-end products. Five years ago, most Chinese consumers preferred top luxury brands, but recently they have gradually shifted to increasingly favour niche and high-quality British brands.
For the UK luxury hospitality sector, more bespoke independent restaurants and hotels have also begun to heavily attract Chinese clientele, with recommendations and exposure from local Chinese in the UK and Chinese tourists on the market’s respective social media platforms. For example, in the latest Little Red Book (Red note) list for the most worthwhile restaurants in London for 2025 Chinese New Year, I was delighted to see more than 500 posts over a 20 day period, with Hakkasan London winning the top spot.
What is your ethos when it comes to combing Eastern and Western cultures?
My ethos is that either Western or Eastern audiences should appreciate our projects after experiencing them. For example, one of our projects has been to create a traditional luxury mooncake hamper in London to celebrate China’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Numerous leading luxury brands produce mooncake hampers as complimentary gifts to attract Asian consumers during the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, however our project was for the century-old London landmark, Burlington Arcade – the jewel of Mayfair. We invited Haidilao, a well-known Chinese restaurant group, to cooperate in this project, whose head chef made delicious mooncakes with beautiful Burlington Arcade’s rosette shape and unique flavouring, whilst the packaging encompassed a Burlington Arcade illustration by a local British artist.
What excites you about the luxury sector in the years ahead?
I am very much looking forward to seeing more unique and innovative campaigns from Asian brands within the luxury sphere. One of my favourite projects in recent years is Prada’s Shanghai pop-up, opening a Prada-style supermarket selling fruit and vegetables with Prada packaging. It was an outstanding campaign which we at UK Sunshine Digital continue to refer to for inspiration and thinking outside the box. I am excited to view and be part of further beautifully creative campaigns such as this within the Asian Market. I am equally looking forward to the visual and traffic sparks generated by AI and the luxury industry in the coming years.
What are the big challenges?
I feel the big challenges are that since our industry is gradually changing, consumers are becoming increasingly particular, and there is fierce competition amongst sector brands. This encourages and somewhat forces premium brands to be innovative and interact with consumers much more closely and with purpose. It is a challenge for luxury labels who consistently need to present detailed and meaningful campaigns to attract their astute target audience.
