Schaffhausen,
12
April
2021
|
15:53
Europe/Amsterdam

CHINESE FASHION ENTREPRENEUR LU YAN IS APPOINTED IWC’S LATEST BRAND AMBASSADOR

Schaffhausen, 12th April 2021 – IWC Schaffhausen is proud to announce fashion entrepreneur Lu Yan as its newest brand ambassador. Following a globally successful career as one of the first Chinese supermodels, Yan is now the founder of COMME MOI, an internationally-renowned womenswear label she set up in 2013.

“It’s an honour to partner with such an iconic brand. I am a champion for creativity and always push my label to innovate, especially when it comes to sustainability. IWC mirrors me in this respect, blending technical ingenuity, timeless luxury and a commitment to adding value to society. Whilst I make pure and uncomplicated clothes for modern women, empowering them to dress authentically for their multi-faceted lives, IWC delivers the same elegant aesthetic, creating watches women like me want to wear. We are a natural fit,” explained Yan.

She is widely regarded as one of China’s first supermodels. After starting her modelling career in France in 1999, she enjoyed incredible global success, gracing runways and magazine covers worldwide. In 2013 Yan decided to retire from modelling to launch her own womenswear label.

Still at the helm of COMME MOI, eight years later, her hands-on role encompasses everything from design to production, supply chain to marketing. Her versatility of purpose and sustainable outlook inspires the signature style of her designs, known for their luxurious minimalism and practical wearability. With fifteen stores in Mainland China, the label is a firm fashion favourite, so much so that Yan was awarded a position on The Business of Fashion 500, the definitive professional index of industry leaders.

Franziska Gsell, CMO IWC Schaffhausen
“COMME MOI’s luxurious and timeless elegance and LU’s own passion and creativity dovetail perfectly with IWC. She shares our belief in the power of innovation and also places sustainability and responsibility at the heart of her brand. As individuals, we strive to make to make the world a better place to live, and I’m excited to see what we can now achieve together,”
Franziska Gsell, CMO IWC Schaffhausen

As well as being incredibly influential in the Chinese fashion industry, Yan has long been a devoted charity campaigner. She participated in Teach China’s volunteering program, ‘Hands up and change the future in two years’ and is also a dedicated advocate for education. As part of its wideranging commitment to sustainability, IWC works hard to promote education and young people’s wellbeing and has done so for many years through its various charitable projects, including Laureus Sport for Good and the Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

COMME MOI

Founded by Lu Yan in 2013, COMME MOI is French for ‘like me’, reflecting the brand ideology to enable modern women to approach life with a dynamic attitude and to swiftly transition from one role to another, professionally and personally. Every design aims to empower the woman wearing it to express her authentic self. By offering effortlessly chic pieces made from high-quality fabric tailored to perfection, COMME MOI collections are distinguished by their expert craftsmanship and perfect attention to detail.

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.

Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.

IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.