The most populated country in the world has been, until recently, perceived to be a hotbed of conspicuous consumption. Luxury brands rushed in to fill the void and make a bundle. Vuitton, Prada, Burberry — you name it, you could buy it in China. And consumers were happy to show off their ability to buy.

But suddenly things have changed. The tap has been turned off and many of the luxury brands of the West that flooded China are now sitting and waiting for consumers to get back into the spending mood again. With all the consternation over Burberry's lull in its China growth, it's easy for luxury to get rattled.

Prada, however, is trying to keep its investors, employees and calm about what's going on in the Mainland. "I think we must stay calm and be less hysterical. I don't see such a dramatic market," commented Patrizio Bertelli, Prada’s CEO, according to Reuters. "We think that considering all markets at the same level is wrong. We must accept markets' diversity and adapt to different needs and traditions." In effect, Keep Calm and Brand On.Continue reading...

Samsung mocks iPhone 5 buyers in latest commercial.

Chick-fil-A backs down and vows to stop donating to anti-LGBT groups.

Visa shifts global creative duties back to BBDO.

AOL names female CFO.

AT&T faces backlash over Apple FaceTime restrictions, while CEO explains anti-texting and driving push.

Bed Bath & Beyond beats the odds.

Citibank credit card is coming to China.Continue reading...

Hedi Slimane, newly installed creative director of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion empire, is reportedly spurring the iconic brand name and signature logo created in 1961 at the inception of the house to Saint Laurent Paris. “For Slimane to make the decision to change YSL to SLP before his first collection for the label has been shown is a strong statement about regime change. Clearly, Slimane intends to do things his way," commented the Guardian.

“WWD assures us that the classic YSL logo 'will not disappear,'" reports Racked. In fact, Slimane's rebranding looks to the past as well as the future: He's hoping to tap into the sense of youth and modernity that Yves himself captured with his Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line in 1966.”

Update: Yves Saint Laurent provided the following statement to brandchannel clarifying the evolution of its branding:

The YSL logo, created by Cassandre in 1961, will remain intact and the name Yves Saint Laurent will continue to be used and represent the fashion house. The Ready-To-Wear line, originally called "Saint Laurent Rive Gauche" in 1966, will now be called "Saint Laurent Paris." Therefore the principal change will be the RTW’s name, "Saint Laurent Paris" and the fashion house will continue to go by the name Yves Saint Laurent. Continue reading...