Asian women in the 21stC
I read this article, 'China in their hands, world at their beck and call’ in the Indo the other day. More and more Chinese women are in China now earn more money and have more choices. Materialism is on the up and up.
In 21st-century China, expectations of women – and the expectations they have of themselves – have become so complicated that it would be hardly surprising to see a woman steelworker step out of a Maoist propaganda poster clutching a Chanel handbag in one hand and cradling a baby on her other arm.
As I chatted with a friend of mine the other night, some acquintaces of his were trying to set him up with a Chinese girl. But he was a bit turned off after being warned that she is has expensive tastes when it comes to shopping. He can’t quite understand why? What is so important about these rip-off items that Chinese women fall head-over-heels over? But it’s fundamentally there, every women secretly wants to be lavished on. And none more so than the Asian women.
Before China became as wealthy as they are now (at a phenomonal rate), it was predominantly Chinese women from the wealthy countries like Hong Kong (before crash in 97), Singapore and Japan (they still spend even though the economy has been in great depression). You can see it, in the last decade, it was just HK, Singaporeans and Japanese tour groups. Now it’s dominated by Chinese tourists from Mainland China. It’s incredible. All the expensive (high street) stores don’t care, money (more so cash) are rolling in for them.
For me, I don’t really care for Gucci, LV, Dior etc., but for many, it’s new found status symbol. Materialism has spread like wildfire in China (to those who can afford it). Then there are those who love the labels, but do not like paying for its high price, and get rather cheaper knockoffs in China on their holidays. Yes, tourists love it there for that. As for me, I don’t really care about that either. 
UPDATE
I restate how materialistic Asian women are, see this entry in bigwhiteguy’s blog about this HK women who bought a 123 number plate cos it was 'cute and memorable’! OMG, that is just crazy… because it cost her HK$1.5 million (EUR160K)!