China’s appetite for fashion is mostly focused on foreign labels, especially when it comes to luxury handbags. But the carefully considered titles that image-conscious luxury brands give their bags aren’t necessarily how Chinese shoppers refer to them.

In an April report, consultancy McKinsey & Company noted that China’s young luxury shoppers aren’t loyal to brands so much as to “iconic brand-product combinations.” The French, English, and Italian names those products bear, however, can be difficult to translate and pronounce, so Chinese shoppers will often refer to them by nicknames instead.

Business of Fashion unpacked a few of these names, which are generally based on the way a product looks, a transliteration of the name, or a reference to pop culture — coupled, of course, with the cheeky sense of humor people have on platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. The result is coveted high-end handbags known locally by monikers such as the “killer” or “piglet.”

In the 2011 movie “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol,” an assassin named Sabine Moreau — played by actress Lea Seydoux, who also starred in a commercial for Prada’s “Candy” fragrance that year — carries a Prada Saffiano Lux tote. That cameo earned the bag the nickname of “killer” in China.

The belt that gives Celine’s Belt bag its actual name dangles down on each side, giving the bag a distinctive look that resembles the face of a catfish — the name by which the bag is often known.

Longchamp’s Le Pliage bag took its inspiration from origami. But the bag’s shape recalls a different inspiration to luxury consumers in China: a dumpling.

Sometimes it’s not the look of a bag but the sound of its name that prompts shoppers to give it a new title. Chloe dubbed its bag the Drew, a name that sounds similar to the Chinese word for “pig,” hence its renaming as the “piglet” bag.

Gabriela Hearst’s Nina bag is another that bears a strong resemblance to food. In this case, it’s a wonton. But the nicknames aren’t only used by young shoppers. “They’ve become the Chinese name for certain products,” Tao Liang, a major Chinese influencer called Mr. Bags told Business of Fashion.

“For example, when you ask someone about Le Pliage, they might not know what it is, but when you mention Longchamp’s ‘Dumpling Bag’ they’ll get it, even if they’re not hardcore fashion fans.”

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【刺客】cìkè assassin a murderer, especially one who kills a celebrity for fanatical or monetary reasons

【折纸】shézhǐ origami the art of paper folding