This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shelley Alvarado, a senior account executive and former Louis Vuitton employee from Los Angeles. It's been edited for length and clarity.

You've heard of fake handbags being passed off as luxury brands, but an entire store? The internet's global reach has made stealing brands' intellectual property even easier, and businesses are ...

Over the last 20 years, China has grown at an extraordinary rate. GDP has expanded at a good 10% a year every year and looks set to continue doing so, while the urban population has more than ...

China's elite have become too savvy for Louis Vuitton, which has exploded in popularity in the middle class. "I don't see anybody carrying a Gucci or Louis Vuitton bag," Sara Jane Ho, the founder ...