Michael Kors sees bright future thanks to young Chinese clientele

The 58-year-old designer Michael Kors compares his job to that of a mind reader. And he says that Chinese young consumers will soon want recycling while at the same time not sacrificing the fine touch of luxury.

"You have the most sophisticated generation not only in China, but also in the world. Teenagers here have so much information at their fingertips. So I think they will start talking about recycling," says Kors in Shanghai, where his eponymous brand recently hosted an event called The Walk.

"I think this generation is not happy giving anything up when they do luxury shopping. So even when they are buying something that is good for the environment, they still want it to be beautiful. So we will have to find a way to include both. It's challenging but also interesting for me as a designer," he says.

But when it comes to the Shanghai stop of the global campaign, which has already toured London and Tokyo and is expected to go to Los Angeles as well as New York, the American designer and project runway judge doesn't like to be led by the nose by the younger generation. Instead, he wants to take the lead.

"In today's world, a young person, if not everyone, spends so much time on their phone that we want to have a party that is all about experience," he says.