This research explores the social and cultural meaning of Chinese luxury brands, addressing a gap in the existing luxury branding literature that mainly focuses on conspicuous consumption and luxury brand values. Despite an increasing emphasis on global luxury brands, little is known regarding Chinese consumers’ perceptions of domestic luxury brands, many of which are long established. The findings indicate that ancient traditions are still closely followed by consuming Chinese luxury brands. For Chinese consumers, the meaning-making of Chinese luxury brands is more important than having a public display of wealth or social status. This research also highlights the uniqueness of Chinese luxury brands from a cultural perspective in relation to the origin of the brand name, the brand logo, and the design of the product. More importantly, it explains why the success of Chinese luxury branding does not necessarily follow the conspicuous consumption path that is often associated with global luxury brands.