Is 2024 the year of Fan Bingbing’s global comeback? Hot on the heels of her appointment as Melaka tourism ambassador in Malaysia in June, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing celebrated the global launch of her beauty brand Fan Beauty Diary on Tiktok. Could this be the year that once-controversial actress makes her global comeback? Fan Beauty Diary first launched in 2018 with stores on Tmall, JD.com, and Xiaohongshu with a focus on skincare and face masks. This year, Fan Beauty Diary topped Xiaohongshu’s brand list during the 618 Shopping Festival, and its official Taobao flagship store was ..read more

Following the tech wearable’s release in the mainland last month, domestic media giants are rolling out their own exclusive apps. But are China’s consumers ready? Almost a month on from Apple’s Vision Pro official China release, Douyin is the latest media behemoth to launch an exclusive experience for the headset. On July 11, the short video platform – aka China’s version of TikTok – announced via its WeChat page the release of Douyin VR Live. The feature enables users to experience panoramic livestreaming and gift 3D effects to creators while viewing content. The Vision Pro made it ..read more

Balenciaga’s Qixi campaign captivates China’s youth On July 8, Balenciaga unveiled a limited-edition collection and an evocative campaign to mark this year’s Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, which falls on August 10. Shot by renowned photographer Wang Yishu in Shanghai, the campaign features couples such as director Che Che and singer Li Jiage, Fei and Yi Xiangyu, and Jiji and Ai. These duos are seen wearing pieces from the collection while sharing intimate moments in various urban settings, including restaurants, streets, botanical gardens, and subway stations. The acces ..read more

Pharrell Williams’ Joopiter’s first auction with Jackson Wang sees estimates overtaken by up to 942%, demonstrating the new era power of C-pop. Pharrell Williams’ auction platform Joopiter has announced the results of its latest sale, titled Jackson Wang Metamorphosis: Athlete, Musician, Designer, held in collaboration with the global pop star himself. Fueled by the fierce fan culture behind Wang, the first auction of the star’s belongings, which concluded on Tuesday, sold all lots, with the proceeds donated to charity. The rise of C-Pop is increasingly apparent across lux ..read more

Zara is expanding its successful livestream e-commerce model, which has boosted sales in China, to the US, UK, and Europe later this year. Zara has announced plans to expand its livestreaming e-commerce model to the US, UK, and European markets later this year. According to Zara, a team of approximately 70 people is responsible for the China-based live broadcasts, which take place in a 1,000-square-meter venue in Shanghai. These broadcasts are filmed using seven cameras to switch between different angles, attracting an average of around 800,000 unique viewers per session. Retail an ..read more

As the festival expands its international lens, Chinese stars are becoming a mainstay on the red carpet. Are some luxury brands missing a trick? As luxury brands catch wind of China’s KOLs star power, they’re wasting no time in snatching them up as global ambassadors, seating them FROW, and dressing them for their worldwide step-and-repeats. Last week was no different. For the 77th Cannes Film Festival, which took place from May 14 to 25, brands churned out the looks for China’s big-league attendees. The seven-day celebration has emerged as a valuable launchpad for luxury, says ..read more

English fine china favorite Wedgwood unveils a mural of Chinese actor Xiao Zhan to mark its first-ever global brand ambassador appointment. Betting big on China, renowned British luxury brand Wedgwood has named Chinese actor and singer Xiao Zhan as its first ever global ambassador. No stranger to luxury, the Chinese star is also an ambassador for Gucci and Tod’s. To commemorate this historic move for the brand, a mural has been unveiled in Shoreditch, London, blending a portrait of the star with Wedgwood’s iconic Portland vase. The English fine china, porcelain, and luxury accessories manufac ..read more

In collab news, Rihanna graces the cover of ‘Vogue China,’ The Dalmore whisky unveils a project with Zaha Hadid architect Melodie Leung, and Team Wang partners with ‘Chuang Asia: Thailand’ TV show. Everyone woke up this morning to news feeds filled with Rihanna’s array of Vogue China covers for the April 2024 issue. They instantly went viral all over the world: stellar marketing in the lead up to her brand launching in the mainland via Sephora. Luxury brand identities in 2024 must be elevated into an artistic, expressive practice to maintain cultural capital. And that’s exactly the ..read more

The move is seen as part of China’s latest effort to reduce displays of conspicuous consumption. Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, Tencent, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu have begun removing user posts that flaunt personal wealth and opulence. The move is seen as part of China’s latest bid to reduce displays of conspicuous consumption as the nation seeks to promote and implement the ideology of “common prosperity” under the administration of President Xi Jinping. The goal, according to media reports, is to foster a “civilized, healthy, and harmonious” digital space by eliminating conte ..read more

Beauty products sales are surging on Douyin, with Chinese brands in the lead. In April, the total sales on Douyin’s beauty track exceeded 10 billion RMB ($1.43 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 41.5%. Skincare products dominated the market share at 70%, with a year-on-year increase of nearly 47%. Meanwhile, sales of makeup and perfumes surpassed 2.5 billion RMB ($357.5 million), making it the fastest-growing category with a year-on-year increase of 52%. In April 2024, among the top 20 beauty brands on Douyin, 16 were Chinese brands. Kans topped the list, with livestream s ..read more