Brands are embracing the return of Chinese stars to Milan Fashion Week. These personalities who command an impressive following online are their gateway to Chinese audiences.
What Happened: Chinese celebrities are back in Milan in full force, and brands and designers are celebrating their much-awaited return. In his Instagram post during Milan Fashion Week, Brunello Cucinelli specially thanked his “dearest friends from China, whom we could welcome back with joy and emotion.”
There’s a reason for brands to be cheerful. The appearance of local stars at fashion week has made waves on Chinese social media. Italian house Prada, which managed to fly idol Cai Xukun to the show, and Tod’s, which invited actor Xiaozhan, have been trending on Weibo during the Milan events. Fans of the two idols have driven astonishing traffic and exposure for the two brands.
According to influencer marketing platform Lefty.io, Cai Xukun attracted $3.6 million in EMV (earned media value) for Prada, while Xiaozhan made $3.5 million in EMV for Tod’s. (The data refers to Weibo and Instagram for the tracking period of February 17 to 27). Other stars spotted included actress Zhang Jiani for Max Mara, Guo Caijie for Bottega Veneta, and Li Yuchun for Gucci.
After three years, supermodel Liu Wen has also returned to walking for established brands, closing the Prada and Bottega Veneta shows. Other homegrown models who appeared on the runway include Sun Feifei, Zhang Lina, and Wang Shiyi. The initiative was highly praised by domestic netizens who appreciated seeing Chinese models represented.
The Jing Take: Starting last season, some homegrown influencers have made appearances in the Italian fashion capital, namely Mr. Bags, Yuyu Zhangzou, and Cici Xiang. But this time, they came back en masse. Sitting at the front rows were also Anny Fan, @孙怡静cristine, @季未燃JiweiJW, @Nikki-Min, and @AvaFoo. Many of them were thrilled about the idea of finally attending physical shows. Continue to read the full article here
