G-Dragon leads K-pop lifestyle influencers in huge China market
BEIJING: For K-pop lifestyle influencers making a dent in the China market, it’s the Year of the Dragon.
Singer G-Dragon is still leading the crop of K-pop stars funnelling cash into the coffers of luxury brand Chanel.
At most Chanel events, the brand’s Asia ambassador, GDragon is a front row fixture for good reason. From T-shirts to Nike running shoes, most items the rapper and singer is seen in tend to sell out. Last year, the Kpop star was ranked third most influential star in China by Sina Entertainment, according to his Weibo search analytics and other factors.
The significance of South Korea’s influence on fashion and lifestyle trends across China is undeniable. Despite being one of the smaller nations on the continent with a population of just 51 million against China’s 1.379 billion, South Korea is having a major momentturned-decade as the de facto cultural influencer and lifestyle trendsetter in the region.
“The Korean straight eyebrows, snow-white skin, twotoned lip colour, coral eyeshadow and cheek colour is a standard look now in China,” said Bettina Ding, a consultant at Cherry Blossoms, a marketing research firm which specialises in China luxury trends.
“Fashion-wise, it’s common for clothing stores in China to relate their goods to Korea,” added Ding. “Either by saying items are ‘Koreanmade’ or ‘Koreanstyle’.”
Luxury brands have also taken notice, and have been seeking to harness “brand Korea’s” marketing prowess in several ways.
During the airing of the hit K-drama My Love From Another Star, actress Jun Ji-hyun was spotted wearing Yves Saint Lauren’s Rouge Pur Couture lipstick #52. The item quickly sold out in China.