Reality-show idols are new darlings of luxury brands in China
BEIJING: Fashion trends in China are largely being dictated by celebrity influencers on social media.
Right now, two trendy starmaking reality TV shows are making huge stars of youthful celebrities.
In recent weeks, Idol Producer and Producer 101 China have been hogging the limelight.
Both have received more than 10 billion views on Weibo, one of China’s most important social media channels.
In China, hundreds of young girls and boys were recruited at the beginning of the shows. Mentors, who are typically celebrities coming from the successful boy or girl bands from the previous generation, train contestants to polish their talents in singing, rapping, and dancing. They then perform as a group on the shows for several rounds as the audience votes for who they like. In the end, the players remaining form a real band.
Idol Producer and Producer 101 have quickly garnered a massive social media following of the contestants. On Weibo, the names of some of the most popular contestants are constantly on the platform’s list of most-searched topics.
British daily The Guardian has even published a story on Wang Ju, one of the most recognisable participants of Producer 101, and compared her influence to China to that of butt- shaking, trendsetting Beyoncé.
Italian luxury powerhouse Fendi even invited Jackson Wang from Idol Producer to write a theme song to celebrate the debut of the Fendi Fall/Winter 2018-19 Men’s Collection in China.
The song Fendiman has proved to be a hit among the younger generation.
According to a report by Women’s Wear Daily, it topped both the US General List and Pop Music List on iTunes, while Wang has also appeared in a popup event by Fendi in Shanghai to perform the song.
Fan Chengcheng, another “IT” boy from Idol Producer, was tapped by Spanish luxury label Loewe in its latest campaign to promote the “Paula’s Ibiza” summer capsule collection in early June.