Gender-bending influencers are gaining traction in China
BEIJING: Gender-bending influencers are gaining a huge following on social media in China.
The global rise of gender fluidity indicates a growing desire to embrace personal exploration beyond codes of masculinity and femininity.
Led by independent Chinese designers like Feng Chen Wang, Sankuanz, and Angel Chen, this emerging sentiment has increasingly allowed sexuality to be approached in fashion with a new type of individuality.
Products that were once limited to one gender can now be relevant to both. Fashion marketing can move away from flat portrayals of women and men to express the multi- dimensional ways humans can live across their lifestyle purchases.
Recent examples of how this trend is playing out include the rise and social acceptance of male beauty bloggers like Li Jiaqi who boasts 1.61 million Weibo followers. His over the top signature catchphrase “omg” has made him a popular influencer among women who enjoy his product reviews of major brands such as Dior and Armani.
Notably, his recent short video of YSL’s Rouge Pur Couture the Slim Matte Lipstick went viral on Douyin, generating more than one million views.
Based on our interviews with consumers who viewed the content, they tried to buy the item at brick- and-mortar retailers only to find it was sold out, and his female followers commented online about how great he looks with lipstick and how his makeup recommendations are more interesting than the usual female influencer-led content.
In In late February, Chanel launched its first- ever men’s makeup line on WeChat called Boy de Chanel for a Chinese audience. Published under the title “Only be yourself,” the product launch article, which features Korean actor Lee DongWook, received more than 65,000 views.
Among female consumers, brands are beginning to tap into Asian holidays like White Valentine’s Day, where women purchase a gift for their partners. Already popular in South Korea and Japan, this holiday could become a major new shopping occasion for brands to reach the “boyfriend power” of Chinese women that comes from changing gender attitudes.
As Chinese consumers continue to embrace gender from a more modern and fluid mindset, product categories and marketing will only get broader.