By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)
What do Hu Ge, Jackson Yee, Wang Yibo, Xiao Zhan and Zhao Lusi have in common?
Apart from being some of the biggest names in Chinese entertainment, they are also the faces of some of the world’s most recognisable luxury brands.
Chinese actors have become increasingly visible in luxury fashion, jewellery and watch campaigns, appearing not only in regional advertising but also in global ambassador roles. Look at the names attached to recent campaigns and there is a clear change in the way fashion houses are choosing the people who represent them.
Take Hu Ge, for instance.
The actor was recently named Giorgio Armani’s Global Ambassador and fronts the house’s Autumn/Winter 2026 campaign, photographed against a backdrop of bamboo wallpaper and dressed in the first Giorgio Armani collection designed by Leo Dell’Orco.
There is plenty to look at in the campaign. A director’s chair and clapperboard nod to Hu Ge’s career as an actor, while a tree references both his personal connection with nature and the themes explored in his recent drama Tree of Life. Even the Chinese characters appearing in some of the images have been carefully selected, translating to “BE DISTANT. FEEL CLOSER. HOLD THE MOMENT. BREAK THE PATTERN.”
It is a very Armani way of introducing Hu Ge to the house, but it is also distinctly Chinese.
And that is perhaps what makes these appointments so interesting.
Luxury brands are no longer simply looking for a famous face who looks good in their clothes. They are looking for personalities who already have a strong identity of their own, and who can bring something of that identity into the world of the brand.
Jackson Yee is another prime example.
The actor, singer and filmmaker has been a global ambassador for Emporio Armani, appearing in campaigns that suit his rather understated approach to fashion. There is no need for theatrics when a beautifully cut Armani jacket, a pair of trousers and Jackson Yee’s quiet presence can do the job perfectly well.
Then there is Wang Yibo.
The actor, singer, dancer and motorcycling enthusiast has become a familiar presence around luxury fashion, with his relationship with Loewe placing him firmly within the international fashion conversation. His appeal goes beyond simply being a popular actor. He already has his own sense of style and a following that pays close attention to what he wears, making a luxury partnership feel like a natural extension of his public persona.
Xiao Zhan has similarly become a familiar face for luxury, with partnerships including Gucci and Tod’s. He has the star power to attract attention, but also the fashion presence to carry a campaign without allowing the clothes to disappear behind the celebrity.
And then there is Zhao Lusi, bringing a different energy to the mix.
As Global Brand Ambassador for Chow Tai Fook, the actress represents a jewellery house with a long history, but her youthful appeal gives the brand another way of speaking to its audience. Jewellery, after all, is no longer reserved for grand occasions or tucked away inside a velvet box until someone’s wedding day. Younger consumers are wearing it with everyday clothes, layering pieces and making it part of their personal style.
Having someone like Zhao Lusi front that conversation makes perfect sense.
What I find particularly interesting is that these five celebrities are not being asked to look the same, behave the same or represent luxury in the same way. And thankfully, they shouldn’t.
Hu Ge brings years of acting experience and a certain maturity to Giorgio Armani. Jackson Yee has that cool, restrained quality that works so well with Emporio Armani. Wang Yibo brings his eclectic interests and fashion credibility to Loewe, while Xiao Zhan has become a strong luxury presence in his own right. Zhao Lusi, meanwhile, brings a distinctly feminine and youthful perspective to jewellery.
Put them together and you get a rather good snapshot of where luxury is looking right now.
The days of simply finding the biggest celebrity in the room and putting them in a campaign are long gone. A celebrity may get people to stop scrolling, but it is their personality that makes people look twice.
And Chinese actors certainly have plenty of personality to work with.
Their influence stretches across television, cinema, music, fashion and social media, giving luxury brands multiple opportunities to introduce their products to the same audience. A campaign can appear on a billboard, in a fashion magazine, on Instagram or Weibo, or on a red carpet, and the conversation continues long after the official campaign has ended.
For the brands, that is a rather attractive proposition.
For us watching from the sidelines, it also makes luxury campaigns a lot more interesting.
Because when the right celebrity meets the right fashion house, it stops feeling like an advertisement and starts feeling like a proper fashion moment.
And judging by the number of Chinese stars now sitting comfortably alongside the biggest names in luxury, there are plenty more of those moments to come.
