China’s Spring Festival Gala Is a Catwalk for Foreign Luxury Brands

Each year since 1983, China's state-owned television network CCTV has aired the live-broadcast of a variety show, known as the Spring Festival Gala. The Gala is the most viewed TV show in the world, attracting over 700 million viewers each year, a number that dwarfs the Superbowl audience of 103 million this year. China uses the Gala to signal its political, cultural and social priorities — an ill-judged blackface skit, for instance, was meant as soft-power support for China's investment in Africa — but it has also become an opportunity for luxury brands to place their products.

On social media, Chinese viewers of the show keenly discussed the luxury brands worn by different celebrities participating in the event. Despite it being China's grandest national showcase, almost all the brands worn were foreign.

Scroll down to see which brands were worn by 20 different Chinese celebrities at this year's Spring Festival Gala.

Tong Liya (left) in LANYU and Chen Xiao (right) in Emporio Armani. Photo: VCG

Chen Xiao and Tong Liya#

Chinese actor Chen Xiao and actress Tong Liya performed at the opening of the program. Tong chose to dress in LANYU, the namesake brand of the country's haute couture designer Lan Yu, while Chen Xiao wore Armani.

Na Ying#

Na Ying is one of the most popular and prestigious pop singers in mainland China. She has attended the Spring Festival Gala 10 times. This year, she chose to dress in Givenchy.

Faye Wong#

Singing with Na Ying was another Chinese legend, Faye Wong. In China, Wong is well-known for her impeccable singing skills and fashion taste. Though she has spent much of ther time out of the spotlight in recent years, her popularity has not diminished. Wong featured in ad campaigns for Celine in 2004, but this time around she wore a custom outfit designed by Titi Kwan.

Dimash Kudaibergen#

Dimash Kudaibergen is from Kazakhstan. He rose to fame in early 2017 as a participant in a singing competition hosted by Hunan TV. It was the first time for him to perform on the Gala, and he dressed in Burberry.

Tan Weiwei#

Tan Weiwei is a famous singer from Sichuan province. She wore Dior.

TF Boys#

TF Boys is an unbelievably popular boy band, with fans of all ages. Wang Yuan wore Givenchy, Yi Yangqianxi wore Roberto Cavalli, and Wang Junkai, who is the brand ambassador of Dolce & Gabbana, showed up in their signature suit.

Yang Yang#

Actor Yang Yang is best known for his role as Jia Baoyu in the television adaptation of China's most important novel The Dream of Red Mansions. He is boyishly handsome, a quality that makes him "little fresh meat" (小鲜肉) in China. He wore a Gucci suit.

Jam Hsiao#

Taiwanese pop singer Jam Hsiao is loved by fans for his extraordinary music talent. He wore a suit by Ports 1961.

Zhang Bicheng#

Upcoming young singer Zhang Bicheng wore Valentino.

Zhang Yixing#

Zhang Yixing was a member of Korean boy band EXO. He is best known as a dancer, and in recent years has participated in several reality TV shows. Zhang wore Gucci.