What happened
Luxury brand Dior is teaming up with transgender icon Jin Xing for its signature fragrance, Dior J'adore. The endorsement was announced on Dior’s official Weibo account, which has four million followers, and on @DiorFragrance, with 596,000 fans.
Well-loved in China, Jin Xing is a dancer, choreographer, and TV presenter with 13 million followers on social media. Jin has also appeared in a brand video discussing women’s independence and diversity, which currently has 998k views and, alongside the actress Li Bing Bing, is part of the #diorstandwithwomen program.
The Jing Take
According to the latest Trans Legal Mapping Report, released by IGLA World, as of 2020, 47 UN member states do not legally allow people to change their gender. 13 countries specifically criminalize transgender people. Even in so-called progressive countries like the United Kingdom, transphobia is rising — confirmed in a 2021 report from the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association.
In China, only some trans rights are protected, but recent high-profile court cases have illustrated that there is hope for acceptance and improvement. In fashion, especially, attitudes have been shifting. For example, earlier this month, homegrown activewear brand MAIA ACTIVE's launched its Spring 2021 campaign on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, & Transphobia. It spotlit five women who made decisions that challenged social norms, including a transgender woman. The accompanying #SheCanMakeHerOwnDecision received over 12 million views in one week on Weibo.
However, we should be under no illusions. It is not easy to be trans in any country, China included. As such, Dior’s move was a gamble. But this announcement has been met with much positivity in China. In light of Dior's genuine commitment to promoting women’s rights globally, this works in the China market; from collections to talks, this crusade is embedded in the brand's DNAa.
At a time when trans people around the world are still a misunderstood and marginalized community, Dior has taken a powerful — but most importantly — authentic stand in what is an often unpredictable market. Luxury should be proud.
The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.