As AI stars begin to drive demand, how can brands capitalize on virtual influence?

Who would have thought that an ivory embroidered chiffon slip dress from Marni’s Fall/Winter 2002 collection would return to public view through a breakout AI short drama — and send viewers searching for other Marni pieces from the same period? Another dress in the series — a mint-green embroidered slip from Imitation of Christ’s runway — has become the subject of an online hunt. With the original nearly impossible to find, made-to-order replicas have begun appearing on Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote). Why did ‘The Girl Who Got Cut’ break out? The series is “The Girl Who Got Cut” (被裁掉的女孩), created by the Douyin filmmaker Feifeifei (菲菲飞). Since its June debut it has surpassed 200 million views, a milestone the director announced on July 25, making it one of the summer’s most widely discussed AI dramas. Across 11 episodes and roughly 73 minutes, it follows Fang Taozi (方桃子), an ordinary young woman who leaves a small town for the city, hoping to find a foothold in the modeling industry — and it avoids the domineering billionaires, melodramatic romances and contrived reversals that dominate the short-drama format. Its title works two ways: “got cut” is an occupational hazard, and a description of Taozi’s earliest place in the world. In photographs with celebrities and industry insiders, she is the person no one notices — the one who could be cropped from the frame without anyone asking where she went. Modeling is a business built on replaceability, and the story never turns her progress into an effortless ascent. What makes the series affecting is that she continues to live and work after being disappointed again and again; her imperfect, occasionally undignified progress feels closer to the reality of contemporary young adulthood than the polished wish fulfillment of the typical romance short. How does archival fashion anchor the story? Because the series is set in the modeling world, clothes are never incidental. Beyond the Marni and Imitation of Christ dresses identified by viewers, pieces from Giorgio Armani, Meryll Rogge and Blumarine appear as Taozi moves through shoots, events and jobs. Unlike the polished styling many short dramas use largely to signal glamour, these clothes belong to her work and surroundings, making the fashion world around her feel real. How did Fang Taozi become an AI star? As the drama gained momentum, Taozi began to outgrow the role itself, becoming an “AI star” with a following of her own. Her Douyin account had 386,000 followers and 26.8 million likes as of July 30, with posts documenting workouts, cooking and work. Through these updates, her life continues beyond the series and across social media. Feifeifei has said on Douyin that a second season is in production. AI short dramas have often been dismissed as fake, tacky and visually flat: stiff expressions, crude details, little sense of texture. The Girl Who Got Cut suggests that AI itself was never the problem. What matters is whether the story holds, whether the character feels real and whether the styling and images have a point of view. Audiences reject work that is careless and dull. What can luxury brands learn from a virtual star? Once a virtual character commands this kind of attention, her relationship with brands can no longer be reduced to a single wardrobe placement. For brands, the opportunity goes beyond being first with an AI short drama. A conventional placement ends when the campaign does; an AI character never has to wrap. She can keep dressing, working and falling in love, while continuing to build an audience on social media. As virtual stars begin to generate real searches and real spending, brands may find themselves competing for a role in the narrative of a virtual life rather than a place in a celebrity wardrobe.

As AI stars begin to drive demand, how can brands capitalize on virtual influence?

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag

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As AI stars begin to drive demand, how can brands capitalize on virtual influence?

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag