Dior Bets Big on Women’s Athleisure in China

The Social Edition is our weekly series which deep dives into luxury initiatives in China’s social media landscape. Every week, we highlight brand campaigns distributed on Chinese digital platforms — WeChat, Weibo, Tmall, Douyin, and beyond. Our coverage spotlights global luxury brands, global beauty brands, and local Chinese brands. The latter gives insight into some of China’s most successful campaigns, which often come from local players, and are outside of the beauty and fashion space. In this week’s roundup, we look at three campaigns, including the launch of the Dior Vibe collection, Maison Margiela's Chinese New Year campaign, and C-beauty label Girlcult's special approach to stock clearance. Dior Bets Big on Women’s Athleisure in China BRAND Dior CATEGORY Luxury PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu MEDIUM Image, Short-Video, Offline, Online Pop-up FEATURED TALENTS Zhang Doudou (2.3M Weibo Followers) | Zhang Hong (1.3M) | Darci Liu (206.8K) | Sun Yiwen (1.8M) OVERVIEW On January 6, Dior launched a campaign to promote its Dior Vibe sportswear collection, featuring a full array of athletic gear like leggings, boxing shorts, and sports bras. In China, the brand rolled out a series of video workout tutorials by Chinese female athletes, including skier Zhang Hong, surfer Darci Liu, fencer Sun Yiwen, and gymnast Zhang Doudou. The house, alongside leading gym equipment provider Technogym, also unveiled an offline pop-up store at the Edition Hotel, Sanya, on January 14 (running through February 15) to showcase the limited edition. NETIZEN REACTION The four featured female athletes have contributed substantial online traffic to the campaign. Many Weibo users commented that they were impressed by these athletic endorsements of Dior's sportswear collection. Distinct from typical commercial campaign videos, these tutorials share practical knowledge and instructions on home workouts, organically engaging with sports enthusiasts. The campaign hashtag #DIORVIBE has garnered 440 million views as of this publication. VERDICT In a post-pandemic era, there has been an influx of alliances between luxury and sportswear brands, such as Gucci x The North Face, Prada x Adidas, and Jil Sander x Arc’teryx. Dior is a pioneer of this strategy in the sector, including partnerships with brands like Descente, AK SKI, and POC, launching its first-ever skiing capsule in November 2020. Last month, the brand also relaunched a new skiing collection for men. With the drop of this dedicated sportswear collection, many expect the house to win over more sophisticated women consumers looking to build a flexible wardrobe that is both fashionable and functional. Maison Margiela Taps Nostalgia to Celebrate Chinese New Year BRAND Maison Margiela CATEGORY Luxury PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu MEDIUM Image, Short-Video FEATURED TALENTS Hailun Ma (16.6K Weibo Followers) OVERVIEW Maison Margiela has collaborated with Chinese interior designer Paul Hsu and photographer Helen Ma to launch a campaign on the theme of “cherishing the old and turning into the new (惜旧成新)," a unique narrative for Chinese New Year. The reinterpretation of old objects by transforming them into new pieces echoes with “Recicla” — a theme that has consistently been embedded in Maison Margiela's brand DNA. NETIZEN REACTION While the idea of nostalgia has been well-received in China, this collaboration with designer Paul Hsu sparked some controversy on Weibo. Some users pointed out that Hsu’s work did not align well with Margiela’s brand image, although others expressed a more generous perspective on the partnership. Meanwhile, the brand's limited-edition virtual red packets, released on WeChat, have been highly desired by online users. VERDICT Margiela’s original avant-garde approach provocatively tested and teased the fashion industry, and his vision for fashion has remained since OTB acquired the label. Since Maison Margiela’s expansion into China in 2021, the house has been seeking a balance between avant-garde and mass-appeal, particularly through localized marketing tactics. Although it has scouted out emerging creative talents to allow the brand to break boundaries, the brand must cast the right faces when speaking to Chinese audiences. C-Beauty Brand Girlcult Hosts a “Funeral” to Clear Its Stock BRAND Girlcult CATEGORY Beauty PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu MEDIUM Image, Short-Video OVERVIEW C-beauty brand Girlcult has launched a special campaign “Girlcult Funeral” in memory of products no longer for sale. The brand released a short-video telling behind-the-scenes stories of the previously popular products, from the development process to the package designs. The products were embodied like people — with names, ages, and features — which allowed consumers to emotionally engage with the campaign. Additionally, Girlcult also used complimentary gifts and blind boxes to clear out any remaining stock. NETIZEN REACTION Girlcult’s loyal customers have actively reacted to the campaign, with dedicated comments showcasing their reluctance to the clearance. Many of them spontaneously shared their personal connections with the products, including how they got to know and why they adore certain items. Though the overall social traffic is lower than the campaigns starring celebrities, the conversations sparked online were organic, engaging, and real. VERDICT Girlcult has transformed a typical stock clearance event into a compelling communication campaign. Being able to review the details of a product once again, the process reawakens the consumers’ memories of the product and the brand, rekindling the brand story with a subtle, soft power approach. And as importantly, Girlcult was able collect consumers’ suggestions for product improvements and invite them to participate in ongoing product development. In the end, the campaign was an inviting — and proactive — way to build stronger connections between the brand and its consumers.

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Dior Bets Big on Women’s Athleisure in China