Guide to 2026 luxury Chinese brand ambassadors

Despite a lackluster economic backdrop and slow sales growth, Chinese celebrity appointments have kept coming, giving luxury brands a route to visibility as they compete for relevance in a more selective market. First-half earnings from LVMH, Prada, Kering and Hermès point to a market that has stopped falling, but not returned to growth. Sportswear has been just as busy. Hoka named actor and singer Hou Minghao (侯明昊) its brand ambassador in July, and Puma appointed Zhang Linghe (张凌赫) its Greater China ambassador in March. Hou led Morketing’s ranking of new artist endorsements for the first quarter of 2026, with 14. Chinese actress Zhao Lusi (赵露思) secured at least 14 new brand endorsement deals in H1 2026, according to Chinese media reports, with her total for the year subsequently rising to 17 through July. Jewelry has been one of the brighter spots in an uneven half. Kering’s jewelry houses — Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo and Qeelin — grew 20% on a comparable basis to 521 million euros ($XXX million), per the group’s first-half results. Four of the 12 appointments below are jewelry deals. Below are the Chinese entertainers signed by luxury and jewelry brands so far this year, in the order they were announced. January Shan Yichun (单依纯): Chanel Chanel named Shan Yichun a brand ambassador on January 12, making the 24-year-old the first mainland Chinese singer to hold the title. The announcement ran alongside her cover of the debut issue of “Vogue Music,” in which she wore the house’s 2026 cruise collection and Coco Crush jewelry. Zhang Linghe (张凌赫): Bvlgari Bvlgari appointed Zhang Linghe a brand ambassador on January 15, announcing on Weibo and Instagram simultaneously. He covers three lines: Serpenti Viper and B.zero1 jewelry, and the Octo Finissimo watch. The decision instantly made the maison a trending topic on Chinese social platforms. Joining Lu Yifei and Shu Qi, the appointment extends the jewelry house’s presence among younger Chinese consumers and adds another major entertainment name to its brand network. William Chan / Chen Weiting (陈伟霆): Zegna (global ambassador) William Chan, also known as Chen Weiting, took on a global role with Zegna on January 16, the same day he walked the house’s Fall/Winter 26 runway. Unlike a China-specific appointment, the partnership gives Chan a position representing the Italian menswear label on the international stage. Yang Yang (杨洋): Chow Tai Fook (global ambassador) Yang Yang expanded his relationship with luxury into jewelry, becoming a global ambassador for Hong Kong jewelry powerhouse Chow Tai Fook on January 16. The actor joins the brand at a time when Chinese entertainment talent remains central to luxury houses’ efforts to reach consumers at home and abroad. Song Yuqi / Yuqi (宋雨琦): Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & Co. unveiled Song Yuqi, or Yuqi, as a brand ambassador on January 29. Best known internationally as a member of (G)I-dle, the Beijing-born singer gives the American jewelry house a direct link to a younger, global-facing fan base — Gen Z continues to be a prominent focus for Tiffany & Co, reflected in many of its strategic partnerships. March Wang Anyu (王安宇): Celine Brand Ambassador / China Celine announced Wang Anyu as its China brand ambassador on March 2, running the news across its global site, Instagram and Weibo at the same hour. The actor had attended his first Celine show in Paris five months earlier. His appointment gives the French fashion house another high-profile connection to China’s rapidly expanding entertainment market. May Johnny Huang (黄景瑜): Ferragamo (global ambassador) Connecting to Chinese movie fans, Johnny Huang became part of Ferragamo’s ambassador lineup in May. The Italian label’s choice of the Chinese actor adds an entertainment-driven dimension to its brand presence in China. June Chen Xingxu (陈星旭): Dior Dior added Chen Xingxu (陈星旭) to its ambassador roster in June. The actor’s appointment is another example of a major French luxury house partnering with a rising name from China’s entertainment industry. Chen Lijun (陈丽君): Longchamp (brand image ambassador) Longchamp revealed Chen Lijun as its brand image ambassador on June 29. A Yue opera performer who trained in the Yin school of male roles before moving into film, she shot the house’s Fall/Winter 2026 campaign at Maison Longchamp in Paris. TransfOrm Project (T.O.P): Prada Prada revealed the five-member group TransfOrm Project as its brand ambassadors on June 30, its first appointment of a complete mainland Chinese idol group. Zhu Zhixin, Zhang Zeyu, Zhang Ji, Zuo Hang and Su Xinhao debuted together in August 2024 and had attended the house’s Spring 2026 men's and Fall 2026 women’s shows in Milan. July Chen Zheyuan (陈哲远): Saint Laurent In a debut move for the luxury house, Saint Laurent brought actor Chen Zheyuan into its ambassador roster in July — the first and only Chinese male actor to be appointed as Saint Laurent China Brand Ambassador. With the appointment, the French house adds another prominent young Chinese entertainment figure to its fashion ecosystem. Zhao Lusi (赵露思): Chow Tai Fook (global ambassador) Zhao Lusi joined Chow Tai Fook as a global ambassador in July, following Yang Yang’s appointment earlier in the year. The actress gives the jewelry group another major Chinese entertainment name with international reach, broadening the faces associated with its global brand strategy.

Guide to 2026 luxury Chinese brand ambassadors

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag

Upgrade to Pro

Sectors

Insights

Company

Guide to 2026 luxury Chinese brand ambassadors

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag