There might be queues around the block on every Team Wang release date, and Chinese Higher Brothers rapper Masiwei’s A Few Good Kids is thriving, but the influence of Western rappers on China’s streetwear trends remains paramount.
On Chinese social media platforms, artists like A$ap Rocky, Travis Scott, and Kanye West are trending sources of style inspiration. On Weibo, for example, #kanye has 460 million reads, while #travisscott has 88.59 million and #a$aprocky has 31.87 million. Over on Instagram-style platform Xiaohongshu, #kanye has 103.3 million reads, #a$aprocky has 20.7 million reads, and #travisscott has 57.5 million.
Kanye’s popularity was boosted in 2020, when the hashtag “Kanye is so China” went viral on Weibo. The star had Tweeted that he would run for US president. In a subsequent interview, he said he would open up the NBA “from Nigeria to Nanchang,” and that he had spent a year in Nanjing as a 10-year-old, winning over even more Chinese fans.
Beyond his music and support of the mainland, Kanye’s influence in fashion has meteorically risen in China since he founded Yeezy back in 2009. Fast forward to 2024, and Hypebeast China editor Gracie Chen tells Jing Daily, "Kanye West and Travis Scott still have the ultimate influence on the [Chinese] streetwear community.”
Posts on Xiaohongshu suggest Yeezy’s anti-logo, tonal aesthetic is trending in the mainland. Along with that, the brand’s impact was projected when China's Gap business confidently collaborated with Wuhan brand Attempt on an immaculately urban collection in 2023 — a collection that bore a close resemblance to the discontinued Yeezy Gap line.
China’s GQ Fashion Editor Lysander Zhang names Kanye as a leading style icon in the mainland. “All the controversies coming from both him and his brand are definitely eye-catching and influential,” he says.
The American rapper has managed to disrupt not only the fashion industry, but mainstream media in China, too – recent Paris Fashion Week engagement figures proved that, when the artist went viral in China because his wife Bianca Censori wore controversial outfits — the hashtag #侃爷妻子或因穿着暴露坐牢 (Ye’s wife may go to jail for wearing revealing clothing) raked in 420 million reads on Weibo.
Couple outfits#
Thanks to stars such as Kanye and Censori, and A$ap Rocky and Rihanna, couple outfit posts have become the norm in mainland China.
“A$ap Rocky and Rihanna, together as a couple and young parents, have contributed so many cool couple fits [on Chinese social media],” says Chen.
Showing the influential extent of these world-famous lovers, the hashtag “couple outfits” (#情侣装) has 260 million reads on Weibo, and 2.3 billion reads on Xiaohongshu, a platform known for Gen Zer outfit posts.
“To me, A$ap Rocky and Kendrick Lamar are definitely the biggest influence in China’s fashion scene,” says marketing and PR professional and stylist Ian Yen. “Their style has a good mix of high fashion and streetwear; considering the fact that they both work closely with Bottega Veneta and Chanel, I think that they are always the perfect examples for straight guys to reference.”
Recently starring in Bottega Veneta’s Pre-Spring 2024 campaign, A$ap Rocky’s influence beyond “couple outfits” on Xiaohongshu is a concoction of ushankas, or trapper hats, Timberland boots, balaclavas, and leather.
‘Opium style’#
On the current popularity of American rappers such as Playboy Carti and Lil Uzi Vert, who are climbing in influence to reach the likes of A$ap Rocky or Kanye, Yen says, “That opium steeze is hot in China.”
Taking the name from Playboy Carti’s Opium label, the “opium” aesthetic refers to black-on-black looks, accessorized with chunky silver jewelry, blacked out shades, and designers like Rick Owens, Chrome Hearts, and Raf Simons.
It resembles a gothic hip-hop style, and is contributing to Gen Z’s growing love for moody streetwear brands like South Korea’s Thug Club, or Hamcus. On Xiaohongshu, #opium has 4.2 million views, with many “outfit of the day” posts referencing the style.
Despite expressive trends such as “opium style,” or couple outfits gaining traction across Chinese platforms, Chen says adoption comes down to individual preferences.
“I think it varies based on the preferences of different individuals. Those who lean towards Western styles often prioritize Western influencers and may even perceive some of the Chinese KOLs as imitators,” she says.
When rap and hip-hop arrived in China in the 1990s, it was a borrowed musical genre from the US. Even though a domestic take on the genre has since blossomed, Western rappers are still greatly esteemed in Chinese culture. As a result, their style is widely imitated.
“Conversely, those who follow Chinese KOLs tend to remain loyal to their own community and may view the styles of Western KOLs as less relevant, considering their different racial appearances and cultural backgrounds,” adds Chen. “To put it more straightforwardly: it depends on which social media platforms they use most frequently.”