The 10 Most Influential Fashion Stylists in China

Behind every successful celebrity, there is a powerful stylist. This statement is especially true in China. "There are many more professional in-store and amateur personal stylists in China," said Susan Jenkyn Jones, Senior Academic Director of Design, Professor of Fashion from Conde Nast China. "The trust in expertise and the cult of opinion leaders and influencers there is very strong, and they have serious power in making a success of trends. Brands are certainly courting these players for their charisma in upselling goods and flash sales," she said. Many of these stylists built their fame working closely with celebrities, or in the TV and movie industries. Most have worked at leading fashion magazines under Conde Nast China, such as GQ, Vogue and Vogue Me, or rivals Trends Group, which owns Harper's Bazaar China, Cosmo China, and Bazaar Men, among others. Now, many stylists have become KOLs in their own right. Based on their talent, reputation, and social media followings, we count down the top 10 most influential stylists. 10. Tony Li Li is known as the father of color cosmetics in China. He was one of the few dedicated make-up artists in the 1980s, working closely with A-list celebrities like actress Gong Li, Joan Chen, Li Bingbing. He is also credited with single-handedly creating world-renowned supermodel Lv Yan. Li founded his own styling studio in Beijing in 1999 and built it into a fashion world empire. 9. Ling Wu After graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London in 2003, Wu Ling returned to her hometown Shanghai to begin her career as Fashion Editor at Elle. Two years later, she followed the now editor-in-chief of Vogue, Angelica Cheung, to help launch the magazine, and transitioned from a fashion editor to assistant fashion director. "Her style is quite classic and retro with great use of color", said Jones. She now reports on fashion and film for Vogue. 8. Mix Wei Wei creates entire characters with his styling skills. As the style director for the second season of China’s Sex and City, Ode to China, he brought the five female characters to life. He also built dynamic looks for candidates who attended reality show The Voice of China. Wei has been the personal stylist for many female superstars, including actresses Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, Angelababy, and Tang Wei. 7. Li Hui Li is a veteran in the fashion magazine world. She was the Creative Director at Harper’s Bazaar China, Bazaar Man and Jewelry Bazaar in China. The former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld, once invited her to collaborate. She also started the Weibo account Our Street Style, featuring celebrity street looks, and worked as the Creative Fashion Director for romantic comedy One Night Surprise. 6. Fil Xiaobai Born after 1990, Fil makes for a fresh addition to the China fashion scene. She entered the industry by chance, being sent to the Paris Fashion Show to report for a Chinese travel channel in 2012, and became the newest China it girl when her look was captured by street photographer Bill Cunningham. She then began her career as a freelance stylist, promoting herself by sharing her looks on Weibo. She is now working with Kris Wu, Burberry’s brand ambassador, and Song Qian, brand ambassador for Loewe. Fil herself is a top fashion KOL with more than two million Weibo followers. 5. Han Huohuo You can often spot Han in the first row at major fashion shows. He started his career in the editorial room of fashion magazines, and has worked at Cosmopolitan China and Marie Claire China. Karl Lagerfeld referred him as a China fashion icon in the Chanel exhibition The Little Black Jacket. Han works closely with actress Gao Yuanyuan, Jiang Shuying, and Wang Luodan. His own clothing brand Do Not Tag is very popular among younger consumers in China because of its modern design and accessiable pricing. 4. Fan Xiaomu Fan was the Style Director at Harper’s Bazaar China, famously creating an iconic China look for a Rihanna cover shot. Her own agency, Moodsight, focuses on transforming the image of Chinese local brands to be more trendy and creative. She works with some of the most talked about Chinese brands in recent years, such as Peacebird, Ellassay, and Mo&Co. 3. Xander Zhou Zhou studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Arts in Holland and founded his own menswear collection, Xander Zhou, in Beijing in 2007. He was the first Chinese designer to showcase a collection at Men’s London Fashion Week. As a leading trendsetter in China’s menswear fashion scene, he is the Menswear Director of T Magazine China. His red carpet celebrity list includes actress Zhao Wei, singer Chris Lee, and actress-director Xu Jinglei. 2. Leaf Greener Former senior fashion editor at ELLE China, Leaf Greener is an editor turned influencer, running her own WeChat account as LEAF. She has worked with Karl Lagerfeld and David Burton, and styled many celebrities for front covers and special occasions. She has been asked to judge the LVMH prize, and consults for Lane Crawford on promotional advertising. "Leaf has a charming personal style and poise, and has a large social media following of her own — but does not do blogging or direct sales for brands," Jones commented. 1. Lucia Liu As a trendsetter, Lucia transformed the looks of a number of female rising stars. She runs a styling company called The Ballroom and works mostly on movies and advertisements. Her regular clients include Burberry’s brand ambassador Zhou Dongyu, Dior’s brand ambassador Zhao Liying, and singer Dou Jingtong, the new face of SK-II. Liu graduated with a fashion design degree from the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in the UK, and shortly after, her name appeared in prestigious magazine titles like i-D, and Dazed & Confused. The highlight of her early career was a cover shoot for Glass featuring actress Zhang Manyu from Wong Kari-Wai's masterpiece In the Mood for Love. When she returned to Beijing, her career took off, first as the style director for Harper’s Bazaar China, and now as Executive Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Fashion Director of China’s T Magazine.

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The 10 Most Influential Fashion Stylists in China