Why A$ap Rocky for Chanel has shaken Xiaohongshu

French luxury house Chanel’s appointment of American rapper A$AP Rocky as its newest brand ambassador — announced November 29 — foreshadows the house’s new path. In a Michel Gondry-directed short film for the Métiers d’Art 2026 collection set in the New York subway, Rocky stars as the beau of 31-year-old actress Margaret Qualley. Having debuted his first collection for the house in October at Paris Fashion Week Spring 2026, Creative Director Matthieu Blazy described Rocky in a press release as “an incredible artist who puts his heart and soul into every project ... musician, actor, father, friend … we are thrilled to welcome him to Chanel.” For many Chinese netizens discussing the appointment, the move feels like a bold reshaping of Chanel’s image and ambitions. The partnership is particularly striking given that the house does not offer menswear, while the film’s gritty urban setting marks a sharp departure from the era of former creative director Virginie Viard. A collision of worlds: What makes this surprising in China For decades, Chanel has symbolized timeless elegance, classic luxury and exclusivity — often associated with high-society women, refined femininity, and traditional notions of sophistication. The maison’s recent push into China’s social-media ecosystems — including launching an official fashion account on Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) in May 2025 — reflects its desire to engage China’s younger, digitally native consumers. Thus the announcement of Harlem-born rapper, global hip-hop figure and style provocateur Rocky whose fashion sensibility draws heavily on streetwear and gender-fluid expression, surprised many Chinese observers. Questions emerged: Is Chanel abandoning its heritage? Is the house shifting away from its “classic luxury” clientele towards a more urban, everyday-fashion-oriented audience? Among Chinese netizen reactions on Xiaohongshu, some of the harsher comments include: “Chanel is now taking the subway,” “Zara just dropped new stuff,” “Sigh, a beauty is about to be ruined.” These remarks reflect unease that Chanel is moving too far from its roots, possibly diluting its luxury aura, and potentially alienating its long-term consumers in the process. However, this is not due to Rocky’s appointment, but the choice of setting the first promotional video in the New York subway. Xiaohongshu blogger Small Money Can Make Big Money (@小钱要赚大钱) says the strategy misjudges Chanel’s target market. “Choosing ‘every day scenarios’ to sell products philosophy works for below the middle class of society,” they wrote. “Only those in the middle class and above have sufficient financial means to be a Chanel consumer.” A newer generation weighs in: excitement, intrigue, aesthetic approval Yet the reaction was far from uniformly negative. Rocky is known for often wearing womenswear, which invites a reinterpretation of Chanel’s clothing, despite the house having no menswear line. Xiaohongshu user @Blucoke posted: “Ever since Matthieu Blazy’s appointment as creative director before the show, people have sensed a different side of Chanel. Now, Chanel is continuing to write a new chapter with Rocky. Chanel hasn’t ever launched a menswear business, but that hasn't stopped men wearing the clothing.” Acknowledging the gender fluidity of fashion in 2025, Chanel positions itself to appeal to Gen Z consumers in China and globally. “The reason for the significant controversy this time is the inherent conflict between the men’s streetwear field that Rocky belongs to and the consumer base that Chanel has traditionally catered to, which consists of ‘high society women’ and even LGBTQIA+ men,” writes Small Money Can Make Big Money. “He is a role model for men's fashion that is considered more feminine.” Under Blazy, Chanel is categorically signaling an intention to attract younger, style-conscious, cosmopolitan consumers beyond its traditional elite clientele. Interestingly, though, South Korean rapper G-Dragon has been a Chanel house ambassador ever since 2016 — however, the only campaigns he has starred in have a classy, demeure aesthetic, from black-and-white polaroids to film of him on tour in Macau, rather than in a subway station. Chanel is increasing the appeal of its gender fluid womenswear under Blazy, as well as building an image among style-conscious young luxury consumers: a fresh start that is turning heads in China.

Sectors

Insights

Company

Why A$ap Rocky for Chanel has shaken Xiaohongshu