LONDON — Christian Louboutin hopes the double announcement of Yang Mi and Karry Wang as global brand ambassadors could generate considerable buzz for its fast-growing China business.
Both will attend the brand’s events throughout the year in their new, elevated roles.
Yang will first be seen at Christian Louboutin’s spring 2025 event during Paris Fashion Week, while Wang will anchor an image event planned in China in November. They will also be featured in upcoming campaigns, the first of which will be unveiled in early 2025.
Christian Louboutin global brand ambassador Yang Mi
Yang was first named a China brand ambassador in April, and Wang started his relationship with the company in 2021 as a China brand ambassador.
“It has been a true pleasure to work with both over the years,” said brand founder Christian Louboutin.
“Yang, who beyond her talent radiates with incredible human qualities, and Wang, whom I’ve had the privilege of watching grow in his career since he started as brand ambassador in 2021, this new role will allow them to embody the essence of the house on a global stage, and I am deeply honored to have them embark on this journey with me,” he added.
The elevation of both of their titles to a global one reflects a significant step in deepening Louboutin’s connection with the Chinese market, said Alexis Mourot, chief executive officer at Christian Louboutin.
Christian Louboutin global brand ambassador Karry Wang
He said the brand wasn’t impacted as much by China’s luxury showdown as others, as mainland China only represents a single-digit portion of its business so far. However, the brand remains fully committed to retail expansion on the ground.
“We have been growing quite a bit in the past few years, but mostly in the U.S. and Europe. We were behind in China because we didn’t have enough production. But we have since invested more. We now have 20 boutiques and three wholesale points in mainland China,” said Mourot, adding that the brand has secured prime locations in K11 Guangzhou and WF Central for two additional locations later this year.
“We have a long-term China strategy, but we are confident but also cautious about the number of openings,” Mourot added.
He said waiting for the right location in China is more important than bumping up the number of stores for the sake of it. To wit, the brand waited five years for the desirable spot within SKP Beijing to become available.
The brand is even more cautious when it comes to picking its brand ambassadors, Mourot said.
“Christian Louboutin carefully looks at who would be a good fit for the brand. And it’s something that you don’t do otherwise. Both Yang Mi and Kerry Wang brought huge exposure to the brand, and they represent the brand wonderfully,” he added.
Women’s footwear styles that are under 10 centimeters, as well as the sneaker styles Loubishark and Astroloubi, are popular in mainland China, according to Mourot.
A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, Yang is no stranger to fashion brands and has been a face of Loewe, Michael Kors, Versace and Victoria’s Secret in recent years.
She is regarded as one of the most successful and highest-paid Chinese actresses. She counts more than 113 million followers on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.
Wang, meanwhile, rose to household fame in China for being one of the three members of the boy band TFBoys. With 83 million Weibo followers, he has since embarked on a career in acting, starring in box-office hits such as “The Fallen Bridge” and the war drama “Homecoming.” He is also the face of Dior Men and Furla in China.
