The Haute Couture is fashionable in China in 2022

China’s personal luxury goods market returned to growth in 2025 after a challenging 2024. Bain and Company data widely cited on Chinese business platforms puts the 2025 market at approximately $58 billion (420 billion RMB), up 5% year on year. Chinese consumers account for around 24% of global luxury spending. Haute couture and made-to-measure fashion are a growing niche: the “老钱风” (old money aesthetic) trend that dominated Xiaohongshu through 2024 and 2025 drove significant interest in understated, crafted garments over logo-heavy fashion. Under-35 Chinese consumers now drive 55% of luxury purchases in China. They discover brands on Xiaohongshu and Douyin, not in department stores.

How Luxury Brands Are Adapting in China in 2026

The biggest shift since 2022 is channel. Chinese luxury consumers are no longer finding new brands in physical boutiques first. They find them on Xiaohongshu, where a single well-placed post from a credible lifestyle KOL can introduce a brand to millions of potential buyers. Dior, Chanel, and Hermès all have active Xiaohongshu accounts and run seeding programs with Chinese fashion KOLs. Smaller luxury and haute couture brands are following the same approach.

Physical experience still matters: flagship stores in Shanghai and Beijing serve as content sets as much as retail spaces. Consumers visit, photograph, and post. But the purchase journey often starts weeks earlier, online, through a discovery on Xiaohongshu or a Douyin video of a fashion week moment.

Key Trends in China’s Luxury Fashion Market 2025-2026

• 老钱风 (Old Money Aesthetic): Classic, understated luxury aesthetics dominating Xiaohongshu in 2024-2025, benefiting brands with heritage and craftsmanship stories over logo-heavy fashion
• Digital-first luxury discovery: 42% of Chinese luxury purchase journeys now start with a Xiaohongshu search
• Livestream fashion shows: Major brands stream runway shows live on Douyin and WeChat with Mandarin commentary, reaching audiences of 2-10 million per show
• Made-to-measure growth: Haute couture and bespoke services growing at premium price points, particularly for wedding and formal event dressing
• Younger luxury buyer: Average age of Chinese luxury consumer dropped from 38 in 2019 to 32 in 2025

China Luxury Market Key Data 2022-2026

Year	Market Size (RMB)	Growth	Key Driver
2022	380 billion	-11%	Covid restrictions, limited travel
2023	408 billion	+7%	Post-lockdown rebound
2024	400 billion	-2%	Economic slowdown, consumer caution
2025	420 billion	+5%	Young consumer confidence, digital discovery
2026 forecast	440-460 billion	+5-10%	Tourism recovery, experiential luxury

How Luxury Brands Can Reach Chinese Consumers on Xiaohongshu (RedNote)

1. Build a brand account with editorial content, not sales content. Chinese luxury consumers on Xiaohongshu are not looking for ads. They want inspiration, craft stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of collections. Accounts that post editorial content consistently outperform those that post product shots with prices.

2. Partner with lifestyle and fashion KOLs, not just celebrities. Celebrity endorsements in China are expensive and unpredictable. Mid-tier fashion KOLs with 100,000-500,000 followers on Xiaohongshu often have stronger engagement and more direct influence over purchase decisions in the luxury category.

3. Use atelier and craft content. The 老钱风 trend specifically rewards content about how things are made. Videos or photo essays showing ateliers, hand-stitching, fabric selection, and the people behind a collection perform exceptionally well among the target luxury demographic on Xiaohongshu.

4. Post around fashion weeks and collection launches. Xiaohongshu search volume for luxury brands spikes sharply during Paris, Milan, and Shanghai fashion weeks. Content tied to these moments gets amplified by platform algorithms and user sharing.

5. Monitor and respond to organic mentions. Chinese luxury consumers post unprompted about purchases and experiences. Brands that engage with these posts, repost user content, and respond to questions build genuine community around their Xiaohongshu presence.

How Luxury Brands Can Reach Chinese Consumers on Douyin

6. Stream collection launches live on Douyin. Luxury brands that stream fashion shows or collection previews on Douyin reach audiences of 1-10 million viewers per event. Adding Mandarin commentary and real-time Q&A from the brand increases watch time and engagement significantly.

7. Use unboxing and packaging content. The luxury unboxing format on Douyin drives tens of millions of views. Partner with KOLs to post authentic unboxing videos showing the packaging, tissue paper, and ribbon. Chinese luxury consumers care deeply about the full product experience.

8. Target Tier 2 and Tier 3 city audiences. Luxury consumers in cities like Chengdu, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan are a major growth segment. Douyin’s geographic targeting lets brands reach these audiences with tailored content and regional pricing.

9. Create Douyin mini-series around the brand story. A 5-10 episode Douyin series telling the history of a fashion house, the life of a master craftsperson, or the story behind a specific garment can build brand depth that a single video cannot. Chinese audiences follow content series closely.

10. Use WeChat mini-program integration for appointment-driven sales. Haute couture requires a consultation. Use Douyin content to drive awareness, then direct interested viewers to a WeChat mini-program that books a private appointment at your atelier or boutique.

Example Found on Chinese Web (Translated)

“I had never heard of this Parisian haute couture house before I saw a Xiaohongshu post last October. Someone posted a detailed thread about their fitting appointment, with photos of the atelier and the process. By December I had booked a trip to Paris specifically to visit the store. That is what good content does. It makes a brand real before you ever walk through the door.”

— Xiaohongshu user comment, fashion category, 2025

FAQ

Is China still a growth market for luxury fashion?
Yes. After a slower 2024, the market grew again in 2025 and is forecast to continue growing through 2026-2028. The long-term fundamentals are strong: growing affluent class, younger luxury consumers, and rising interest in heritage craft and bespoke products.

Which Chinese cities have the strongest luxury market?
Shanghai and Beijing lead in total spending. Chengdu has the highest luxury consumption per capita among Tier 2 cities. Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanjing are all significant markets for international luxury brands.

Do Chinese luxury consumers buy differently from Western ones?
Yes, in important ways. Social proof matters more: a Xiaohongshu recommendation often outweighs advertising. The social gifting dimension is larger: many luxury purchases are gifts. Brand story, craft, and heritage now matter more to the new generation of Chinese luxury buyers than they did 10 years ago.

Is it worth investing in Chinese social media for a small luxury brand?
Yes. Xiaohongshu is accessible for smaller brands. A well-executed micro-KOL seeding campaign, combined with a quality brand account, can build significant awareness without the budget required for celebrity endorsements or flagship boutiques.

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates on China’s luxury market and strategies for reaching high-spending Chinese consumers.

Is Your Luxury Brand Telling Its Story in Mandarin?

Chinese luxury consumers in 2026 are young, platform-native, and selective. They discover brands on Xiaohongshu weeks before they visit a boutique. If your brand does not have a presence in Mandarin, on the right platforms, with the right content, you are invisible to one of the most valuable consumer segments in the world. Chinese Tourist Agency builds China marketing strategies for international luxury and fashion brands: editorial content plans, KOL programs, Xiaohongshu and Douyin account management, and event-based campaigns tied to fashion weeks and key moments in the Chinese calendar. Talk to us.

Contact Chinese Tourist Agency

---