Written by Oscar Holland, CNN
Collaborators Teele Rebane, CNNLizzy Yee, CNN
A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a thrice-weekly update that explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here. For fans of freestyle skiing and fashion alike, the buzz surrounding Winter Olympian Eileen Gu at this year’s Games has come as no surprise. on Tuesday, unleashing such a furor in China that the Weibo social media platform collapsed under the weight of interest. But Gu has spent years establishing herself as a top athlete and highly profitable model who appeals to brands in both Asia and the West.
In 2021, while winning gold medals at the World Ski Championships and the Winter X Games, Gu was also forging lucrative partnerships with fashion houses and luxury brands. Signing to IMG Models, the agency that represents Bella Hadid, Kate Moss and Hailey Bieber, she has signed deals with Louis Vuitton, Victoria’s Secret and Tiffany & Co., as well as Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC and cosmetics brand Estée Lauder. , among others.
In fact, the California-born athlete is among the most sponsored athletes at these Olympics. He arrived in Beijing with more than 20 business partnerships, ranging from Beats by Dre headphones to Cadillac.
A promotional image from Gu’s recent campaign with Louis Vuitton. Credit: Louis Vuitton
But it is Gu’s mass appeal in China, where she is known by her Chinese name Gu Ailing and has been dubbed the “snow princess,” that makes her especially valuable to brands.
Having switched his sporting allegiance to his mother’s home country in 2019, Gu’s fluency in Mandarin has helped secure his place on Chinese TV ads, billboards and even milk cartons (as the face of China-based Mengniu Dairy). in Inner Mongolia). E-commerce giant JD.com, coffee shop chain Luckin Coffee and telecommunications company China Mobile are among the growing list of mainland Chinese brands she has modeled for in recent months. signature Bain. The Asian edition of the advertising and marketing industry magazine Campaign estimated that the new endorsements could bring the athlete around 15 million yuan ($2.5 million) each, and that was before her success with the gold medal.
Eileen Gu in a JD.com advertisement at a bus stop in Beijing, China. Credit: Tingshu Wang/Reuters
According to Bohan Qiu, whose Shanghai-based creative agency Boh Project works with major fashion brands, Gu’s rising popularity in the country comes at a time when nationalist pride in China has seen “the relevance of western celebrities.
“For this generation, a lot of the celebrities here are quite domestically oriented, so (Gu) being half-American, half-Chinese and speaking both languages fluently, he has a very global appeal,” he said by phone, adding. that the country’s Gen Z demographic contains “third culture kids” who simultaneously understand Chinese and Western contexts. “She’s definitely a once-in-a-decade kind of talent.”
Gu has combined big-money deals with reporting in big-name magazines and appearances in top-tier fashion shows. Seen at events like Paris Fashion Week since 2019, she has since been spotted front row at Louis Vuitton and at the notoriously exclusive Met Gala, where she hit the red carpet in a Carolina bubble dress. Blacksmith. “The world of fashion has helped balance my training,” she told Vogue Hong Kong, appearing on the cover of the magazine’s July issue. “Just like skiing, modeling requires incredible expression and personality. It requires creativity, confidence, and the ability to learn and adapt… The transition between modeling and skiing became a break and mutual practice that helped me to feel more motivated. in each zone.
Eileen Gu pictured with Stacy Martin (left) and Venus Williams (right) at the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2022 show at Paris Fashion Week last October. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Gu has also graced the cover of the Chinese editions of GQ and Elle. And as a guest editor for Vogue+, Vogue China’s generation Z-focused bi-monthly edition, the athlete recently explored the intricacies of her identity under the theme “code-switching.”
“I wanted to explore and showcase the inherently malleable nature of teenage identities,” Gu wrote on Instagram, “a quality I’ve found myself tapping into over and over again as I showcase different facets of myself (athlete, model, student, Chinese, American, teen, writer, public figure, etc.) in different settings. Everybody changes code and I think it’s time we started celebrating that multifaceted nature.”
The ski star was the guest editor for a bi-monthly issue of Vogue+, focusing on Vogue China’s generation Z.
A ‘safe bet’ for brands
Gu’s social networks are also full of fashion. Whether posting on Instagram or writing to millions of followers on Xiaohongshu and Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Instagram and Twitter, respectively), their feeds oscillate between sport and style, with track shots posted alongside photos of models and their outfits. latest fashion editorials.
Her nonchalant approach has helped her connect with young fans, both in China and in the West, who want to see “beyond training, sports, the more official side of things,” Qiu said. “Many Chinese celebrities are much more protected by their agent or manager, or find it difficult to share the more real aspects of their lives.”
Shortly after last Friday’s opening ceremony, Gu posted a “lookbook” of the outfits she had worn at the Games so far. Elsewhere, she shared messages of support from supermodel Karlie Kloss and a viral video of her unboxing outfit from Chinese sportswear brand Anta for an impromptu fashion show in the Olympic village.
“OMG that vest and down jacket give off supermodel vibes,” one user wrote under the latest video on the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin. “The frog princess is so trendy,” read a comment on another video, using another Chinese nickname she gave to Gu because of the green ski helmet she wore as a child. “Encouraging you to be the best in the Winter Olympics.”
An advertising poster shows Eileen Gu promoting the Chinese dairy company Mengniu Dairy. Credit: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images
Even in the heat of competition, Gu has used her public platform to boost her fashion credentials and promote Chinese culture. Speaking to reporters after qualifying for Monday’s aerial grand final, she lifted her bib to show cameras a black jacket embroidered with a gold dragon. “This is a garment I designed, with Chinese elements,” she said in Mandarin.
Gu’s rise comes at a time when Western brands are frequently subject to consumer boycotts for perceived mistakes, from choosing models that don’t fit Chinese beauty standards to printing T-shirts that list Hong Kong and Macau as countries, instead of cities. Her refusal to be drawn into political issues may reinforce her reputation as a low-risk ambassador. The skier has kept quiet about the many controversies surrounding China at these Games, including Beijing’s alleged treatment of Xinjiang’s Uyghur population and welfare concerns. be from tennis star Peng Shuai. “There’s no need to be divisive,” she recently told the New York Times after saying she would “glove over” questions about China. “I think everything I do is about inclusion.” When asked about Peng at a news conference this week, Gu simply thanked her for coming and expressed gratitude that the tennis player was “happy and healthy and here doing her thing again.” Gu also dodged questions about whether she was forced to lose her US passport, as China does not formally recognize dual citizenship.
Related video: Reporters pressure Eileen Gu about her citizenship. See your reply
His diplomatic approach echoes that of tennis star Emma Raducanu, who also drew praise from state media and trended on Weibo after winning the US Open last year. (She also has a Chinese mother and has addressed fans on social media in Mandarin.) Raducanu has since signed with Dior, with talent manager Jonathan Shalit, telling CNN last year that she expected her to make “over $100 million” in endorsement deals in 2022.
But unlike the tennis star, who continues to represent the UK, Gu’s decision to ski for China makes her an even more profitable name, according to Qiu.
“Sports heroes are definitely the new idols here,” Qiu said, adding, “They are national heroes, which makes them a very safe bet for brands to work with.”
Featured Image: Eileen Gu in a campaign for Louis Vuitton.
Source: www.cnn.com