How Chris Lee became China’s new luxury endorsement queen: 6 brands she’s the face of, from Versace with Anne Hathaway to Gucci, Givenchy, L’Oréal, Diesel and YSL Beauty
Chinese star Li Yuchun, aka Chris Lee, has recently landed a lucrative deal with Versace as its latest global ambassador, adding one more leading brand to her luxury endorsement “collection”.
Originally rising to fame as a singer after winning Chinese singing contest show Super Girl in 2005, Lee has released 10 albums, including seven top-selling ones, per her IMDB profile. She acts too, appearing in various local films such as Bodyguard and Assassins (2009), From Vegas to Macau III (2016) and Monster Hunt 2 (2018).
In addition to being named one of China’s 50 most influential people by the BBC, she is also known for her bold, genderless beauty, boasting a “Chris Lee effect” as anything she wears will immediately sell out.
It’s no surprise that she’s become a darling of luxury brands. So what are her biggest fashion and beauty collaborations over the years?
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1. Versace
She appeared in Versace’s new Icons series for her debut campaign. She wore a Versace black suspender dress in the black-and-white photos, with the Versace logo link buckles on the shoulder straps stylised in gold. Versace China stated on Weibo that the campaign represents the femininity and confidence of a woman.
“She is a huge musical talent and I love watching her perform. Chris is a great champion of creativity, of Chinese culture and youth and a true Versace woman. Stylish, confident and so, so smart,” creative director Donatella Versace said on Instagram.
2. YSL Beauty
In 2021, Lee became the first Chinese spokesperson for YSL Beauty in the world, Sina reported. With her daring self-expression, she matches the authentic and distinctive spirit of the French luxury house.
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Since then, she has appeared in their various commercials, showing off her eccentric aura, encouraging women to be true to themselves and to shine in their own skin.
3. Gucci
She appeared in photoshoots wearing all kinds of bling from the house, such as the GG 2570, G-Timeless Automatic, as well as rings, bracelets and a necklace from the Icon Fine Jewellery collection.
“I’ve been fascinated by Alessandro Michele’s collections ever since he became Gucci’s creative director since they’re full of joy and originality,” she said, according to Icon-Icon.
4. Diesel
One year later, Lee collaborated with another Italian brand, Diesel, for its autumn/winter 2017 collection and ad campaign “Go With the Flaw”, which embraced imperfection.
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Her reckless taste was ideal for the collections of unisex baseball caps, T-shirts, hoodies, jeans and denim jackets, according to Diesel’s creative director Nicola Formichetti.
“It’s the perfect fit. Diesel is ultimately the unconventional brand, always fighting conformity in terms of design, attitude and communication. So when we met Chris Lee, it felt natural to collaborate and create this amazing capsule collection, based on the idea that perfection is boring so we should celebrate imperfection,” he said.
5. Givenchy
Lee was already a fan of Givenchy, as she usually opted for chic designs from the brand, before she fronted the French fashion house’s autumn/winter 2015 campaigns by creative director Riccardo Tisci.
A year later, the “Why Me” singer also collaborated with Tisci and Givenchy to launch a special-edition CL sneaker inspired by her, featuring “Why Me” and “Chris Lee” on the front of each shoe and a “1” and “0” on each heel to mark her 10 years working in the entertainment industry as well as Tisci’s 10 years at Gucci.
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“Chris Lee is a beautiful, intelligent, strong woman who is not afraid to stand by her own choices, even if it means taking a risk. She represents the young generation, the future of China. She is the perfect interpretation of a Givenchy Woman,” Tisci told Hong Kong media outlet Trendy Style.
6. L’Oréal
In 2012, Lee joined the L’Oréal’s “Dream Team” that includes glamorous celebrities with outstanding careers and extraordinary personalities from all over the world.
Like Givenchy’s Tisci, global president of L’Oréal Paris Cyril Chapuy also believed that Lee represents the new generation of Chinese people. “She is full of energy and talent. She is a source of inspiration in China and around the world. Whether it is music or film, her outstanding performance deserves our recognition and praise,” he said.
Lee also expressed her excitement for working with the brand: “Joining L’Oréal is a crazy thing for me. It has a long history and is always a top-tier in fashion. Moreover, it also leads all young people to pursue inner beauty. I hope my participation can bring some different elements and sparks with L’Oréal.”
- Chris Lee shot to fame when she won Chinese singing contest show Super Girl in 2005, subsequently releasing top-selling albums and acting in films – now she’s a luxury brand darling, too
- Versace chose her and Anne Hathaway to be their global brand ambassadors in April, but Lee has already been the face of Gucci, Diesel, Givenchy, YSL Beauty and L’Oréal with her bold, genderless style