Blogger rises to fashion stardom

Blogger rises to fashion stardom


Until recently Han Huohuo was just a twentysomething Chinese fashion blogger. Today he enjoys front-row seats at European catwalk shows and rubs shoulders with the editor of Chinese Vogue. More than a million people now follow the wildly famous fashion blogger on weibo, China's answer to Twitter, and a leading website recently listed him among the country's top 20 movers and shakers in the industry.

The 28-year-old's flamboyant style — he favors women's clutches, skintight black pants and the occasional high heel — and passion for the industry have won him fame in a country where fashion icons are just starting to emerge.

Experts say his rapid rise to fame over the past four years was propelled by international brands eager to latch onto anyone who holds sway in China — set to become the world's largest luxury market by 2015, according to a Boston Consulting Group forecast.

“You've got so many luxury brands throwing money at China and they are grabbing people who have some sort of influence,” said Chloe Reuter, who runs a luxury communications agency in Shanghai, Reuter PR.

“It's extraordinary what kind of stuff they get given. They fly first class and have chauffeurs.

“Because everything is very new, people are basically being catapulted into A-list segments — something that might take a lot longer anywhere else.”

Han's unconventional style would stand out anywhere, but in China, it is particularly unusual.

His microblog — set against a leopard-print background — features a stream of portraits of himself stalking city streets in leather pants, designer purses, fur-lined coats and gold bracelets.

Part of his head is shaved, while what hair he has is long and swept back like a mane.

Not everyone likes his look, with some scorning his feminine style as “abnormal” and “evil.”

“It's just like Lady Gaga,” Han said in an interview with AFP, referring to the pop star known for extravagant outfits. “A lot of people criticize her but many are also praising her because she did what others didn't dare to do.

“The reason I got attention is that I did what others didn't dare to do,” he added. “I think I encouraged a lot of people.”

Han launched his blog in 2008 but since then his microblog, which he began in 2009, has become his main outlet for expression.