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As part of a nationwide study in partnership with Xiaohongshu, China’s leading digital platform, Vogue Business in China analysed a high volume of social media content in the Xiaohongshu environment. Across fashion trends, brand communications and social discourses, a variety of key trends emerged, from cultural needs to new product opportunities. Trends like urban core come to the fore alongside minimalism and quiet luxury, while large practical totes, comfortable footwear and the emergence of new materials manifest in new creative designs. Furthermore, as a consequence of increased demand for outdoor activities and social events, cosy sports footwear and versatile outfits with day-long appeal remain prominent search terms in 2024.
Apparel
Key search terms in the apparel category see “genderless”, “new retro wave”, “cosy athleisure” and “effortless style” trends come to the fore.
A deeper analysis of trending concepts on Xiaohongshu indicates strong demand for outdoor functionality, like the utilitarian hiking styles of “gorpcore”, and increasingly versatile and bright urban outdoor combinations; and then “urbancore”, which has a growing online presence. Both “cores” point to a strong social preference for fashion that serves outdoor pursuits as well as city living. Young people are essentially seeking styles that express more casual attitudes to life.
Meanwhile, retro wave has been a running theme for several years, with Xiaohongshu fashion blogger @Wensentebie6 explaining that the “new” retro wave is an expression of new vintage — and new vintage is not really new at all. New vintage refers to a style adopted by younger generations who seek clothing options that are newly produced but distressed or aged to mimic a retro feel. There are also Xiaohongshu users who subdivide them into even more finely nuanced ideas, such as “dirtycore”, “dirty retro”, “outdoor grunge” and “shabby rock ‘n’ roll”. Brands such as Carhartt Wip, R13 and Magliano are among the fashion labels most often cited as representing the new vintage aesthetic by Xiaohongshu users.
Handbags
As minimalism and practicality evolve, they also manifest in different styles of handbags, from tan tote bags or canvas bags to backpacks and nylon sports carryalls.
Large, practical handbags meet the needs of city dwellers through their versatility for commuting, shopping and partying. Various designer styles — which tick the multi-functional box — trended on Xiaohongshu in 2023, including Bottega Veneta’s Andiamo, Chanel’s 22 hobo bag and Givenchy’s Voyou shoulder style. Additionally, capacious hobo bags from Goyard, the French luggage brand, emerged on the streets of Shanghai and Beijing — and elsewhere in the world. On Xiaohongshu, the term “large capacity handbags” has already reached over 1.78 million comments, and the number of views has even broken through 900 million.
Meanwhile, whether it’s Uniqlo’s shoulder bag or a Balenciaga Hourglass, uniquely shaped handbags are still a rising trend, but most retain an element of practicality, with creative iterations of the crescent bag becoming a key staple. A number of other brands have joined the club: for example, Gucci’s Aphrodite, Grotto’s Luna Hobo, Isabel Marant’s Oksan Moon and Prada’s Cleo. The hashtag #UniquelyShapedBags has already reached 540,000 views on Xiaohongshu.
Footwear
The last 10 years have led to increasing casualisation in fashion. This is partly thanks to the rise of street style as a credible form of expression. It has also been driven by the appetite for sports styles. Both these trends have contributed to higher demand for comfortable footwear, especially more functional sports-style shoes.
“Comfortable” footwear — such as Birkenstocks, loafers and driving shoes — have become increasingly popular in China, with users on Xiaohongshu playing a significant role in driving this trend. The sharing and seeding recommendations of Birkenstock have transcended gender boundaries across style, extending beyond fashion to a broader shift in lifestyle. The classic loafer also overlaps into the clean fit trend, academia aesthetic and quiet luxury shift, complementing the wider themes celebrated by Chinese consumers. Other luxury brands associated with loafers, like Prada, Miu Miu, Gucci and Maison Margiela, are successively appearing in user recommendations on Xiaohongshu and being repeatedly referenced by users on the platform.
Occasionwear is making a comeback. Milestone moments, such as weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies, are driving particular interest across footwear as they coincide with milestone purchases. On Xiaohongshu, recommendation content on how to choose your first pair of high-heeled shoes has been steadily rising — and luxury brands stand to benefit.
Watches and jewellery
Brands like Cartier and Chanel are gaining particular traction in the watches space, with their luxury offerings being treated as investment assets. Many watch connoisseurs are paying attention to the increasing value of collectable pieces, especially among the younger generations. On Xiaohongshu, the volume of discussions and comments relating to #WatchCollection has already exceeded 320,000, while many veteran “antique watch” experts on the platform are also sharing their private collections.
Meanwhile, Gen Z emerges as the largest proportion of jewellery consumers, increasing a focus on new product development, marketing methods and communication strategies. The global dopamine dressing phenomenon has met with great popularity in China, and no less on Xiaohongshu: comments on the keyword “dopamine” are approaching three million. In the jewellery arena, this is giving rise to the fancy diamonds and other coloured gems, for example, like Harry Winston’s vibrant diamond designs that have witnessed strong content exposure on Xiaohongshu. Currently, the number of comments relating to colourful diamonds on Xiaohongshu has reached 120,000, and the number of comments relating to colourful jewels has reached 860,000.
And while contemporary designs with colourful gems have gained popularity, value retention remains an important tenet within jewellery as well. Classic gold jewellery has renewed its appeal to younger consumers, while content on Xiaohongshu educates shoppers on the best deals and “recommended classic pieces that retain their value”, as well as relatively affordable styles for young professionals.
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