The power of glitter & stardust

Luxury goods purveyors turn to young celebrities to give their advertising pulling power

When the Chinese model and actress Yang Ying, better known to tens of millions as Angelababy, was named the new ambassador for a top fashion brand recently it unleashed a torrent of debate about her suitability for the role.

While some hailed Christian Dior's appointment as a smart move, others said the brand was dragging down its upmarket image. Yang failed to appear in Dior's recent 2018 spring/summer resort collection runway show in California, and there was speculation that her absence and the swirl of negative comment after her appointment as ambassador were not entirely unrelated.