Meet Xin Liu, Dior’s androgynous new brand ambassador: the Chinese pop star shot to fame through girl band The9, releasing a successful solo album Xanadu – and even collaborated with K-pop queen Boa

Dior Beauty recently featured Chinese superstar Xin Liu in its new Gris Dior eau de parfum campaign, alongside Jenna Ortega and Maya Hawke. Xin Liu, also known as Liu Yu-xin, has become a notable figure in the Chinese pop music scene due to her exceptional singing and dancing abilities. However, she has also gained attention for her distinctive androgynous style that challenges conventional gender norms – especially in the music industry, which is known to be rigid and patriarchal. Notably, Dior’s latest fragrance is genderless and inclusive, mirroring Liu’s own gender neutral approach to self-expression, indicating that their partnership represents a fusion of innovative and boundary-pushing attitudes towards fashion and beauty. Here’s everything you need to know about the 26-year-old trailblazer. Asia’s Met Gala 2023 takeover: 11 best dressed stars on the red carpet Xin Liu has been dancing since the age of 10 Liu was born into a musical family – her mother was a local opera actress and her father worked in the Chinese classical music industry. According to Sina, from a young age, she travelled with her mother to performances and discovered her passion for music and dance. Liu began training in ballet and street dance at the age of 10 and, more impressively, she travelled to Beijing aged 12 to study at the Beijing Contemporary Music School. Liu’s dedication to street dance led her to become the sole mentee of James Lin – a renowned figure in the Chinese street dance scene – in 2010. In a recent interview with Elle Singapore, Liu shared that she was drawn to street dance for the love of the art. “The motivation is love. You’ll never get tired if you do what you like. That is the plain truth,” she said in the interview. Not only is Liu a gifted artist, she also demonstrates exceptional academic prowess, graduating with a degree in music recording from Tianjin University of Sport’s College of Art and Culture. 6 of Liu Yifei’s most prestigious luxury brand endorsements, from LV to Dior She debuted in a girl band Liu’s rise to fame began with a bang. She burst onto the scene in 2012 as a contestant on the Chinese talent show Up Young and continued to shine on girl-group survival reality programme Lady Bees in 2016 before her group disbanded in 2019. But that didn’t stop Liu, as she once again rose to the top and snagged the crown, becoming a proud member and the centre of The9 after her stint on the iQiyi’s survival reality programme, Youth With You 2. She was a member of The9 for two years until she decided to fly solo in 2021. Since then, Liu released the smash album Xanadu, featuring nine singles. She also collaborated with K-pop legend Boa on the hit song “Better” in Chinese in 2022. In a video interview with People’s Joy Works, Liu revealed that she is very meticulous, admitting that she made countless adjustments to the post-production of her music videos. However, she expressed her pride in her solo album, knowing that every bit of effort put into it was worth it. Wong’s world: where are Hong Kong film icon Wong Kar-wai’s 6 muses now? She also faced criticism However, the Forbes China Magazine 30 Under 30 honoree has also faced backlash from netizens. As reported by Today Online, in an interview that went viral online back in 2021, the chanteuse said that she was “thankful for the pandemic”, which quickly garnered backlash and criticism. When asked about her thoughts on the past year, Liu responded with a brief pause before saying, “I feel like I have to be thankful for the pandemic as well – yes – because of that, everyone was watching television shows at home.” But some of Liu’s fans spoke out in her defence, claiming that her words had been taken out of context and that the video had been edited in a way that distorted her meaning. The pop star then issued an apology for her faux pas. Inside Karl Lagerfeld’s love for K-pop stars Jennie Kim and G-Dragon Her luxury brand endorsements Liu’s global recognition was further amplified after Dior Gris’ worldwide campaign, but she had previously already represented numerous high-end brands as their ambassador. In 2020, Liu was chosen to be the Asia region’s spokesperson for Calvin Klein and also began her partnership with luxury brand Dior as its China ambassador. Additionally, she has served as a brand ambassador for Casio G-Shock watches, Häagen-Dazs, Sisley Paris, Make Up Forever and Ray-Ban. Most recently, she was appointed as the China spokesperson for American headwear brand, New Era Cap. “Dior has always given me new exploration and inspired me a lot. The new Dior is full of energy; the brand mission and spirit will allow me to discover my new self,” she told Elle Singapore. 6 times BTS’ Jimin rocked Dior outfits before he was made ambassador She is one of China’s most influential social media stars According to Jing Daily, Liu was among the Chinese celebrities who dominated social media during the autumn 2023 fashion shows. This was due to Chinese A-listers beginning to attend fashion shows after the country’s reopening, highlighting their immense marketing potential. The top 10 stars, which also include actress Fan Bingbing and actor Xiao Zhan, generated over US$49 million in earned media value (EMV) across Weibo and Instagram, according to influencer marketing platform Lefty. The publication also stated that Liu alone generated an impressive US$23.6 million in EMV on Weibo and US$693,000 on Instagram. Liu’s pioneering androgynous style has served as a source of inspiration for many of her fans worldwide, breaking through gender boundaries and bringing an added level of refinement to fashion, which many luxurious brands have seemed to quickly notice. We have a feeling that this is just the beginning for Xin Liu. Want more stories like this? Follow Style on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.