US lingerie giant, Victoria’s Secret, has attracted the attention of Chinese netizens with its appointment of three new so-called “brand friends”:  celebrity agent, Yang Tianzhen; fashion photographer, Chen Man, and Zhao Xiaotang from girl group, The 9.

Much of the buzz surrounds the appointment of Yang, who is not a celebrity in the traditional sense, but is an important figure in China’s entertainment industry as the one-time agent of superstars such as Fan Bingbing and Zhang Yuqi.

Yang has become a regular on variety shows in recent years and has garnered a reputation for her strong and confident “girl boss” persona. The curvy agent, who revealed that she underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2020 for health reasons, has become an undisputed influencer thanks to her statements about body confidence and feminism, which is likely the reason Victoria’s Secret chose Yang to present its plus-size range of lingerie.

Chinese netizens responded favourably to the announcement of the new link-up on social media this week.

In recent years, Victoria’s Secret has been trying to recast its image worldwide, and in China, where the brand is a relatively new market entrant, having opened its first store in 2017, it’s still finding its way in a highly-fragmented and increasingly competitive $61 billion underwear market.