Appeal to younger generation

For those traditional fashion media that rely largely on advertising revenue to make a living, some pioneers have explored another new way to regain the trust of advertisers – launching the supplement series or the online version to stimulate consumption and boost demand from young people.

According to Cheng, Vogue's behavior is the classic example. With more than 100 years of history, Vogue is one of the most significant magazine brands in the world, and is regarded as the Bible in the fashion world.

The Vogue China was born in 2005 and has taken the central position in China's fashion circle since then. However, in the face of a decline in subscribers and increasing loss of advertisers, the magazine launched Vogue Me in 2016.

"Generally speaking, young idols are not the preferential candidates to cover top fashion magazine like Vogue, as they are not that 'experienced'. But the appearance of Vogue Me solves the dilemma," Cheng said.

"Vogue Me invites pop idols to cover the fashion magazine. Those stars boast high popularity among the younger generation, the main force of fashion consumption in China. Also, they also act as the spokesmen for many brands, and their fans' buying power cannot be underestimated," added Cheng.

"When these celebrities are on the cover of top magazines, their fans will give publicity to the news on social media. And it is obvious to see it as a multiple-win strategy for stars, fans, magazine producers and advertisers."