Xiaohongshu: Chanel joins, what's next for the Chinese app

3 Jun 2025

On May 30, French luxury house Chanel officially joined Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), China’s premier lifestyle recommendation platform with over 300 million monthly active users. The brand’s debut post featured a cinematic video spotlighting its 2024/25 Métiers d’Art show in Hangzhou and star ambassador Liu Wen. At the time of writing, the Chanel Fashion account has just under 3,000 followers, and the post has garnered over 2,800 likes and saves combined.

Chanel’s arrival on Xiaohongshu marks a notable shift in strategy for one of the last remaining holdouts from China’s “super app” era. The brand has traditionally been cautious in its digital footprint, preferring curated, tightly controlled campaigns over mass-platform engagement. But in 2024 and 2025, that model has shown its limitations — particularly in China, where luxury discovery and purchase journeys are now fluid, nonlinear, and increasingly platform-agnostic.

Earlier this month, Jing Daily confirmed with JD.com that Xiaohongshu has formed a strategic e-commerce partnership with the platform. An official announcement is expected soon. The partnership would allow brands to insert direct shopping links within Xiaohongshu posts, enabling users to browse products and complete purchases without leaving the app. A similar deal, dubbed the “Red Cat Plan,” was launched with Alibaba’s Tmall and Taobao on May 7.