On January 24, Angelababy appeared in a live stream for Red Dragonfly, a Chinese footwear brand known for its affordable prices. During the broadcast, she wore a Ronald van der Kemp Autumn/Winter 2024 Haute Couture dress, paired with budget-friendly red sneakers from Red Dragonfly.
The strapless evening gown featured an elegant blend of purple and pink tones, accented by polka-dot straps and a coral red tiered skirt, making Angelababy stand out with striking visual appeal. Her long, straight black hair and cool-toned smoky eye makeup further highlighted her sharp eyebrows and deep-set eyes, reinforcing her image as a cross-cultural beauty icon.
After the live stream, an online discussion quickly erupted as netizens questioned the appropriateness of using Haute Couture fashion to promote mass-market products. The controversy intensified when Ronald van der Kemp, founder and designer of the eponymous high fashion brand, publicly expressed his disapproval. He questioned why a couture dress was being used in a commercial live stream for another brand and strongly objected to pairing his design with what he described as “cheap shoes”.
According to the designer, although the brand agreed to lend the dress to Angelababy, it assumed she would wear it for an official event not for livestream trading. He underlined it “High fashion and low-priced footwear should never be combined,” and stated that he had contacted the Angelababy team directly to express his position.
Reaction spread quickly on Weibo, with numerous related hashtags trending and racking up tens of millions of views. Many users criticized Angelababy and her styling team for what they perceived as a lack of professionalism and disrespect towards a luxury fashion house.
However, the situation took a turn on January 26, when the brand’s representative in China responded, explaining that the controversy arose from “cultural differences and communication problems”. Shortly afterwards, Ronald van der Kemp himself published a video in which he claimed that the misunderstanding had been resolved within 48 hourseffectively softening its previous position.
A well-liked comment on Weibo summed up public sentiment, stating: “In Western haute couture culture, pieces like these are typically reserved for red carpets and editorial shoots, which clearly differ from the livestream trade. The founder’s clarification shows that Angelababy was not at fault if the problem arose because the design team failed to fully explain how the dress would be used.”
Following the clarification, Angelababy shared photos of herself wearing the Ronald van der Kemp design on social media on January 26, signaling a calm resolution to the incident. While the controversy has died down, the incident reignited broader discussions about luxury fashion etiquette, celebrity endorsements and the evolving role of livestream commerce in the global fashion industry.
Sources: Ngoisao
