Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 50 Week of 2 February 2026
(1) Meet Christina Chung, the Hong Kong model nearing 60 who made waves at a Chanel show
Nearly 60-year-old mother-of-seven Christina Chung, born to Chiu Chow parents in Hong Kong, stole the spotlight at Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel haute couture debut during Paris Fashion Week. Returning to modelling in her 50s, her runway walk captivated an A-list crowd at the Grand Palais.
(2) China’s Anta snags Puma from France’s Pinault family in US$1.8 billion deal
Anta Sports, China’s top sportswear firm, is buying a 29% stake in Puma for €1.5 billion (HK$13.4 billion) to boost its global multi-brand strategy, becoming Puma’s largest shareholder while maintaining its independence.
(3) AI Fashion Model in Vietnam Generates 16 Million Won Sales
A Hanoi clothing store owner created AI-generated model Duong Thuy Linh, gaining 50,000 followers before her virtual nature was revealed.
(4) Nike’s India Strategy: What the Nykaa Collaboration means for India consumers?
Nike is handing India e-commerce operations to Nykaa from February 2026, promising faster deliveries and free shipping/exchanges for consumers.
(1) Meet Christina Chung, the Hong Kong model nearing 60 who made waves at a Chanel show
(Photo Credit: @christina__chung/Instagram)
Paris Haute Couture Week kicked off on 26 January 2026 with Matthieu Blazy’s highly anticipated Chanel spring/summer 2026 debut at the Grand Palais, drawing A-list stars Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa, and A$AP Rocky. The French-Belgian designer’s avian-inspired collection celebrated fluid silhouettes, romantic hues, and impeccable craftsmanship: birds as metaphors for modern women’s freedom and global journeys, he told Vogue Business.
Amid diverse cast including teens Alex Consani and Bhavitha Mandava, as well as veterans Stephanie Cavalli (49) and Laura Ponte (52), nearly 60-year-old Christina Chung turned the most heads. Born in 1966 to Chiu Chow parents from Swatow, China who settled in Hong Kong during the 1940s, Chung grew up as the fifth of eight siblings in a troubled home marked by her father’s abuse.
Escaping at 16, she attended St Paul’s Secondary School, worked at a paging company, and later became a personal assistant at Bank of America Tower. Blessed with height and striking looks, Chung tried modelling in her 20s, landing an American Express ad, but quit after a catwalk trainer’s predatory advance.
Motherhood defined her next chapter. After losing custody of her first daughter, she married supportive Hylas Chung in 1994, welcoming six more daughters. Two, Chloe and Ciara, nudged her back to runways in her 50s. Their encouragement propelled her to Chanel’s global stage, embodying resilience from Hong Kong hardship to Paris triumph.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3341643/meet-christina-chung-hong-kong-model-nearing-60-who-made-waves-chanel-show
(2) China’s Anta snags Puma from France’s Pinault family in US$1.8 billion deal
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
China’s leading sportswear giant, Anta Sports, is acquiring a 29% stake in German brand Puma from France’s wealthy Pinault family for €1.5 billion (about HK$13.4 billion). Headquartered in Fujian, Anta views this as a key step in its multi-brand globalization push, becoming Puma’s largest shareholder without plans for a full takeover. The cash-funded deal, set to close by year-end, builds on Anta’s acquisition spree since 2018, including Amer Sports, Maia Active, and Jack Wolfskin.
Anta Chairman Ding Shizhong praised Puma’s iconic heritage in sports and casual wear. This includes Puma Clyde sneakers and collaborations with stars such as Rihanna, Blackpink’s Rosé, and Dua Lipa. Post-deal, Anta aims to foster mutual growth while preserving Puma’s independence. It will leverage complementary strengths for brand revival.
Founded in 1991, Anta has expanded globally into Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Europe. The announcement boosted its Hong Kong shares by 2% to HK$77.90. The Pinaults, via luxury powerhouse Kering, had held Puma’s controlling stake since 2007 before gradually reducing it.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3341333/chinas-anta-snags-puma-frances-pinault-family-us18-billion-deal
(3) AI Fashion Model in Vietnam Generates 16 Million Won Sales
(Photo Credit: VnExpress)
A Vietnamese fashion model, Duong Thuy Linh, gained 50,000 social media followers before people learned that she is only an AI-generated virtual character, not a real human. She has East Asian features, fair skin, and a rich image that fits consumer tastes. Her account gets daily purchase and meetup requests. Many fans still do not know that she is digital.
The creator of the AI fashion model is Quang Dong, a 23-year old from Hanoi who made the model using generative AI tools and video-generation AI. Quang owns a clothing store. Frustrated by high model fees and weak advertisement results, he turned to AI to alleviate these burdens. In Duong Thuy Linh’s first month, sales reached 300 million Vietnamese dong (about HK$94,000). It has also greatly reduced the effort needed to put into advertisement. Content creation now only takes 5-10 minutes per post. This allows Dong to post 15-20 videos daily with realistic fabric details.
Marketing expert Nguyen Thai Nam explains that the key to using AI models is not just a pretty face but infusing “soul” through subtle facial expression and lip movements. As a marketing expert, he trains AI to act as product reviewers for advertising content.
Demand for AI model skills is rising fast. Hanoi teacher Duoi, who conducts AI lectures in Hanoi, saw enrolments jump 200%, with 150 students enrolling in January alone. Most are e-commerce sellers aged 20-40 seeking to save costs in their business.
However, consumers are also becoming increasingly wary of hyper-realistic AI ads that are using images that differ from real products, demanding live broadcasts or unedited videos to verify product quality. Experts also emphasize that ethical and legal issues may arise alongside technological expansion, urging mandatory labeling of AI-generated content.
News Source: https://www.chosun.com/english/world-en/2026/02/05/XGU5ORXQXJC2XMNPVITZBLUAH4
(4) Nike’s India Strategy: What the Nykaa Collaboration means for India consumers?
(Photo Credit: Pinterest)
Global sportswear titan Nike is outsourcing its India e-commerce arm to beauty powerhouse Nykaa starting February 2026, redirecting Nike.com to Nike.nykaa.com and relaunching the app from 30 January 2026. Customers will receive free shipping on all orders, same-product exchanges, and quicker deliveries, addressing long-standing frustrations.
While the platform will keep stocking sneakers, sportswear, and apparel, key features will be axed, including Nike membership logins, “Nike By You” customizations, and the SNKRS web platform for limited drops such as Jordans and Converses. Nykaa vows to provide smoother handling of exclusive releases via product storytelling, heritage details, live events, and anti-bot measures. Updated terms, sales policies, and privacy rules are incoming on the new website.
The pivot stems from mounting user backlash, especially around monthly SNKRS hype fuelling delays and out-of-stocks. Moreover, Nike lacked an India warehouse and must route shipments from Singapore, which created chaos amid booming five-year demand.
Nykaa has since gained a traffic and inventory boost from Nike’s handover, tapping its logistics, vast customer base, and local savvy. This rare fashion-beauty mashup promises streamlined execution for both.
For Indian shoppers, they can expect fewer headaches and richer context around drops, though purists may miss Nike’s direct control. As terms finalize, the duo eyes recapturing loyalty in a shifting market.
