NEW FACE: French fashion brand Iro, owned by the Shenzhen-based Ellassay group, on Wednesday appointed Chinese actress Zhao Jinmai as its latest global brand ambassador, in a bid to sharpen the Paris label’s profile with Gen Z and double down on its leather-driven, romantic rock core.
As part of the tie-up, Zhao also appears in the brand’s fall 2026 campaign, in which she sports a series of signature leather looks, from brown suede to black biker, offering a more tactile, nuanced interpretation of the material.
The brand, founded by Arik Bitton and Laurent Bitton in 2005, said Zhao’s strength and ease embody “a natural, contemporary expression of the Iro spirit.”
Iro Global Brand Ambassador Zhao Jinmai
Courtesy
“I’m delighted to become Iro’s global brand ambassador. For me, style is never a fixed answer; it evolves naturally with my experiences and how I feel in the moment. I love Iro’s sense of freedom and ease, and I look forward to working with the brand to capture the authentic, different sides of myself,” said Zhao, who is set to play a key role in the upcoming third installment of the Chinese sci-fi movie franchise “The Wandering Earth.”
A productive and popular public figure with more than 21 million followers across major Chinese social media platforms, Zhao is best known for her role in the children’s film franchise “Balala the Fairies” and titles including the 2019 sci-fi film “The Wandering,” as well as series including “Growing Pain,” “A Little Thing Called First Love,” “Reset” and “Amidst a Snowstorm of Love.”
In recent years, Zhao has also become an influential fashion star, having additional endorsement contracts with Miu Miu, Guerlain, Rimowa and Charles & Keith.
