Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 341 Eastern Aesthetics
May 9th, Paris, France, dawn breaking.

At 7 a.m., Yang Zi woke up from her sleep, habitually reached for her phone on the pillow, and sleepily opened Weibo to check the domestic news.

When I saw the trending topic, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Senior Sister, you've been nominated!"

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped abruptly. Liu Shishi, who was putting on makeup, poked her head out, still holding her mascara brush: "What nomination?"

Liu Tao, who was busy picking out clothes in front of the wardrobe, also looked at Yang Zi curiously.

Yang Zi sat up on the edge of the bed, excitedly waving her phone: "Sis, the nomination list for the 17th Magnolia Awards in China has been announced, and you've been nominated for Best Actress for your role in 'Go Lala Go!'!"

Liu Shishi was taken aback, then quickly stepped forward, her clean face still damp with water droplets: "Really? Zi Mei, you're not joking with me, are you?"

"It's trending on Weibo, how could it be fake?" Yang Zi turned her phone screen towards the top star, "Look, Liu Shishi's Magnolia Award nomination has already reached the number one trending topic!"

Liu Tao stood aside, feeling a mix of emotions. She had been in the industry for over ten years and acted in so many TV dramas, but she had never received a nomination for any of the three major television awards.

The new generation of actresses born in 85 already enjoys high popularity, and now they are starting to challenge mainstream awards. Their industry status and public recognition are increasing, which will further squeeze the living space of middle-aged actresses.

Seeing that Yang Zi's expression seemed genuine, Liu Shishi immediately beamed with joy: "Lunch is on me today, I'll treat everyone to a French feast."

Yang Zi jumped out of bed, not even bothering to put on her slippers, and rushed over to hug her senior sister, cheering, "Senior Sister, long live!"

At 8:30, the members of the "Divas Hit the Road" group gradually gathered in the living room, preparing to head to the Louvre for filming.

The actresses all dressed up with extra care today. Chen Hong wore a champagne-colored long dress that exuded mature charm, while Jia Jingwen's bohemian-style dress was elegant and graceful.

Even the usually carefree Yang Zi wore an exquisite lace top with an A-line skirt. Liu Tao opted for a tailored trouser suit, exuding both competence and elegance.

Unlike the packed itinerary in Italy, the trip to France aims to highlight the theme of this European tour: cultural exchange between China and Europe.

To showcase the beauty of Eastern women, a promotional video needed to be filmed, so the actresses dressed up in their finest attire and were ready to display their beauty in front of the camera.

"Why isn't Shishi coming down yet?" Huang Xiaoming glanced at the time, his brows furrowing slightly. "This makeup is taking way too long!"

Just as everyone was getting impatient, a series of crisp footsteps came from the stairs, and everyone looked up at the same time.

Liu Shishi held onto the stair railing and descended the stairs gracefully.

The morning light cast a soft glow on her features, her unadorned black hair cascading down like a waterfall, her makeup light and simple, a white silk shirt tucked into a black high-waisted long skirt, exuding a unique elegance and grace, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

The most eye-catching item was the long black dress, with delicate Suzhou embroidery patterns that appeared and disappeared as the light changed, and the blooming patterns and swirling auspicious clouds intertwined to create a unique Eastern poetic charm.

The modern, three-dimensional tailoring breathes new life into traditional patterns, and every step causes the skirt to flow with an elegant curve.

A jade brooch adorns the collar of an elegant white shirt, perfectly embodying the concept of negative space in Eastern aesthetics and revealing the gentle qualities of Eastern women.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting." Liu Shishi's figure was graceful, with beautiful lines around her neck, as if she had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting, perfectly blending Eastern subtlety with French romance.

The living room fell silent for a moment, until Yang Zi broke the silence with a "Wow!": "Senior Sister, you look absolutely stunning! Are you going to walk the red carpet at the Louvre?"

Chen Hong stared intently at Liu Shishi's black dress, her admiration undisguised: "Shishi, this dress is so beautiful, what style is it?"

Liu Tao's eyes sparkled: "I've seen very few pieces in China that can compare to this gold-woven craftsmanship!"

“This is a magnificent horse-face skirt!” Liu Shishi’s lips curled up slightly as her fingertips traced the intricate floral patterns on the skirt. “It was hand-woven by a master craftsman from Suzhou over three months, and the pattern is inspired by artifacts unearthed from the Dingling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty.”

The midday sun pierced through the clouds, refracting a dazzling light onto the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre.

As the members of the "Divas Hit the Road" group walked toward the designated filming location, they had already attracted many tourists to stop and watch.

"Perfect!" The accompanying photographer adjusted the lens. "Senior Sister, please stand on the left side of the pyramid. Yes, let the skirt spread out naturally..."

Facing the camera, Liu Shishi slightly raised her chin, her hands hanging naturally at her sides, her posture elegant and composed.

At this moment, she seemed not to be standing on the streets of 21st-century Paris, but rather a Ming Dynasty lady who had traveled through time, with Eastern aesthetics condensed into a tangible elegance in her.

The dark black horse-face skirt rippled in the breeze, and the gold-threaded pattern flickered in the sunlight, like a flowing galaxy.

"Beautiful!" "Mon Dieu!"

The uniquely oriental-style clothing, combined with Liu Shishi's gentle and elegant oriental feminine charm, left the foreign tourists nearby speechless.

Many tourists raised their phones, eager to capture this rare sight.

Halfway through the shoot, a man carrying a professional camera squeezed to the front and asked in heavily accented French English:
"Excuse me, ma'am, may I take a few photos of you? I'm Pierre, a photographer for Exquisite Gucci!"

Seeing the foreign photographer's eager expression, Liu Shishi nodded slightly in agreement.

Once he received permission, Pierre immediately got to work, quickly adjusting the camera settings, his eyes gleaming with excitement behind the lens.

He had never seen such a unique garment before. The structure of the skirt was neither like a Western dress nor a Japanese kimono. The layers of pleats presented an amazing geometric beauty as he turned around.

What's even more astonishing is that this seemingly elaborate outfit looks perfectly natural on this Eastern woman, as if it were a work of art tailor-made for her.

"Beautiful lady, what's the name of this dress?"

"The horse-face skirt is a traditional garment for women in ancient China," Liu Shishi explained earnestly, stroking the delicate patterns on the skirt as she spoke fluent English.

"The 'horse-face' refers to the skirt-door structure, with flat skirt doors at the front and back, and pleats on both sides, making it both dignified and easy to move around in!"

"Exquisite! Absolutely stunning!" Pierre exclaimed, camera in hand. "This craftsmanship and design concept are an excellent inspiration for modern fashion."

More and more people gathered to watch, and exclamations of praise in different languages ​​rose and fell.

An art student wearing a beret exclaimed, her eyes lighting up: "This is like a figure straight out of a classical oil painting! But it's not European in style, it's amazing!"

"Is she a princess from the East?" a little French girl asked innocently, holding her mother's hand, and good-natured laughter rang out around them.

Liu Shishi smiled slightly, calmly cooperating with Pierre's poses during the photoshoot. As she raised her hand to tidy her hair, a white jade bracelet on her slender wrist was revealed, a unique oriental touch.

Under the sunlight, he seemed to be enveloped in a warm halo, coexisting in a wonderful harmony with the lines of the Louvre's classical architecture. That evening, Pierre's photograph made it to the front page of Exquisite Gucci's online edition, with the headline "Eastern Aesthetics Shock the Louvre: A Cultural Hurricane Brought by a Chinese Woman."

In the photo, Liu Shishi stands sideways, the gold-embroidered pattern of her horse-face skirt shimmering in the sunlight. Her slightly raised head is both dignified and confident, with the classical architecture of the Louvre in the background serving as a perfect backdrop.

These photos quickly sparked heated discussions in the global fashion world, becoming a classic moment in the dialogue between Eastern and Western aesthetics.

When the "Divas Hit the Road" group took a nighttime cruise on the Seine, related topics began to circulate wildly on Twitter.

The topics "Chinese Traditional Dress" and "Louvre Beauty" quickly became trending topics on Twitter.

"This is true fashion! It has more soul than those cookie-cutter haute couture pieces!"

"I finally understand why there was a craze for Chinese style in Europe in the 18th century; this kind of beauty is truly captivating."

On Weibo, Liu Shishi was already quite popular due to her nomination for Best Actress at the Magnolia Awards, and her stunning appearance in Hanfu at the Louvre further ignited the entire internet.

Fans went wild sharing the photos from overseas websites, and the comment section was buzzing with excitement:
"Shishi looks absolutely stunning in this outfit! She makes Hanfu look like a museum piece!"

"Looking for a link to the same horse-face skirt! Our traditional clothing is so beautiful!"

"Seeing the comments from foreign netizens makes me so proud; this is true cultural export!"

Furthermore, the fashion blogger Aesthetics Research Institute published a long article analyzing: "Liu Shishi's outfit is textbook-level. The Ming-style horse-face skirt is dignified and elegant, and coupled with the subtle and elegant makeup, it perfectly presents the essence of the Eastern aesthetic of 'harmony and balance'."

More importantly, her own temperament complements the Hanfu perfectly; it's not the clothes wearing her, but the person wearing the clothes.

May 12, Florence, Italy, Gucci headquarters.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the conference room at Gucci headquarters, filling the air with the rich aroma of espresso.

Three days have passed since Liu Shishi stirred up a storm of Eastern aesthetics in front of the Louvre, and the aftershocks of this storm are affecting this century-old luxury brand in an astonishing way.

Artistic Director Kyle pushed a stack of documents to the center of the conference table, where a photograph of Liu Shishi in a horse-face skirt shone brightly in front of the Louvre.

"Mr. President, after thorough investigation, this Eastern muse is Liu Shishi, a top Chinese actress with over 2000 million followers on Twitter. I recommend inviting her to be Gucci's first global brand ambassador."

Upon hearing this, Olaf, the head of Gucci Europe, immediately objected, using very strong language.

"Absurd! Kyle, you're insane! To choose a Chinese person as a global brand ambassador based on just a few photos? How can the glory of Gucci's century-old history be so easily handed over to an Asian face? This is simply a desecration of the brand's history!"

Kyle didn't even glance at Olaf, and sneered: "Mr. President, Gucci's performance growth in the European and American markets has slowed down recently."

The East is the new territory we need to explore. Choosing a Chinese person to represent Gucci might yield unexpected results.

Seeing a hint of interest on Gucci CEO Maurizio Gucci's face, the heads of the European and American regions loudly and vehemently objected, determined not to allow Gucci's first global brand ambassador to be an Asian!

Eric, head of Gucci Asia, argued strongly in support of Artistic Director Kyle's proposal, arguing that his position determined his opinion and that if Gucci chose Liu Shishi as its global brand ambassador, it would undoubtedly help boost sales in China.

The two sides argued back and forth, and Maurizio Gucci hesitated. He was not a decisive person, otherwise Gucci would not have been acquired by the Paris Spring Group in 1999, losing its century-old business.

"Damn it, stop arguing!" Maurizio Gucci slammed his hand on the conference table, stopping his men from arguing. "Let me think about this for a moment."

Seeing President Maurizio's indecisiveness, Kyle sighed and dropped a bombshell:
"Mr. President, Ms. Liu Shishi's husband is one of the world's top ten richest people and Asia's richest man. Choosing Liu Shishi as our spokesperson will definitely bring huge benefits to Gucci."

Maurizio Gucci was taken aback: "I've heard of that Forbes' new richest man in Asia, Song Ci, the chairman of Wecha. Kyle, are you sure Liu Shishi is his wife?"

"The whole of Asia knows this; you can easily check to see if what I'm saying is true or not!"

Eric, the head of the Asia region, chimed in: "Mr. Maurizio, Liu Shishi is indeed the wife of Asia's richest man. She is currently in Europe filming a program to promote Chinese and European culture."

The heads of the European and American teams exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness deep in each other's eyes.

They could tell from the president's micro-expressions that the scales in his heart had tipped in favor of Kyle. After all, he was Asia's richest man and a big shot on a global scale, so he couldn't be ignored.

Since the matter involves Asia's richest man, even the usually cautious Maurizio Gucci dared not make a decision: "I need to consult with Mr. Henri Pinault."

Henri Pinault is the head of Printemps Group, the parent company of Gucci, and is Maurizio Gucci's direct superior.

Maurizio Gucci waved for his subordinates to be quiet, then took out his phone and called the big boss.

“Maurizio, what is it?” Henry Pinault’s authoritative voice came through the receiver.

Maurizio Gucci dared not delay and immediately and respectfully told the big boss of the parent company about what he had just discussed with his subordinates.

"Asia's richest man! The chairman of WeChat!" Henri Pinault, who was far away in Paris, had his eyes light up when he heard the news.

After a moment's thought, he immediately ordered, "Choose Liu Shishi as Gucci's global brand ambassador. Sign the contract immediately! Remember, use the highest-level contract terms."

Henri Pinault's resolute and decisive nature stands in stark contrast to Maurizio Gucci's hesitant and indecisiveness.

Maurizio Gucci was quite surprised, not expecting Henri Pinault to be so decisive, agreeing to the matter almost without thinking, a decision so swift and decisive that it was unbelievable.

After giving a few more instructions, Henry Pinault ended the call and sat alone in his office to think.

Printemps Group primarily deals in clothing and accessories, and owns numerous luxury brands.

Our business in Europe and America is already nearing saturation. To maintain growth, we can only pin our hopes on the booming Chinese market.

Although he is keen to invest heavily in China, the different national conditions and business environment in a foreign country make him hesitant to venture into the market for the time being, and he needs a reliable partner.

If he could use this Gucci endorsement deal to get in touch with Asia's richest man and have someone to guide him in investing in China, it would put him at ease.

"I still need a stepping stone for Song Ci to introduce me to the top echelons of China!" Henry Pinault muttered to himself, his eyes closed in deep thought.

"Those two priceless treasures will come in handy. Let Lady Liu Shishi, the wife of Song Ci, bring them back to China in a grand manner. The whole world will think that the Pinault family and Asia's richest man have an unbreakable friendship!"

(End of this chapter)