Meet Mr Bags, the Chinese top digital influencer who’s changing the way women shop

When Tao Liang, better known as Mr. Bags, first started out sharing his passion for bags online, he didn’t realise that blogging, rather than banking, could actually be a money-making business.

In 2012, the alumnus of both the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Columbia University started his Weibo account, Mr. Bags; today he’s garnered almost 3.5 million Weibo followers and countless fans on his WeChat account, and has been tapped by luxury brands such as Dior, Fendi, Chloé and Tod’s for collaborations.

Ranked No.3 on Exane BNP Paribas’ list of China’s most influential fashion bloggers in 2017, Tao is also capitalising on his digital influence. His collaboration collection with Givenchy, for example, generated considerable excitement, with 1.2 million yuan worth of bags being sold in just 12 minutes on his WeChat platform.

Next week, Tao is launching a mini-program on WeChat called the BaoShop, dedicated to designer collaborations and offering products exclusively to his WeChat followers.

I recently met Tao and asked him about his vision, his ambitions for the future – and, of course, his soft spot for bags.

1. Tell us about your new project, Baoshop

I’m one of the first Chinese fashion bloggers to collaborate with luxury brands on capsule collections. My vision for Baoshop is to create exclusive pop-ups that are dedicated to limited-edition offerings as well as bespoke items. Unlike some other WeChat mini-programs, I’ll be working directly with the luxury brands to create unique collaboration products.

I’m very involved in the design process, from the actual styles to the packaging. My fans are my biggest inspiration. I try to perfect every detail according to my past communications with them. I want to create beautiful and functional styles that speak to the Chinese fashionistas.

2. Tell us about Baoshop’s inaugural project with Tod’s