Celebrity economy set for explosive growth in China

Busy workers of Taobao store package clothes for their customers, Fuyang, Anhui province, Dec 10, 2015. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Ding said if someone wants to earn his/her first 100 million yuan the fastest way, they must consider becoming an Internet celebrity.

"It's like ... in 2008, the best way to succeed in e-commerce was to open an online store on Taobao. In 2013, it was to open an online store on WeChat, an instant messaging app by Tencent Holdings Ltd. Now, in 2016, the best way is to become an Internet celebrity," Ding said. Internet celebrities not only help boost sales but change the way how products are sold online.

Wen of Mobile Taobao said traditional clothing brands usually choose a certain number of designs out of all the options, based on their sales projections. They then produce clothes in thousands or more for each of the chosen design.

"But Internet celebrities such as Zhang Dayi post photos of themselves. Zhang wears a large number of designs and immediately knows what her potential buyers feel about them. She and her team then decide which one should go into mass production," said Wen.

Internet celebrity-run firms are flexible enough to alter designs, colors and sizes of garments based on the feedback from their fans. This flexibility gives their business the dimension of bespoke tailoring that meets specific needs of fans-cum-customers.

Being a cyber celebrity is not just about publishing a few attractive photos online. According to Wen, 1,000 photos of Zhang Dayi are clicked a day, out of which only a few best ones are selected and published online. This is to ensure her taste for good clothes appears distinctive.

Interacting with followers on Sina Weibo is also important.

"Some of the girls send me messages online not only to exchange ideas on how to dress every day but share their experience of job interviews or finding loved ones. I'm truly happy when hearing about these things," Zhang said in a previous interview.

Ma Si contributed to this story.