• Widespread trend among Chinese youth
• Kris Jenner images used to attract luck and confidence

Chinese social media platforms have recently witnessed a strange phenomenon, with thousands of users changing their profile pictures to feature U.S. reality star Kris Jenner, the mother of the Kardashian family and producer of their TV shows, in hopes of bringing luck and success.

The trend, which went viral on the Chinese platform RedNote, emerged without a clear origin but quickly became popular among young users.

Among them, a 22-year-old from Guangdong province, who gave her first name only as Skye, replaced her profile picture with an image of Jenner, hoping it would improve her results from gym training.

She used AI to create an avatar combining Jenner’s face with a muscular upper body and shared it in a RedNote post, saying, “People admire her wealth, and everyone is looking for good luck. I made this image for myself and anyone else who might want to use it.”

Dr. Pan Wang, associate professor of Chinese and Asian studies at UNSW, noted that Kris Jenner is not the first celebrity used in young people’s avatars; some Chinese women had previously used images of local actresses to achieve similar aims.

“By redefining their image, people redefine their value and presence. Replacing their photos with generational icons, often idealized images of women, brings power and confidence through the attention these images attract,” she said.

Dr. Wang added that the trend also reflects a form of cultural assimilation, with some images depicting Jenner as a Chinese empress or against backdrops featuring Shanghai or the Chinese national flag.