Kris Jenner has found an unlikely new fan base – and identity – on Chinese social media, where she is being recast as a symbol of wealth, ambition and what users describe as “the energy of manifestation”.
Across platforms such as RedNote, Jenner’s images have been widely shared, edited and transformed by users, particularly among the Gen Z audience. This trend involves digitally altering her appearance with different outfits, hairstyles and accessories, effectively making her a flexible, almost customizable representation of success.
These images are not shared for entertainment purposes only. Many users use them as phone wallpapers, laptop backgrounds and profile pictures – often paired with catchy captions like “stay rich stay slain” or “let it go”.
The messages reflect a wider online culture centered around confidence, aspiration and a certain “boss”. For many young users facing academic pressure and early career challenges, Jenner’s polished public image seems to align with this aesthetic of control, confidence, and upward mobility.
According to reports from Business Insider and International Business Times, this trend has taken off significantly. Jenner even received a nickname from Chinese Gen Z users – “Tian Hou”, loosely translated as “Mother of the Emperor”, signaling a figure associated with power and authority.
Figures cited in these reports indicate that there are more than 99,000 Jenner-related posts on RedNote alone, generating more than 52 million impressions — indicating the extent to which the trend has spread.
A mixture of irony and aspiration
While this trend may seem serious on the surface, it also carries a layer of irony.
Content creator Marcelo Wang, who broke down the phenomenon in a viral Instagram video, explained that many users playfully engage with the trend. His video, which has amassed over 1.5 million views, suggests that the edits are part meme, part aspiration.
Users, he noted, don’t necessarily idolize Jenner in the traditional sense, but instead use her image as a visual shortcut to success — a way to “manifest” goals in a lighthearted way.
Kris Jenner answers
The trend has now reached Jenner herself.
In response to the viral moment, she reposted one of the edited visuals to her Instagram Stories and responded with her signature humor. “We’re putting on an appearance for Kris Jenner? Should I be your manager? LOL,” she wrote.
Her response further amplified this trend, bridging the gap between her original cultural context in China and her global audience.
