'Yolo' actress Jia Ling, who lost 50kg for movie, has a new fashion gig

Chinese actress-director Jia Ling is Prada's newest brand ambassador. Photos: Prada/Weibo

Chinese comedienne-actress Jia Ling, who shot to fame through the sports drama Yolo, has been named Prada’s latest brand ambassador.

Jia – who also directed the film about an unconfident, overweight woman taking up boxing and transforming her body and life – posted photos of the campaign on Weibo on June 2.

The pictures, taken by Chinese fashion photographer Wang Ziqian, depict a svelte Jia elegantly dressed in various outfits and accessories, including a Prada trench coat paired with the brand’s new Galleria bag.

In her post, Jia, 42, commented that Prada has created “something extraordinary through colours, stories and silhouettes”.

The luxury Italian brand also posted on the Chinese social media platform, commenting that Jia “dares to break the rules”. It added that as one who went from an actor to a director, Jia “writes a new chapter with fresh vitality and creativity”.

She captured headlines for her dramatic physical transformation in the comedy drama Yolo (2024). She gained 20kg to reach about 100kg to play protagonist Du Leying, then lost 50kg over a year of filming to play someone forever changed by her passion for boxing.

Yolo made over 5.4bil yuan (RM3.5bil) , making Jia the highest-grossing Chinese female director in Chinese film history.