From Chanel, Saint Laurent to Hermès: Jing Boran’s 120-look luxury fashion in The Early Spring made Luan Nian Chinese drama’s most stylish male lead

Chinese actor Jing Boran played Luan Nian, the creative director of Beijing advertising agency Lingmei, with a wardrobe that was as sharp as his personality.

The Early Spring had all the ingredients of a Chinese workplace romance that viewers could fall for. Jing Boran, who played Luke/Luan Nian, and Sun Qian, who portrayed Flora/Shang Zhitao, brought two very different characters together in a story of love and life at the office. The actors reunited in Beijing on October 15 for a creative symposium celebrating the series, which spent three consecutive weeks at number two on Netflix’s global chart for non-English TV shows and topped the weekly charts in eight countries. But beyond the romance and its international success, there was another detail that had viewers talking: Boran’s effortlessly stylish wardrobe as Luan Nian.

More than 120 looks, with Jing Boran’s personal touch

Boran played Luan Nian, the creative director of Beijing advertising agency Lingmei, with a wardrobe that was as sharp as his personality. The actor was closely involved in putting the wardrobe together, bringing more than 120 looks into the drama, including pieces from his own collection. His choices also reflected the character’s emotional journey. As Luan Nian slowly let his guard down around Shang Zhitao, his style became more relaxed, offering viewers a glimpse of the man behind the polished exterior.

In promotional interviews with Youku, he explained that he wanted the clothes to mirror this change, taking Luan Nian from someone “cold and closed” to a man who was more open and at ease with himself.

Luxury brands came on board

He also gave fans a peek into the process on Instagram, saying he hoped to “lead a little bit of men’s fashion” through the role. His choices gave Luan Nian a style that felt distinct from the usual wealthy male leads in C-dramas. Instead of relying on the familiar combination of dark suits and an intimidating demeanour, Luan Nian’s wardrobe had its own personality, reflecting both his position and the man behind the polished image.

The designer looks that caught viewers’ attention

Several outfits in The Early Spring quickly caught viewers’ attention. Each outfit had its own character, but none felt out of place. A khaki wide-shoulder suit from Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, paired with a geometric bow-tie shirt, gave Luan Nian a sharp yet relaxed office look. A wine-red striped shirt from the same collection added a bolder touch.

He switched things up with a bright red Hermès leather jacket over black separates, while a grey-brown three-piece suit from Loro Piana offered a more understated take on luxury. A dark grey-blue Bottega Veneta coat paired with a red shirt made another striking combination. For a softer look, there was a light pink satin shirt from Dries Van Noten, while a black spliced CHANEL shirt added an edge to his bar scene appearance.

Other standout pieces included a belted wool coat from Burberry, a suede safari jacket from Dunhill, a sapphire blue suit from Valentino, a dark grey coat from The Row, an off-white coat from Brunello Cucinelli and a brown leather coat from LOEWE.

The accessories were just as carefully chosen. A Montblanc Sartorial briefcase suited his corporate role, while a Bottega Veneta Barbara Tote, Gentle Monster and Tom Ford eyewear, and a Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date watch completed his looks.

How Luan Nian’s clothes reflected his feelings

Luan Nian’s wardrobe evolved alongside his feelings. At first, everything is neat and carefully put together. His shirts are buttoned up, his ties sit perfectly, and his suits have clean, structured lines. It suits a man who likes being in control and rarely lets people see what he is feeling.

As he grows closer to Shang Zhitao (Sun Qian), his style begins to loosen. He leaves a few buttons undone, wears his ties more casually and moves away from the rigid look he starts with. The changes are subtle, but they reflect his growing comfort with her. His clothes gradually reveal the softer side he usually keeps hidden, making his changing feelings visible even when he struggles to put them into words.

Jing Boran kept his promise to fans

The wardrobe also became a way for Boran to connect with fans. At an offline event in August 2026, he promised to give away some of Luan Nian’s personal clothes if show crossed 10,000 on Youku’s heat index, the streaming platform’s popularity and engagement metric. The drama hit the mark on August 29, just four days after its August 26 premiere. He thanked viewers that evening, but fans wanted to know when he would make good on his promise.

Following the drama’s September 9 finale, his studio held a lottery on Weibo, with five fans winning pieces from the wardrobe. The giveaway featured clothes from Boran’s personal collection that he had brought to the sets, rather than outfits borrowed from luxury brands. Winners received pieces including a wool coat reportedly worth 45,000 yuan (approximately ₹6.38 lakh), a suit jacket valued at 30,000 yuan (approximately ₹4.25 lakh), a pink shirt and a stand-collar jacket. One winner reportedly received a designer piece worth around 47,000 yuan (approximately ₹6.67 lakh).

Even the packaging carried a nod to the drama. The parcels arrived under the name “lukestudio”, a reference to Luan Nian’s fictional workplace, and featured the “LUKE LOOK” logo. Each garment also came with a kraft-paper tag bearing a handwritten line from the show by Boran. The messages included “No need for perfection to find true love”, “Liking someone is uncontrollable” and “Always clear and sincere”. His studio captured the sentiment behind the giveaway in a message that read: “Early spring keeps a memory, clear skies leave a sweet aftertaste. A few garments, a piece of story.”

What is The Early Spring about?

The story follows Shang Zhitao (Sun Qian), a young woman who leaves her hometown for Beijing in search of better opportunities. With an average academic background, she never expects to land a job at Lime, one of the world’s top advertising agencies. On her very first day, she meets Luan Nian (Jing Boran), Lime’s strict and blunt creative director, who soon becomes her boss. What starts as a strained equation between the two slowly turns into a secret relationship that continues for six years.

But their relationship eventually hits a breaking point as misunderstandings and the realities of life come in the way. Shang Zhitao walks away without saying goodbye, leaving their story unfinished. Years later, the two cross paths again, giving them an opportunity to address the things they never said and understand what went wrong. "A warmhearted new employee and her gifted boss navigate a fast-paced workplace, all while harboring a secret relationship that may jeopardize everything," reads the official Netflix synopsis. Directed by Jiang Ji Zheng, the series was adapted from Gu Niang Bie Ku’s web novel Zao Chun Qing Lang.