I have 100,000 followers and it's exceptionally difficult to make any money on XHS. I've got a team of 4 people working with me, and the only reason we can earn a living is because we have investors backing us. I'm not sure exactly how to monitise in your particular field of fashion - for me, it's all about the product I own and sell, so it just comes down to sales to be honest. Any money we do make, comes from obtaining phone numbers and then our sales team contacting people directly for the next step.

I think one way you could look at it is if you move to working with an MCN... they'd take care of everything for you. For us, we had a lot of hurdles in getting to where we are... everything was going really well and then all of a sudden, at the end of May, because one of our sales team asked someone in a chat to send their WeChat ID, our account got blocked for 30 days... so right now we are waiting for end of June until it's unlocked again. On other platforms, I've got 900k total so XHS is only a small market, but still... it's not easy!!

I think for you and I it's very different though, I'm selling a product, and yours would likely be targeted more at sponsorships + affiliate links.

so easy.....you can make review videos for clothing brands. There is a huge demand for this.

Don’t focus too much on official brand collaboration. Instead, treat Xiaohongshu as a precise traffic acquisition platform.

Since the official monetization programs are not very friendly to overseas accounts, you should position Xiaohongshu as your main content platform and traffic funnel, not your direct monetization channel.

1. Build a Private Funnel / External Traffic System

Although Xiaohongshu has strict rules against direct promotion, fashion creators have a natural advantage — OOTD links and outfit storytelling.

You can subtly guide users from your profile bio to:

• Email contact (many creators use this as their main funnel)
• WeChat (for Chinese audience communication, but keep it natural and not overly direct)

2. Smart Traffic Conversion (Soft Funnel Strategy)

Do not advertise directly in videos or comments. Instead, use indirect call-to-actions such as:

• “Full outfit details available via email”
• “Outfit list can be sent upon request”

This allows you to gradually move traffic to:

• Private communication channels (for domestic audiences)
• Email-based inquiries (for international audiences)

3. Define Your Audience Clearly (This Determines Your Monetization Model)

Even though you are based in the US, you need to identify who your Xiaohongshu audience actually is:

If your audience is mainly North American-based (e.g., overseas Chinese or students):
You can focus on monetization through:

• Independent sales via direct communication
• Dropshipping or local fulfillment (US logistics)
• High-margin fashion styles such as “clean girl aesthetic” or “effortless chic”

If your audience is mainly in China:
You should leverage China’s strong supply chain advantage:

• Source products from platforms like 1688 or Guangzhou/Hangzhou wholesale markets
• Use Taobao or private distribution channels for fulfillment
• Position your brand as a “global aesthetic curator”

Chinese users are not just buying clothes — they are buying your taste and aesthetic judgment, which is your real value.

4. Key Insight

With 47K followers in the fashion niche, you are already at a KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) level, which is highly monetizable.

Don’t limit yourself to Xiaohongshu’s official monetization system. Your real assets are:

• Your content
• Your audience trust
• Your aesthetic influence

Start by analyzing your audience demographics, then validate your monetization path through small-scale collaborations or product tests.

Once you establish a working system, you can scale into your own clothing brand step by step.

You’ve already built a strong position — now it’s just about structuring it properly and executing step by step.
Keep going, you’re in a very good place.

You answered your own question. Promote clothing. Reach out to companies, sign up to be an affiliate, get links, and get codes. Once companies see that they are getting an influx of sales from a particular creator they are quick to reach out for formal sponsorships. You have a unique problem where you need to promote clothing that is accessible for rednote users while being in the US. I follow US creators because they have a different style and brands I don’t see very often.