Keeping Up With K-POP

From bogging front-row seats at Paris Fashion Week to leading major campaigns, K-pop idols are still very much in demand as brand ambassadors. And the Korean wave is not showing any signs of subsiding.

- ROHAIZATUL AZHAR

NINGNING, BAMBAM, DANIELLE.

If these names don't ring a bell, it's time to update your fashion radar. These K-pop idols are among the latest to be tapped as brand ambassadors for the world's biggest luxury brands.

Of course, the concept of a brand ambassador isn't exactly new. Luxury fashion houses have long partnered with celebrities. However, the emergence of K-pop idols as the faces of luxury fashion brands is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Traditionally aligned with Western celebrities, fashion houses have turned their gaze to the East and embraced the global appeal of Korean pop culture, also known as Hallyu.

Thanks to K-pop's global reach, idols have surged to international prominence, and their influence extends far beyond music. Integrating high fashion into their unique styles both on and off stage, these idols have forged powerful and influential partnerships with luxury brands. The result? A new era in fashion where East meets West, and K-pop idols are leading the charge.

And the list of K-pop fashion ambassadors for luxury brands is growing rapidly. Last year alone, no less than 30 idols were named as global ambassadors for luxury brands. And the momentum is showing no signs of slowing down this year.

In February, Italian luxury label Versace took to Instagram to announce Ningning of the K-pop group aespa as its new global brand ambassador. This announcement came less than six months after they appointed Hyunjin from Stray Kids as their first South Korean ambassador. Then, following his appearance at January’s Paris Fashion Week Men’s shows, Thailand-born BamBam from Got7 was named an ambassador for Louis Vuitton. This was after his presence at the show created a social media sensation, with the unofficial fanbase-initiated hashtag #BamBamXLVFW24 accumulating over 2.1 million posts across various platforms.