Are you wearing what your oppa is wearing?
There’s no escaping the K-pop and K-drama fandom. And honestly, we don’t see why would you even want to! Riding the South Korean wave, brands such as Christian Dior, Boss and Bvlgari are not only extending front row invitations to the demi-gods of the K-world, but inking never-done-before deals with them. For many brands, these are their first Asian ambassadors. Last week, Maison Valentino shared the news of welcoming BTS member SUGA as its brand ambassador. This announcement comes at the heels of Dior joining hands with fellow BTS-member Jimin as its global ambassador.
Tapping into a whole new segment of audience in Asia, brands have seen the power of Korean celebrities thanks to the numerous records they break upon releasing new music. BTS and BLACKPINK are the top favourites with brands, with TV stars such as Lee Min Ho and Hyun Bin coming in a close second. Fashion, beauty and fragrance—your loved Korean celebrities are endorsing all of it.
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Dior is one of the early surfers of the Korean wave, and a number of popular names are seen dressed in the label’s offerings. With his new deal, Jimin joins the list comprising EXO’s Sehun, actor Nam Joo Hyuk. My ID is Gangnam Beauty’s star Cha Eun Woo holds the Korean ambassadorship for Dior Beauty, making us consider relocation to South Korea.
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Gucci is no stranger to this world—EXO’s Kai slid into Gucci-wear so organically, making us wonder why did no one think of this partnership before! Balancing the fine line between a singer and an actress, IU is also the brand ambassador for Gucci. Joining them is the dimpled-beauty Shin Min Ah, who wooed us in Hometown Cha Cha Cha.
Tom Ford Beauty brought on Hyun Bin, who crashed into our hearts as Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok, and Gong Yoo. And if the campaign images are anything to go by, we’re sold.
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Louis Vuitton signed model Jung Ho Yeon, who made the world sit up and notice her as an actor in Squid games.
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Chanel saw merit in OG TV stars, resulting in Lee Sung Kyun (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo) and co-stars from Guardian: The Great & Lonely God, Kim Go Eun, Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook all lending their names to the fashion house.
Celine collaborated with actor and performer Park Bo Gum; Fendi also went the TV actor’s route with Song Hye Kyo and Lee Min Ho. The latter also sends massive traffic to the websites of Berluti and BOSS. Burberry loves Cha Eun Woo (who doesn’t, actually), and actor Kim Woo Bin will always be spotted sporting a Jaeger Le-Coultre timepiece. Between BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Rose, Jisoo and Lisa, they represent the bigwigs—Chanel, Saint Laurent, Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari, Celine and Dior.
Looking ahead at 2023, which has already started on a high note thanks to Valentino and Dior, BTS’ RM aka Namjoon’s recent Instagram posts has fans wondering if there’s an RM X Bottega Veneta collab in the offing. We’re impatient for this one too.