Consistently being named ambassadors for numerous prestigious brands, Korean idols are making the world take notice of the development of the Hallyu wave.

The position of brand ambassador is always seen as a high status in the fashion industry. Not only are they fashion icons with captivating appearances, but brand ambassadors also play a crucial role as brand advocates, conveying the spirit and message of the brand, exerting significant influence on fashion enthusiasts and fan communities. While Hollywood superstars dominated the luxury fashion world in previous decades, recently, Asian stars have emerged as a phenomenon. Notably, these new brand ambassadors all originate from the idol world of South Korea.

POTENTIAL BEHIND THE “BILLIONAIRE” CHINESE MARKET

As a shopping paradise, South Korea is not only an important luxury consumer market but also an easily accessible destination for customers from Shanghai or Beijing – two of the most important luxury markets in the world. South Korea is now a promising market for consuming luxury and high-priced products. Nick Bradstreet, developer of many famous fashion brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, has noted: “South Korea is making significant progress in the luxury goods industry, surpassing Japan and China to become the most important market in Asia.”

In particular, South Korea is highly regarded as an important market to test the success of luxury brands, while also boosting Moncler’s sales significantly despite the pandemic’s influence. Seoul, the capital of this country, is considered a luxury fashion paradise with 221 stores, ranking second worldwide, only after Tokyo.

THE INFLUENCE OF ASIAN AMBASSADORS FROM THE HALLYU WAVE

With the global frenzy and attraction of Korean music culture, K-pop stars have become favorites of leading fashion brands worldwide. Their appearances are not just a phenomenon but also a trend that is increasingly developing in the international fashion industry. Whether they are familiar names like BLACKPINK, SNSD, EXO, or newcomers like NewJeans, ENHYPEN, they all become endless sources of inspiration for luxury fashion brands.

In fact, the increasing influence of K-pop stars plays a significant role in shaping the fashion world in South Korea. This has prompted Western brands to expand the concept of heritage to have more direct access to the K-pop fandom. From there, products in the Asian market will contribute to interweaving the mainstream culture of this country with Western luxury brands.

With a large fan base globally, brands have expanded their impact to reach younger and more potential customers, providing abundant resources for the future. A clear example is the success of BLACKPINK, whose influence has made many products from mass to luxury segments “hot” and achieved significant sales. For instance, Jennie, with her prestige, has made Helmut Lang shirts worth $30 million, Balmain shirts worth $53 million, or Broken English Jewelry necklaces worth $1.8 billion “sold out” in just a blink of an eye. At the same time, Lisa has also created a buzz effect, making BVLGARI watches worth over $132 million and many products from Celine, Prada… continuously out of stock in the market.

A significant move by Calvin Klein is not only an expression of great importance but also clear evidence of the influence of choosing K-pop idols as brand ambassadors. After the global “storm” with the highly publicized collaboration with Jennie, this brand continued to “conquer” fans’ hearts with the successful recruitment of Jungkook. The influence of the youngest member of BTS when appearing in Calvin Klein’s advertising campaign truly amazed everyone: the brand’s official website faced overload due to a huge amount of traffic; all reels related to this male idol surpassed 20 million views and several million likes within just one day, simultaneously bringing Calvin Klein’s Instagram to the peak of interaction at that time.

The habits of celebrities wearing luxurious outfits in the media not only help them be easily recognized but also become prominent topics of discussion on many platforms, especially among young people. This effect not only helps many famous brands significantly increase their recognition but also stimulates consumers’ interest in their products. Around June 2020, when becoming a global ambassador for Saint Laurent, Rosé contributed to increasing the brand’s recognition in Asia, with growth rates up to 1000% in some areas.

Luxury brands are increasingly shaping their image through collaborations with young idols, a clear trend in the fashion industry. One of the iconic figures of this trend is the NewJeans group. Not only attracting attention with impressive music sales, NewJeans also impressed professionals by winning many awards. At the Asia Artist Awards last year, NewJeans won the “Performance of the Year” award, praised as the fastest female group to win a major award since its debut.

By becoming representatives for Seoul Fashion Week 2023, NewJeans continues to demonstrate its strong appeal in the fashion industry. The group’s members have successfully collaborated with many prestigious brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. According to BOF