In early May 2024, Stray Kids created a fever when they became the first Kpop group to have all members appear on the red carpet of Met Gala - the most luxurious fashion party on the planet in outfits from Tommy Hilfiger.
In fact, Stray Kids is just one of the growing number of Kpop stars that are being "chosen" by the world's leading luxury brands.
Previously, global fashion fans were also stirred up many times by famous collaborations: Rose (Blackpink) became the brand ambassador of YSL, Jungkook (BTS) became the face of Calvin Klein, or Jennie (Blackpink) became famous with the nickname "Human Chanel".
According to information from SCMP, last year, about 30 K-pop stars were appointed as new representatives for famous fashion brands such as Versace and Dior.
Meanwhile, in just the past two months, Blackpink's Lisa, BTS's Jin, and Aespa's Karina were announced as brand ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada, respectively.
Designer Tommy Hilfiger spoke about the collaboration with Stray Kids at the Met Gala ahead of his New York Fashion Week show this month: "We specifically created the 'Tommy Hilfiger with Stray Kids' label and they loved it, we loved it and I think this will go down in history as one of the most fun projects we've ever done."
The designer also emphasized that their brand was one of the most talked about brands at the Met Ball thanks to the appeal of male idols from the "land of kimchi".
Alison Bringe, marketing director at data and technology company Launchmetrics, explains why luxury brands are increasingly interested in K-pop stars: "Artists have built up their own fanbases, so when brands work with K-pop stars, they not only get press coverage for the collaboration, but also have a huge existing following."
“And because there are different voices supporting K-pop stars, this is driving an incredible media impact value, significantly higher than that of Western stars,” Alison continued.
Also according to Launchmetrics’ report on Paris Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025, South Korea was ranked as the third most buzzworthy region, largely due to the presence of K-pop artists. These stars are often the center of attention at major fashion events, attracting special attention from fans and the media.
Lily, a member of K-pop girl group NMIXX and a brand ambassador for Loewe, highlights the reciprocal relationship between K-pop and fashion: "When you look at K-pop fans, it's obvious that they like the members but they also like the glitz and glamour of their idols. Each group has their own unique style."
"Fashion is very important to Kpop and Kpop is also very important to fashion," the female idol affirmed.
However, this collaboration trend does not stop at product advertising. K-pop stars are increasingly influential in shaping global fashion trends.
With their media power and huge fan base, K-pop artists are gradually becoming ideal brand ambassadors for luxury fashion brands. This combination not only brings economic benefits but also contributes to promoting Korean culture to the world, while creating new and unique fashion trends.
As the lines between music and fashion continue to blur, it can be predicted that the relationship between K-pop and luxury fashion will only grow stronger in the future, opening up many opportunities for creative and groundbreaking collaborations in both fields.
