K-pop idols took over the fashion industry in 2024
The list of K-pop idols who are ambassadors for luxury fashion brands is now too long to name them all here.
aespa wearing Ottolinger. Image: SM Entertainment.
Since the explosion of K-pop globally, idols are commonly spotted at Fashion Week shows, starring in brand campaigns and on the red carpet at fashion events.
There have already been many firsts in the crossover between K-pop and high fashion. In 2022, Jeno of NCT Dream was the first K-pop idol to open a New York Fashion Week show, walking for Peter Do. In 2023, TWICE’s Sana became the first and only brand ambassador for luxury jewellery brand, Graff. She even broke the record for wearing the highest-value jewellery at a red-carpet event.
Yet, in 2024, the K-pop and fashion industries continue to break new ground and prove the lucrative value that idols can bring to luxury fashion brands.
Stray Kids attend the Met Gala
Stray Kids’ looks for the Met Gala. Image: Tommy Hilfiger official Instagram.
This year, Stray Kids became the first full K-pop group to attend the Met Gala. While idols have attended solo in the past, such as NCT’s Johnny and BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Rosé, the eight-member group were invited together on behalf of Tommy Hilfiger.
Tommy Hilfiger himself recognised how advantageous K-pop idols and their fanbases can be for brands. He told Reuters, “We were, if not the most talked about brand at the Met Ball, one of the most talked about brands at the Met Ball... because the strength of what is going on in K-pop and for our association I think it was appropriate timing."
Felix went viral for his ‘elven’ appearance, being praised for his visuals by fans and locals alike. Lefty reported that he was the male attendee with the highest EMV (Earned Media Value), and Tommy Hilfiger walked away as the third most visible brand of the night.
Idols infiltrate Fashion Week
K-pop idols have become a permanent fixture on the front row at Fashion Week, with many idols attending and even walking the runway at Paris and Milan Fashion Week this year.
Images: Victor Boyko/Getty Images for Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton’s Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 show kept Paris Fashion Week well-populated with idols, with NCT 127’s Yuta, Seventeen’s The8, and GOT7’s Jackson Wang and BamBam in attendance. These idols are all brand ambassadors or ‘friends of the Maison’.
Louis Vuitton is clearly one of the main brands taking advantage of K-pop’s global relevance. At their Ready-to-Wear Fall 2024 show earlier in the year, Stray Kids’ Felix walked the runway, further cementing himself as a figurehead of collaboration between the K-pop and fashion industries.
Milan Fashion Week also saw the highly anticipated comeback of NCT DOJAEJUNG (well, sort of), with members Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo attending separate shows at Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Tod’s respectively.
aespa x Ottolinger release collaboration
In September, designer brand Ottolinger announced a limited-edition capsule collection, collaborating with aespa. Available online and in select stores across Asia, the collection includes pieces that perfectly mesh aespa’s futuristic aesthetic with the brand’s experimental and avant-garde designs.
This collection proves that collaborations with K-pop groups can go beyond ambassadorship. K-pop styling is known for strong concepts and recognisable aesthetics, and coupled with the buying power of large, dedicated fan bases, it becomes an attractive prospect for brands.
An in-store display of the aespa x Ottolinger collection. Post by @wntrult on Twitter/X.
Along with Jennie of BLACKPINK’s recent Gentle Monster sunglasses collection, it seems that limited edition collections are the natural next step in K-pop and high fashion joining forces.
The future of fashion and K-pop
The star power of K-pop is particularly attractive for legacy fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior, who rely on the virality of their celebrity ambassadors to offset an ageing customer base and appeal to younger audiences.
But it’s beneficial for all — entertainment companies are given a way to promote their idols globally, and we get to see our faves wearing luxury outfits and mingling with Western celebrities they normally wouldn’t interact with.
We can only expect to see more idols become brand ambassadors and even release collaborations with luxury brands as K-pop continues to dominate the cultural zeitgeist worldwide.
Edited by Isabel Miller.
