With another fashion month officially wrapped up, Paris concluded the circuit in style, inviting a flurry of Asia’s most prominent KOLs to grace the front row.
From South Korean stars including Blackpink sweetheart Jisoo and Stray Kids’ Seungmin, to Chinese actress Yang Mi, the attendance of Asia’s A-listers enhanced Paris Fashion Week’s exposure across domestic platforms, with netizens posting content and engaging with their idols’ official PFW posts online.
Luxury’s current infatuation with Asian KOLs arrives at a time when brands are betting their future on the APAC region (China is poised to become the world’s largest luxury market by 2025), and the global luxury industry is being buffeted by economic headwinds. As a result, maisons are adapting their approach to the region’s legion of spenders.
Over the past few years, brands have rushed en masse to appoint K-pop stars, Chinese celebs, and Thai heartthrobs as ambassadors in a bid to diversify their portfolios and unlock the spending power of fervent fan bases. The colossal online response to seeing homegrown idols at this season’s Paris Fashion Week shows that luxury’s move is paying off.
Below, in partnership with influencer marketing agency Lefty, Jing Daily rounds up the brands that tapped Asia’s star power for FW24 to gain the most cultural reach, plus their KOLs that generated the most Earned Media Value (EMV).
Dior#
It was Blackpink’s world this PFW season, and the rest of us are just living in it. Dior ambassador Jisoo was the first of the leading ladies to make an appearance during the Dior showcase last Tuesday, wearing a mini blazer dress from the brand’s FW24 collection paired with towering chunky heels. Other homegrown KOLs present included Chinese singer Xin Liu and South Korean rapper Kim Mingyu. Xin’s attendance generated $13.3 million in earned media value (EMV) on Weibo, and $2.43 million on Instagram, while Jisoo generated $11.5 million via Instagram. Dior’s localization efforts across China have helped the brand win recognition among domestic shoppers. However, its recent decision to cancel its highly anticipated Hong Kong show has caused things to sour.
Louis Vuitton#
Amplifying its pop culture renaissance, Louis Vuitton claimed the spotlight as the most star-studded show of the week. Over 50 global VIPs were ushered into their own private viewing space to watch the collection, away from the bustle of editors and influencers. The presence of Asian KOLs was conspicuous – Zhou Dongyu, New Jeans’ Hyein, Victoria Song, Nayeon, and Puff Kuo were just a few of the big names spotted in the crowd. The surprise attendance of Blackpink’s Lisa has already generated $6.12 million in EMV on Instagram. The brand’s multi-pronged approach to courting Asia’s consumers includes bolstering the company’s domestic online presence, demonstrating a deep understanding of cultural context, and investing in experiential marketing that caters to local shoppers’ demands.
Loewe#
Loewe’s attention to craft has caught the eyes of consumers across the APAC region in recent years, something the brand has cleverly capitalized on to boost its name. Its “Howl’s Moving Castle” collection, regular regional pop-ups, and a recent tie-up with master jade carvers Cheng Lei, Qiu Qijing, and Yin Xiaojin for Chinese New Year have also helped the brand form strong emotional ties with its Asian audience. For its FW24 presentation, the brand invited Chinese actress and ambassador Yang Mi to attend, and tapped into the global K-pop craze by seating Stray Kids’ Seungmin and Aespa’s Giselle in prime FROW spots (shortly before the show, Giselle was unveiled as the new face of the house). To date, Giselle’s presence has generated $3.07 million in EMV via Instagram, while Yang’s generated $1.98 million on Weibo.
Balenciaga#
Balenciaga has been vying for Asia’s buzzy Gen Z attention since losing face following a controversial marketing campaign in 2022 ruffled consumers’ feathers. Since then, China has been a particular area of interest for the label. Doubling down on its domestic efforts, the maison will showcase its spring 2025 women’s and men’s collections in Shanghai on May 30, marking Demna’s first fashion show in China. The brand also has more stores in China than in any other country. For its FW24 showcase, the Parisian house expanded on its growing roster of Asian endorsers by inviting Thai actor and model PP Krit to its showcase – he generated $1.75 million in EMV on Instagram – alongside K-pop heartthrob Juyeon and Chinese actress Sun Qian.
Miu Miu#
Miu Miu has performed strongly across Asia over the past 12 months. In 2023, Prada Group recorded solid underlying demand in Asia Pacific and Europe in Q3, attributable in part to the success of Miu Miu’s recent campaigns and runway collections. As last year’s “hottest brand of the year,” according to Lyst, the fashion giant has been careful in selecting which Asian stars can augment its visibility and ethos. Its FW24 guest list was no different. Attending the show were Japanese singer and rapper Momo, whose appearance generated $2.67 million in EMV on Instagram, Thai singer Minnie, and South Korean singer Jang Won-young.
Chanel#
Chanel has been working to enhance its brand image across the APAC region, and the maison has picked its A-list endorsers wisely. K-pop sweetheart Jennie, who has been a permanent fixture at the brand since 2018, has kept Chanel front and center of Asia’s luxury landscape thanks to her colossal influence on audiences not only across the East, but globally. This season, the behemoth also banked on Asia’s ‘it boys’ to stoke online conversation alongside Jennie. Chinese actor and dancer Wang Yibo and Taiwan’s bright young thing Chen Bolin both attended the brand’s FW24 presentation, drawing in crowds of screaming fans on the streets of Paris. To date, Jennie’s presence has generated $2.41 million in EMV on Instagram, while Wang’s has generated $1.98 million via Wiebo.
Data provided by Lefty.io. As the data was retrieved from the platform on March 6, the data is dynamic and subject to change over time.