Tag: Newest

During the last decade—the last few seasons, especially—fashion has undergone a visible shift: We’ve seen designers advocate for more inclusive sizing and models, and many have changed how and when they show their collections (some pulling out of the fashion week line-up entirely). Still, one thing has remained exactly the same: the power of a front-row seat at a luxury label’s show.

So when Alessandro Michele presented his Gucci Cruise 2019 show late last month in France, there they sat: Elton John, Salma Hayek, A$AP Rocky, Saoirse Ronan—and Kai, one of nine members of the wildly popular Korean pop boy band EXO, who at most recent count has an Instagram following of 1.6 million (a number he racked up in six days, after taking a three-year hiatus from social media).

Fellow EXO member Oh Se-hun, or “Sehun” as he’s known, was last seen at the recent Louis Vuitton Cruise 2019 show (his second), settling into his front-row seat right next to Emma Stone, Jennifer Connelly and Justin Theroux. (His Instagram follower tally: 13.7 million at press time.) Jessica Jung (7.3 million followers on Instagram), formerly of K-pop group Girls’ Generation —she left in 2014—took a whirlwind tour of the Fall 2018 collections during New York Fashion Week earlier this year, hitting up marquee shows like Tom Ford, Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, and Marc Jacobs. And then there’s Chaerin Lee, or “CL,” (7 million followers on Instagram) whose rebellious streak has landed her premiere seats at Jeremy Scott, Marc Jacobs, and Opening Ceremony, along with an invite to perform at one of Alexander Wang’s famous after-parties in 2016.

K-pop stars officially have infiltrated the front row at some of the most visible, exclusive fashion shows around the world. And the reason for this is simple: They’re cool characters to be sure, and brands get to capitalize on their millions of followers. More views means, hopefully, more sales. Or at least, more brand awareness.

The allure of the K-pop star is pretty clear: EXO, BTS, and Twice have reportedly made 10 billion won (or roughly $9 million U.S. dollars) on merchandise alone; plus, according to Korea Creative Content Agency, K-pop’s global revenue reached $4.6 billion in 2016, the possible result of YouTube music videos views tripling since 2012, with 24 billion views in 2016.

Perhaps none embody the potential from this partnership between fashion brands and K-pop more than superstar Kwon Ji-Yong, or “G-Dragon,” of boy band Big Bang. A Chanel brand ambassador and a Karl Lagerfeld favorite, he’s become a front-row fixture at the label’s shows, arriving in eclectic, over-the-top outfits and posing alongside Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart. (Chanel declined to comment about its relationship with G-Dragon for this story.)

It’s easy to see why the brand—and Lagerfeld himself—is so attracted to the guy: G-Dragon’s Instagram account alone boasts an astonishing follower count of 16 million, and he averages 1 million likes per post, meaning his fans are clearly invested in his every move thanks to personal, intimate content that feels authentic. In that regard G-Dragon—and most social-savvy K-Pop stars—are more like influencers than traditional, untouchable celebrities.

“Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, or Emma Stone are celebrities, but they’re not influencers because they don’t have social media, they don’t interact with fans one on one; they’re just not as relatable as they once were,” says Megan Collins, of trend forecasting agency Trendera. “Meanwhile, K-pop stars are both [stars] and influencers—they’re pros at live-streaming shows, at posting their favorite looks, and that’s just much more useful to a brand than having a huge ad campaign with a celebrity.”

Their social media savvy, Collins believes, goes hand-in-hand with K-pop stars’ rise to fame: Their job is as much about churning out chart-toppers as it is about creating content for their followers. Together, it’s a recipe for commercial success—and clearly, it’s working. “They’re more performers than they are artists because they go into this being very aware that their job is to make hits,” she says. “They’re there in service to their audience, so they’re in constant conversation with them and it creates a feedback loop.”

“I post things myself on social media. No one helps me with that, so it allows me to speak with my own voice and flair. I think it’s important to show real life. They like me to show me just the way I am,” G-Dragon told Business of Fashion. “I use social media to share things I find cool or interesting with my fans.”

K-pop stars bring their influence to the front row of Fashion Week, and, in turn, they’re given entrée to a coveted world. “[K-pop stars] have money to buy whatever they want, but the one thing they don’t [all] have is access to these exclusive events,” Collins says. “By sitting in the front row of prestigious shows, they’re gaining cultural capital and more content to showcase a certain lifestyle.”

And as the world moves toward globalization, it’s no longer easy to ignore the rising influence from East Asian countries. It’s true that Korean pop has been around forever (since the late ’80, in fact), but the genre only crossed into the American market, at a mainstream capacity, in 2012 when Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide phenomenon. When K-beauty entered the U.S. one year later—and with it, an emphasis on skin care, sheet masks, and cute packaging—it sparked mainstream interest in all things Korean, which Collins believes, will only continue to grow.

“The next generation of celebrity are the people who are influencers, and K-pop stars have been ahead of the curve for so long,” Collins says. “Asian influence is already really huge, and it’s only to get bigger.”