K-pop fashion slayers

Jung Kook for Calvin Klein

My son had me watch “K-pop Demon Hunters” for our weekly pizza and movie night. The very next morning, who popped up on my IG feed but Jung Kook, of the band BTS (aka the Bangtang Boys, aka the Bullet Proof Boy Scouts), recently chosen by Calvin Klein as their new brand ambassador. Jeon Soyeon, of i-dle, is the new brand ambassador for Coach. Every member of Blackpink has been the brand ambassador of at least one brand: Lisa - Celine, Bvlgari; Rose - YSL, Tiffany & Co; Jisoo - Dior, Cartier; Jennie - Chanel. Not to mention the K-pop celebs spotted sitting 1st row at other shows this past Fashion Season: Shuhua (also from i-dle) at COS, Winter (of aespa) atRalph Lauren, and both Jisoo as well as Felix and Lee Know (both from Stray Kids) at the Tommy Hilfiger SS2025 show.

If you, like me, have been a little slow to jump on the K-pop (short for “Korean pop”) bandwagon, read on for a brief rundown on the subgenre’s rise to global phenomenon.

The 1st generation of K-pop stars hail from the 90’s, with SeoTaiji and Boys launching in 1992. Their popularity encouraged the South Korean government to invest in emerging record labels and talent agencies, strengthening the nation’s music industry into an exportable product. SM Entertainment, South Korea’s largest agency, was founded in 1995 by Lee Soo Man with government support. Gen 2 emerged in the early aughts with bands like Girls’ Generation, Apink, TVXQ, and Wonder Girls. What could be considered Gen 3 in the 2010’s saw the explosion of K-pop onto the global stage, most notably with the release of “Gangnam Style” by PSY in 2012. Many of the bands to emerge in this era are still immensely popular today. Blackpink debuted in 2016 after nearly six years in the making under YG Entertainment; in 2019, they were the first female K-pop group to be featured at Coachella, and Rose was the first K-pop icon to attend the Met Gala in 2021. BTS, formed in 2010 by HYBE (fka Big Hit Media), released their debut album in 2013 and performed at the Grammys in 2021 and 2022, dressed in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton.

So, what is this love affair between K-pop celebs and the fashion industry? According to Christophe Asselin (onclusive.com), the numbers speak for themselves. Jung Kook with Calvin Klein captured 55% of the SOV (Share of Voice) on social media this past Fashion Season, with the runner-up, Zee Pruk (Thai star collaborating with COS), capturing 25%. Calvin Klein and COS combined garnered 90% of all brand mentions. Why wouldn’t a fashion brand want to capitalize on the social media hits - not to mention the fans! - that these celebrities bring with them?

I, for one, have been inspired to add K-pop to my Spotify playlist - and my Instagram feed.

Sources: yallakpop.com, Wikipedia, kpopping.com, onclusive.com, Hollywood Reporter, kpoplife.com, vogue.com