From BTS To Ji Chang-wook, See Which Korean Stars Are Designer Brand Ambassadors
With the rise in Korean inclusivity, more K-celebs have taken up appointments as ambassadors
Gone were the days when only Hollywood celebrities and supermodels were appointed as brand ambassadors of global fashion houses. With the rise in Korean inclusivity and the power of the Korean wave, more Korean celebrities have taken up those appointments as ambassadors, either for Korea or the global market.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up a list of Korean celebrities who are fronting or have fronted luxury fashion brands, including BTS’ Jimin and Suga, NewJeans Danielle and IVE’s Yujin.
Related article: What Korean Celebs Wore To The Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Shows
BTS member Jimin has just been appointed as the brand ambassador for the Dior men’s collections. Fronting the Dior Summer 2023 campaign, the singer is now lending his image to creations from Artistic Director, Kim Jones.
As part of its announcement, Dior launched a series of photos of Jimin dressed in the House’s latest menswear pieces on its Instagram page.
Over on his page, however, the singer also captioned his post ” So thrilled to start a journey with @Dior! Honored to be a Dior’s Global Ambassador! Stay tuned for a lot of things to come!”
Jimin isn’t the only BTS member who was recently appointed as a brand ambassador. In fact, his fellow bandmate, Suga was named as Maison Valentino’s new ambassador, of which he will be fronting Essentials campaign.
In response to his new title, Suga remaked, “Everyone has different dreams and their own individual values. Maison Valentino and creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli have always been supportive of this kind of diversity, which I also believe in.”
He also added “I consider it a joy to become a Valentino Di.Vas, and I’m sincerely delighted to be able to be a part of the Maison Valentino Essentials campaign.”
Related article: BTS' Suga Fronts 'Maison Valentino Essentials' Campaign As New Brand Ambassador
In line with Fendi’s vision to support young generations of creative talents, the Maison appointed South Korean singer and rapper, Zico as its brand ambassador in Korea.
In a press statement, Zico mentioned, “Seeing how FENDI has created wonderful projects with different creative talents around the world, I am excited to join the family to do great things together!’’
As part of the campaign, here, you’ll find the star in a white denim look while carrying Fendi’s signature Peekaboo and Baguette bags, both in black.
Zico has seen popularity as both a K-pop and hip-hop artist. He is also part of the hip-hop crew Fanxy Child, which consists of artists Dean, Crush, Penomeco, millic and Stay Tuned.
Another Blackpink member in your area? Yes, we’re talking about Jisoo.
The singer herself has been appointed as Cartier‘s global brand ambassador — adding to her impressive list of brand partnerships including Dior.
“I’m so glad to be a part of Cartier’s grand journey. It’s truly an honour and pleasure for me to join the Panthère tribe, where everyone proves their strength of character. I can’t wait to share Panthère’s great beauty with everyone.”
The star will be joining Cartier’s global family “Panthère,” along with current global ambassadors like Annabelle Wallis, Ella Balinska, Chang Chen, Mariacarla Boscono and Yasmine Sabri.
On top of that, having worked closely with Dior over the past few years, the star was also named Christian Dior’s fashion and beauty ambassador in 2021.
If you’ve watched All Of Us Are Dead on Netflix, then you would be familiar with this star.
Yoon Chan-young, who played Lee Cheong-San in the show, was appointed as Coach’s first brand ambassador for Korea. In partnership with the House, Chan-young is said to be fronting the campaigns for Coach’s leather goods, ready-to-wear and footwear for its Spring 2022 season. Embodying Coach’s values of championing optimism and the courage to be one’s authentic self, we can’t help but think that the position is well befitting for the breakout star.
Excited to be a part of the house’s story, Chan-young also states that he is “thrilled to be an ambassador for Coach,” and he also mentioned that the brand fits his personal style and inspires him.
You may have known him back in 2009 for his lead role in the ever-so-popular K-drama, Boys Over Flowers, or even The Heirs which aired back in 2013. But there’s more than meets the eye with this superstar.
And while he did rise to stardom back in the day, Lee Min-Ho is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, this time ’round, the South Korean star was appointed to be the ambassador luxury fashion house, Fendi.
News about his appointment first surfaced when his agency, MYM Entertainment, made an announcement on its Instagram page, posting photos of the actor in Fendi.
The caption read, “The first meeting of Lee Min-ho and Fendi, the global fashion house, is now officially confirmed.”
The actor also shared in an official statement with Fendi, “I’m very honoured to be a part of the Fendi family as an ambassador, a Maison that to me is rich in heritage as well as creativity.”
Model-turned-actress Jung Ho-Yeon, who catapulted to international fame in K-drama Squid Game, is now one of Louis Vuitton’s global ambassadors.
The French luxury fashion house’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere said in an Instagram post on October 6, 2021: “I immediately fell in love with HoYeon’s great talent and fantastic personality, and I am looking forward to starting this new chapter of the journey we started at Louis Vuitton a few years ago.”
One of South Korea’s top models, Jung Ho-Yeon, 28, had previously strutted the runway for Louis Vuitton during Paris Fashion Week in March 2021. She joined K-pop mega boy band BTS, who were also appointed as global ambassadors for the luxury house in April 2021.
Kim Woo-bin, best known for his roles in K-dramas like Heirs (2013) and School (2012), was appointed as the brand ambassador for Jaeger-LeCoultre in June 2021. The South Korean actor and model made a comeback at The Sound Marker exhibition in Seoul after his recovery from nasopharyngeal cancer.
In response to his ambassadorship, the superstar says, “I am very delighted to be a Friend of Jaeger-LeCoultre, with a long history of 188 years and great watchmaking expertise. I look forward to the new journey with Jaeger-LeCoultre.”
Instead of tracksuits, we will be seeing Squid Game’s player 456 in more snazzy suits now.
On 11 November 2021, Lee Jung-jae’s agency announced that he was appointed as Gucci’s global ambassador. Lee shared a few snaps of himself in sharp suits on his Instagram account (@from_jjlee).
He was also seen in photos with Gucci’s chief executive Marco Bizzarri, Netflix’s head honcho Ted Sarandos and Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.
On 11 November 2021, Gucci also announced model-actress Shin Min-A as its global ambassador. Shin Min-A is known best for her big role in Netflix’s Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
She joined other Gucci ambassadors such as Lee Jung-jae, K-pop boy band Exo’s Kai, South Korean singer-actress IU, and Chinese stars Lu Han and Xiao Zhan.
The Korean actress, known for her roles in Korean dramas such as Descendants of the Sun and Autumn in my Heart, was chosen as the brand ambassador for Chaumet not only in Korea, but Asia Pacific, in December 2018. And we reckon her elegance makes her a perfect fit for the brand!
In February 2021, Song was also appointed as the brand ambassador for Fendi in Korea, presumably thanks to her timeless appeal. She’s soft, strong and elegant all at once.
The Thai-born K-pop singer/rapper is not only the brand ambassador for Bvlgari and Celine. In fact, if you’ve been diligently following her on Instagram, you would have probably seen her flaunting some of her favourite pieces, especially her Celine bags, which she has been seen pairing with almost all of her outfits.
She’s stylish, sophisticated and always at the top of the game — it’s no wonder that this superstar has risen to be a style icon that many look up to over these past few years.
The 27-year-old was first appointed as the brand ambassador for Chanel Beauty in 2018 before she started fronting the fashion house. She fits the brand’s style so much that she is affectionately known as “Human Chanel” among fans.
She was also the face of Chanel’s “Coco Neige” campaign, shot by legendary photography duo, Inezandvinoodh. This campaign marks the latest of Jennie’s ongoing collaboration with the fashion house.
Back in May 2021, Jennie made her debut as the face of Calvin Klein’s campaign for their Spring collection, a collaboration with American artist and known streetwear designer Heron Preston.
The South Korean actor needs no introduction, and even if you’re not familiar with him, then you would’ve probably at least seen him in advertisements for Lazada. The star has received many brand ambassadorship and we can clearly see why he’s crash landing into our hearts.
Hyun Bin was appointed by Loro Piana to be its official brand ambassador. Besides gaining recognition from his acting gigs, his social engagement towards humanitarian and environmental issues underscores the common values shared between himself and Loro Piana, making the partnership a natural decision.
Hyun Bin says, “Loro Piana creates garments of timeless elegance, products that do not change over time. Through this collaboration, I want to share the history and values of this brand that I have always admired. I look forward to the upcoming activities”.
However, Loro Piana isn’t the only brand that Hyun Bin is endorsing. In fact, the star was also the first Asia-Pacific brand ambassador of Tom Ford Beauty in July 2021.
Besides her killer musical chops, Park Soo-young, otherwise known by her moniker, Joy from Red Velvet has a ton of style up her sleeve — which comes as no surprise when she was appointed to be the new face of Italian luxury brand Tod’s.
Sharing the same passion for timeless style and the contemporary spirit of the brand, Joy stated “I am honoured to be Tod’s brand ambassador. I look forward to this new journey.” And if you’ve been following the starlet on Instagram before the announcement, you would know that she has been constantly spotted wearing Tod’s bags on her Instagram and she was also featured in another Tod’s campaign too.
Otherwise known as one of the most renowned and influential groups in the world, BTS is making their mark in the world of fashion with their appointment as House ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, sparking then Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director, Virgil Abloh to comment that “this wonderful partnership adds a modern chapter to the House, merging luxury and contemporary culture.”
Louis Vuitton also shared on Instagram several images of BTS wearing clothes from the brand. The band also wore Louis Vuitton outfits to the Grammy Awards in 2021, where their hit single Dynamite was up for a nomination.
The singer‘s appointment as the ambassador for Saint Laurent was announced in June 2020. The announcement comes after a series of images and videos posted on Saint Laurent’s Instagram page.
However, more recently, after her stunning solo debut, Rosé was also appointed as Tiffany and Co.'s latest global ambassador. Here, the star is fronting the 2021 Tiffany Hardwear collection.
The EXO star, who was in Singapore for Prada’s Spring/Summer 2019 Party, is now the ambassador for the brand. He stars in a special film, where he and Irene interpret Prada’s surreal glamour through their own identities.
Alongside Chanyeol, Irene was also announced as a brand ambassador for Prada. Since her Instagram posts in April 2020, rumours have been rife that she would be working with the house after she tagged them in the posts wearing their bags, which she doesn’t usually do for brands.
In January 2020, the actor was appointed as the global model for Calvin Klein, making him the first Korean actor to be given that appointment. According to the reports, he was chosen as they found him a perfect fit with their young and modern image.
It obviously takes a queen like Jun Ji Hyun (also known as Gianna Jun) to front a brand like Alexander McQueen. The actress was appointed as the brand’s first Korean ambassador in June 2020.
Let’s be real, G-Dragon was one of the first K-pop celebrities anyone has associated with Chanel. The Big Bang leader was appointed as their brand ambassador in 2017, having attended their fashion shows for years prior. And if there’s anything that sets him apart from other ambassadors, it’s that he injects his personal style into any piece he wears.
In December 2021, Longines announced that the actor would be joining other A-list celebrities to be their brand ambassador. Woo Sung was appointed as one of the “Ambassadors of Elegance” and if you’ve seen him in any interviews, you’ll immediately understand why the title is so befitting of him.
He was the first Korean actor to be appointed as the brand ambassador for Cartier in Korea, and has also been appointed as Burberry’s brand ambassador. The actor boasts a unique style that is quirky yet polished, so it’s no surprise that brands would want to be associated with him.
Not every can be a designer’s muse, but the Korean actress is one of the lucky ones to be Louis Vuitton's Nicolas Ghesquière’s muse in 2016. Since then, she has been the brand ambassador and is a front-row fixture in the brand’s runway shows. She even walked the runway for the 2018 Cruise collection in Japan.
The actor has been chosen as the face of Dior Men not only in Korea, but in Asia, in 2019. And honestly, with his modelling roots, we’re not surprised that the brand had set its eyes on him!
The Itaewon Class actor was chosen as the brand ambassador of Montblanc Korea in 2018. His appointment came after his rise in popularity after appearing in dramas such as Hwarang and variety show Youn’s Kitchen 2. He was seen sporting the Star Legacy Full Calendar in Itaewon Class.
This article originally appeared in Her World.