 |
 |
 |
LUXURY UNDER CHARMKOREAN K-POP STARS | |
South Korea, with its undeniable economic dynamism, is attracting growing interest from major brands. Louis Vuitton and Nicolas Ghesquière unveiled their pre-fall-winter 2023 women's show in Seoul, on Jamsugy Bridge, on April 29. In May, Gucci presented its Cruise 2024 collection at Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in the South Korean capital, north of the Han River. These two luxury giants have chosen emblematic places in the city, but one of the pillars of Korean soft power is none other than K-pop. This musical genre, with resounding international success, highlights energetic and inspiring singers and dancers, often grouped together in groups. The so-called “idols” have been attracting partner brands with a general public positioning for several years. Recently, European luxury houses have fallen in love with these young talents. At first glance, two groups share the spotlight: BTS and Black Pink, the latter being the most prominent girl band. The members of Black Pink, namely Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa, are each faces of at least two luxury brands. Tiffany&Co. jewelry, Chanel and Saint Laurent dresses, Jacquemus bags and Cartier watches benefit from extreme visibility, with each gesture of these Korean artists being scrutinized and analyzed by a very involved community of fans. The machine seems to be racing with brands, all looking to have their own K-pop idol, and many nominations have taken place recently. Taeyong, singer of the group NCT with eleven million Instagram subscribers, has become an international ambassador for the Loewe brand since June. Dior, which already counts Jisoo (Black Pink) and Park Jimin (BTS) among its ranks, recently welcomed Haerin, from the group NewJeans, in April. In the same dynamic, the Kenzo house, headed by Japanese designer Nigo, announced in June the arrival of Vernon, member of the group Seventeen. More recently, at the end of July, Versace inducted Hyunjin (Stray Kids) as its new muse. An advantageous marriage, but for whom? The craze among K-pop fans is not limited to any particular group or artist. If the headliners are already very popular, a vast pool of talented artists exists. However, brands will likely have to speak to the same people, as the vast majority of K-pop youth operate under four giant agencies, namely Hybe, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. According to the media Glitz Paris, these agencies impose very restrictive contracts on idols, going so far as to forbid them from being in a relationship, in order to guarantee a smooth and polished image, at the cost of a certain loss of freedom. Their control is such that some idols are not even aware of the figures generated by their muse contracts, according to the same French media. However, the frenzy does not abate in the Land of the Morning Calm, and the international potential of K-pop seems inexhaustible. Thus, brands less powerful than the large luxury groups can try their luck with potential future stars. Hybe, who has accompanied the famous boy band BTS since its beginnings, created the Japanese group &Team in January 2022, whose latest video clip “Road not taken” has 1.4 million views two weeks after its publication. Most recently, in May, the agency launched Boynextdoor, through its sub-label KOZ Entertainment. While waiting for other weddings... |
|
| Emily Jackson for DayNewsWorld | |
 |
|
