7 new Asian luxury brand ambassadors to watch in 2023, from BTS’ Jimin for Dior and Suga with Valentino, to NewJeans’ Danielle’s deal with Burberry, Dylan Wang’s Louis Vuitton gig and Win’s Prada job
Asian stars have been making their marks across the globe more than ever lately. They’ve captured the hearts of many fans in large part thanks to the rising popularity of K-pop, Taiwanese TV dramas and C-pop. And with a large fanbase comes mega pulling power. Unsurprisingly, brands have been quick to notice and leverage these stars’ fame by offering incredible endorsem*nt deals to some of the most famous Asian talents, from K-pop idols to Chinese actors.
Here are the seven stars who have recently joined as ambassadors for big luxury brands …
1. BTS’ Jimin – Dior
BTS’ pretty boy singer and dancer, Park Jimin, is all set to be Dior’s latest brand ambassador. The luxury brand announced the news on Instagram on January 16, posting a series of images of Jimin decked out in its latest summer 2023 collection.
The label praised the 27-year-old by saying that he “exemplifies the timeless spirit and singularity of Dior”, per one of the posts.
But this isn’t the first time Dior has worked with the K-pop boys. Back in 2019, Dior’s menswear designer Kim Jones crafted the stage outfits for their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself world tour, as per WWD, solidifying an early relationship with the members, including Jimin.
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2. Dylan Wang – Louis Vuitton
Chinese star and heartthrob Dylan Wang has become a new face for the French luxury house Louis Vuitton, according to a Jing Daily report from early January. The 24-year-old recently rose to fame with his lead role in the 2022 drama Love Between Fairy and Devil.
The star showed off his status and LV collaboration when he appeared in a video promoting the brand’s latest line with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The post is said to have received more that one million reposts and almost 680,000 likes on Weibo, per the article.
3. BTS’ Suga – Valentino
Another BTS member to become a luxury brand ambassador just a day after Jimin is the popular and incredibly talented Suga, who is the group’s rapper and record producer. The 29-year-old is expected to lead the Maison Valentino Essentials campaign, which is focused on the label’s menswear pieces, per Harper’s Bazaar.
Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli described the rapper as “a multifaceted artist who perfectly embodies everything that Di. Vas testimonials stand for: diversity, inclusivity, creativity, and passion,” reports Soompi, referring to the term the brand uses to dub its ambassadors.
Suga also seems to agree with Valentino’s values, adding that Maison Valentino supports the kind of diversity that he believes in, per the same report. The news was announced on January 17.
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Before being officially assigned as Valentino’s ambassador, Suga already showed his apparent love for the brand when he attended a Lakers vs Mavericks game in LA wearing the label’s ensembles, per media.
4. BigBang’s Taeyang – Givenchy
Legendary group BigBang is often credited for introducing a lot of firsts in K-pop, becoming pioneers of the industry and helping to put their regional music on a global scale with their catchy songs and fashion. The group’s singer, Taeyang, is still living it up decades later by becoming the first South Korean artist to be appointed as Givenchy’s ambassador, as announced by WWD on January 17.
The brand’s creative director Matthew Williams said, according to the article, “Taeyang is an inspiring artist – a music pioneer with an authentic, barrier-breaking way of expressing his own personal style, which fits perfectly with today’s Givenchy aesthetic”. The 34-year-old, meanwhile, mentioned that Givenchy remains an inspiration for him in his career, per Kpopstarz.
5. Ive’s Yujin – Fendi
Ive’s Yujin let the world know about her partnership with Fendi via her Instagram account, where she was shown wearing an outfit from the label’s spring/summer 2023 collection on January 17. She was also shown in a four-cover spread on Harper’s Bazaar magazine while fully decked out in Fendi’s labels and signature style, per Allkpop.
But this isn’t the first time the 19-year-old singer has been associated with the label. Yujin has taken to instagram many times with numerous posts showing her rocking Fendi’s outfits and products from winter coats to must-have handbags making fans believe that she was always meant for the label.
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6. Metawin “Win” Opas-iamkajorn – Prada
Thailand’s famous actor and “It” boy Metawin Opas-iamkajorn, also known as Win, has cemented himself as a fashion icon and talented star. Not only does he star in famous shows like F4 Thailand and 2gether: The Series, he has also taken over Thailand’s fashion world, endorsing a large number of high-end brands from Gucci to Omega.
His latest collab? Prada. He has modelled for the brand on multiple occasions and made headlines when he attended the label’s show alongside NCT’s Jaehyun. On January 6, the 23-year old uploaded an Instagram post announcing his role as Prada’s ambassador, stating, “Such an honour to be a part of Prada family and can’t wait to see you in Milan.”
With his incredible fashion sense and his influencer status with millions of followers, it’s no surprise that the label chose him to be their new face.
7. NewJeans’ Danielle – Burberry
Within just a year of debuting, rookie girl group NewJeans has garnered praise and attention for its unique style in music and visuals with popular numbers like “Hype Boy” and “Attention”.
With all the spotlight on the girls, it’s no surprise to hear that they’ve landed deals and endorsem*nts with world-famous brands. The latest on the list is Danielle who recently became the ambassador of luxury brand Burberry. The news was announced on January 6 on the girls’ social media page with an image of Danielle dressed in Burberry pieces.
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At only 17, the singer is climbing to new heights of fashion along with two of her bandmates Hanni and Hyein, who have also signed deals with fashion powerhouses Gucci and Louis Vuitton, respectively.
