ASIA MAJOR

Instagram: @chupsterette

The next wave of front row megastars don’t hail from Hollywood. Instead, the celebrities inspiring screaming crowds come from South Korea, China, Japan, and Thailand. Better known as idols in their native countries, they’re modern-day moguls who command multimillion-dollar brand deals and have huge social media followings. They may not be household names in America (just yet!) but their impact is undeniable. Consider this your cheat sheet for the new A-list poised to take over the world.

The South Korean girl group Le Ssera m at the Louis Vuitton pre-fall 2023 show afterparty

SOUTH KOREA 

Giant crowds of young folks behind barricades shrieking with excitement have long been a sight outside major fashion shows. The target of their adoration? Not any A-list Hollywood celebrity. These fans are turning out in droves for idols who hail from East and Southeast Asia. Call it the next iteration of hallyu, a term originally used to describe the cultural phenomenon that is South Korean pop culture but is now a playbook that countries like China, Japan, and Thailand have adopted. The numbers speak for themselves: K-pop is slated to be worth $20 billion worldwide by 2031, while China and Japan have some of the biggest entertainment markets, ranking second and third respectively behind the United States. And as for Thailand? It’s an emerging nation that is now exporting its own talent. What began slowly, with the likes of rapper G-Dragon (also a former member of the boy band BIGBANG) appearing at a Chanel show in 2016, is now up to full throttle. The next generation of pop heartthrobs like BTS and girl groups such as BLACKPINK have become fixtures at Dior, Celine, and Saint Laurent, to name a few of their endorsements. Other fashion brands have taken notice and now every luxury house has its own idol ambassadors as well as stacked front rows. “Thanks

to their digital savviness and global recognition, [these stars] make brilliant brand partners. Not only does the content perform exceptionally well, but their influence also transcends all borders, making a splash in the media and echoing through fan mentions,” says Alison Bringé, the chief marketing officer at Launchmetrics, an AI-powered software, data, and insights company that tracks the media value of influencers and celebrities. Among the top 10 in 2023? According to data from Launchmetrics, Jisoo, one of the four women who make up BLACKPINK, took the top spot with $139 million in impact value, while the girl group NewJeans collectively came in at second place with $123 million. The boy bands Enhypen and NCT were worth $119 and $97.5 million respectively, taking the third and fifth spots, with Jisoo’s BLACKPINK bandmate Jennie at number four, valued at $99 million. As for the 10th spot, that went to the Thai actor Win Metawin, with $55 million, making the case that his country’s celebs are equally as capable of causing a stir. But contrary to their omnipresence, not everyone in the West knows who they are. So here’s your primer to the major idols you can expect to see sitting in the front row at fashion week

Hanni Singer–NewJeans Gucci

CHINA

Dilraba Dilmurat Actor / Singer Dior

JAPAN

Nana Komatsu Actor Chanel

THAILAND 

Win Metawin Actor Prada, Tiffany & Co., Tommy Hilfiger