Is celebrity endorsement hitting a new peak

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Is celebrity endorsement hitting a new peak

By Yan Joon Wing
July 05, 2024

Jennie Kim closed Jacquemus’ 15th-anniversary show titled “La Casa” at Casa Malaparte. PP Krit made a surprise cameo at Balenciaga’s Spring 2025 show in Shanghai, ahead of the Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025, while Strays Kids’ Felix walked the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2024 show, sending the internet into a frenzy with his debut runway. Due to their significantly greater influence, celebrities are strutting down the runway, previously exclusively reserved for professional models. Nowadays, they carry as much weight on the fashion runway as on the global cultural phenomenon, thanks to Hallyu (the Korean Wave) and the Thai wave that caused a whirlpool of idolisation.

According to lefty.io, an influencer marketing platform, the Thai ambassadors of luxury brands have collectively generated an astronomical US$106 million EMV (earned media value). What’s more impressive is that these ambassadorships were announced within the same year they attended the fashion shows. On the other hand, Korean artistes have dominated the list of “Top Fashion Influencers of the Year 2023”, with each earning more than $100M EMV, showcasing the immense financial impact of celebrity endorsements in the fashion industry.

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Luxury brands’ fascination with celebrity clout is not a new phenomenon in the fashion industry; celebrity cameo came into existence as early as the 1980s. One of the most notable examples is Azzedine Alaïa’s Spring/Summer 1986 haute couture show, where the legendary Grace Jones conquered the runway wearing a hooded dress — a dominating trend with Valentino, Dior and Versace delivering their own takes this season. The obsession also owes it to Jean Paul Gaultier. Fashion’s “enfant terrible” has not only taken off with his trailblazing twist on femininity but also his headline-grabbing shows that featured some of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry, from Madonna and Boy George to Dita von Teese and Beth Ditto.

Gucci and Versace also delivered major runway moments that went down in history. During Alessandro Michele’s helm at Gucci, the former Gucci creative director enlisted the likes of Macaulay Culkin, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Jared Leto for its star-studded “Love Parade” show, while Donatella Versace brought drama to her fashion spectacles with the recruitment of Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa, and Paris Hilton over the years.

This year, the rapport between luxury brands and celebrities is reaching a new peak. With the meteoric rise of Korean idols and Thai celebrities, both leading fashion houses and independent labels have given in to their star power in an endeavour to draw more viewership to its staggeringly expensive shows, which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions. Earlier this year, Louis Vuitton, Jacquemus, Balenciaga and Zegna rode the celebrity wave, breaking the internet with their remarkable shows that cast unexpected celebrity cameos. Even Comme des Garçons, who turned its back on commercial approaches, has resorted to the viral fame of Asian celebrities by inviting ATEEZ’s Captain Hongjoong to its Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Spring/Summer 2025 show. These indicators point to one truth: celebrity culture has reached a new pinnacle in the fashion realm.

Let’s look at some of the most remarkable celebrity runway cameos without further ado.