K-pop group ENHYPEN is the latest South Korean act to join the luxury fashion ranks through an ambassadorship. As Prada’s strong focus on the Asia Pacific region continues, the Italian brand appointed the seven-member band as its latest ambassador. The news come only a few days ahead of Prada’s fashion show at Men’s Milan Fashion Week.
ENHYPEN’s Fashion Portfolio
Known for their distinctive sound and “million-seller” status, ENHYPEN is considered one of the most successful new-generation K-pop groups. The band — composed of Jay, Jake, Jungwon, Heeseung, Ni-ki, Sunghoon, and Sunoo — made their debut in 2020 and have since reaped several music accolades.
In tandem, the group has grown to be recognized for its style and fashion associations. In 2021, ENHYPEN was tapped to be AMI Paris’ first house ambassador. The group then went on to participate in different projects for the French brand. For instance, ahead of AMI’s runway in Seoul, ENHYPEN starred in a promotional video, anticipating the show.
At the beginning of 2023, ENHYPEN became the first South Korean boy band to grace the front row of Milan Fashion Week — as a whole. Attending Prada’s Fall Winter 2023 collection, the group made headlines and attracted large crowds to Fondazione Prada. ENHYPEN’s presence largely contributed to amassing impressive Media Impact Value™ (MIV®)* numbers for Prada.
As per Launchmetrics, “Prada was particularly successful in leveraging Korean Voices, not only South Korea ranked the 1st in the country rank for the show, the MIV® generated from the region uplifted Prada to have the top show of the season. The brand strongly leveraged the influence of ENHYPEN, who earned the luxury maison $11.2 in MIV®.” Reflecting the group’s popularity, these staggering numbers were amassed through multiple social media posts on the band’s official social media channels.
Now tied to the Italian powerhouse Prada, the group is set to continue leaving a mark on the fashion scene. In a statement, ENHYPEN anticipated their association with Prada. “We’re delighted and honored to be a part of this partnership as new brand ambassadors of Prada,” they said. “The synergy Prada and Enhypen will create is something we’re very excited to witness and greatly looking forward to.”
All Eyes on Asia
ENHYPEN’s recent appointment follows a series of high-profile associations between Asian stars and luxury brands. Looking to widen their reach, fashion and beauty labels are tapping into the power and popularity of Asian celebrities for brand endorsements, front rows, and campaigns.
Earlier this year, Alison Bringé, Chief Marketing Officer at Launchmetrics explained the increasing number of K-pop stars attending fashion events and officializing associations with brands. “Brands are partnering with South Korean celebrities more regularly when it comes to brand ambassadorships or fashion week appearances. Consumers are seeking inspiration beyond their own borders and so brands see global artists, such as K-Pop stars, as strategic Voices, which have a remarkable ability to influence global, dedicated audiences while bringing cultural relevance,” she told EnVi.
In Prada’s case, expanding its presence in Asia has paid off. The brand has experienced a successful and buzz-filled year. In addition to topping Lyst Index’s hottest brand list in the first quarter of 2023, Prada made waves with star-studded fashion shows and campaigns. The Italian brand also snatched associations with Asian powerhouses such as the Thai megastar Win Metawin and outfitted the Chinese idol Cai Xukun for the Met Gala.
Additionally, last month, Prada Group shared its Q1 2023 report with data that demonstrated a strong rebound in Asia Pacific. The group saw its retail sales increase 22% YoY — Year on Year — with 38% of its sales located in the APAC region.
*Media Impact Value™ (MIV®) is an algorithm property of Launchmetrics’ Machine Learning. It assigns a monetary amount to every post, interaction, and article, analyzing more than 100 quantitative and qualitative attributes specific to the fashion, luxury, and beauty industry including audience engagement, industry relevance, source authority, and content quality, to create a highly accurate method of measurement. This algorithm is not to be confused with KPIs like EMV (Earned Media Value).
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