The influence of K-pop stars in the fashion world is no joke. They often drive the luxury brands they represent to higher ranks by making the most noise. These power players make the brand the most sought-after by wearing their clothes and accessories
Notable K-pop idols attended the recent womenswear AW25 fashion weeks. Milan Fashion Week kicked off from February 25 to March 2, followed by Paris Fashion Week from March 3 to 11.
More recently, Lefty released a list of stars and fashion influencers who generated the most EMV (Estimated Media Value). There are no surprises there; the list is, as always, dominated by K-pop and Asian stars.
Karina, Bang Chan, Hyunjin, and Jin were among the highest EMV-generating stars at Milan Fashion Week. On the other hand, Mingyu, Cha Eunwoo, and Felix made the most noise.
Milan Fashion Week 2025
Karina From aespa
Prada ambassador and Vespa member Karina arrived in a vintage floral dress for the Prada Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show during Milan Fashion Week. Karina has become Prada’s most valuable ambassador, driving 44% of the brand’s total EMV (31.7 M). Her appearance at Milan Fashion Week AW25 generated $14.03 million in EMV (a record high), a 12% engagement rate
Karina now holds the top spot in Prada’s fashion week history for the highest EMV generated.
Jin of BTS
BTS’ Jin propelled Gucci to the second spot at Milan Fashion Week with a staggering $24.04 million in EMV. His solo contribution accounted for 42% of Gucci’s total EMV.
Jin secured 2nd spot among top fashion influencers during Milan Fashion Week following Karina with 10.17M EMV and a 10% engagement rate.
Byeon Woo Seok
Although Byeon Woo Seok is not a K-pop star, he contributed significantly to Prada’s total EMV. The “Lovely Runner” actor has gained a massive following after the success of the drama “Lovely Runner”.
With over 12 million followers, he generated 7.97M and a 22% engagement rate, higher than Jin and Karina.
Bang Chan of Stray Kids
Fendi took the third spot at Milan Fashion Week, with a big boost from Stray Kids’ Bang Chan. He helped drive $24.01 million in EMV. In addition, TWICE’s Mina, Song Hye Kyo, and (G)I-DLE’s Yuqi also attended the show.
The newly appointed brand ambassador Bang Chan generated $6.01M in EMV with a 20% engagement rate.
San of ATEEZ
Choi San of ATEEZ has been collaborating with Dolce & Gabbana for a while now, and he has served serious looks. San propelled Dolce & Gabbana to fourth position among top brands with $17.1 million EMV.
The ATEEZ member solely contributed $7.47 million with a 26% engagement rate.
Hyunjin from Stray Kids
The Versace FW25 MFW Show was especially meaningful as Donatella stepped down as the brand’s Chief Creative Officer after nearly 28 years. STAYs love her bond with Versace ambassador and Stray Kids member Hyunjin.
The 25-year-old K-pop star enabled the brand to secure a spot in the top 5 brands with a total of $16.7 EMV. He wore an outfit from the collection even before its runway debut. Hyunjin, who has nearly 25 million IG followers, contributed with $5.88M EMV and an 18% engagement rate.
Paris Fashion Week 2025
Mingyu
Usually, it is BLACKPINK’s Jisoo who generates the most EMV for Dior as a longtime brand ambassador. This time around, SEVENTEEN member Mingyu has dethroned her by creating a major stir at the Dior FW25 Show during Paris Fashion Week.
Dior stole the show at Paris Fashion Week AW25, with the most Instagram buzz. The brand’s clever partnerships with popular influencers Mingyu, Orm Kornnaphat, and Ling Ling Kwong paid off big time. It topped the list of brands with a whopping $84.3M generated in EMV and a 3.50% engagement rate.
Mingyu generated the most EMV ($18.55M) among guests and an 11% engagement rate. He was followed closely by Thai stars Orm Kornnaphat (18.34M, 104% ER) and Ling Ling Kwong ($17.16, 76% ER).
Cha Eunwoo
Cha Eunwoo is a sought-after face for luxury brands. After his partnership with Dior, he transitioned to YSL and made his debut as their brand ambassador at their PFW runway show in September.
The ASTRO member along with Rosé propelled YSL to the top 5 brands with a staggering EMV of $33.7M. Cha Eunwoo, who has nearly 48 million followers on Instagram, generated $16.93M in EMV and a 6% engagement rate.
Felix of Stray Kids
Felix could not attend the Louis Vuitton womenswear show in September last year. This year, the Stray Kids member returned with a bang. He walked the runway for LV again after making his runway debut last year.
Louis Vuitton came in fourth among top brands and generated a total EMV of $40.5 million. As the most followed 4th-gen K-pop star on Instagram, it’s no surprise that he generated the most buzz for the brand during Paris Fashion Week. Felix generated $15.81M with an 8% engagement rate.
