Milan’s catwalks may be the epicentre of global fashion this week, but even there it’s hard to ignore the star power of South Korean celebrities, and why so many of them are now being courted by luxury brands
Outside Prada’s fashion show on Thursday, the biggest squeals of excitement came from fans of Jeon Somi, South Korea’s blonde singer with 16.6 million Instagram followers.
The hordes of pushing, screaming fans straining for a view of their favourite K-pop or Korean film and television stars are expected to come out in force for the duration of Milan Fashion Week—underscoring the strategic importance of the South Korean market to Italian fashion.
“I’ve been here since 11am to see Somi”, 20-year-old Italian fan Serena Danimarco told AFP. “I love her, her music, her look.” She held up a sign reading “Somi I’m so Dumb Dumb for you”, a reference to the singer’s 2021 single.
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Such enthusiasm also greeted the arrival of Korean actress Song Hye-kyo at the Fendi show on Wednesday, which kicked off fashion week. Fan Giulia, 20, was crushed behind a barrier outside the show, holding up her handmade sign with photos of her idol and an “I love you” written underneath.
“I knew she was coming through the networks of Neverland, one of the Korean Idol fan groups. I am also a Blink, a Blackpink fan”, she said, referring to the chart-dominating girl group named by Time magazine as 2022’s Entertainer of the Year.