LONDON/NEW YORK, Sept 10 (Askume) – U.S. designer Tommy Hilfiger looked at a series of custom-made suits worn by Korean pop stars Stray Kids at this year’s Met Gala and then opened a tuxedo with a special tag.
The eight-member Korean boy band is a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger and became an online sensation in May when it became the first K-pop group to attend the prestigious Manhattan fashion event.
“We created a special brand ‘Tommy Hilfiger’ with Stray Kids, they liked it, we liked it and I think it will probably go down in history, ” Hilfiger told Askume ahead of his New York Fashion Week show on Sunday.
“We were one of the most talked-about brands at the Met Ball, if not the most talked-about brand at the Met Ball…because of the power of K-pop and our collaboration, I felt it was appropriate,” she said at the time.
Stray Kids is one of the K-pop idols that luxury fashion companies hire as brand ambassadors to attract fans from all over the world.
Last year, nearly 30 K-pop stars were named the new spokesmodels for brands like Versace and Dior, while in the past two months, Blackpink’s Lisa, BTS’s Jin and aespa’s Karina were named the new face for Louis Vuitton and Gucci spokesmodels, respectively.
“(K-pop idols) create their own following. They create their own communities… so when brands work with them, not only do they get press for working with these K-pop stars, but they also get press reports.
“With these diverse voices supporting K-pop stars, it has unprecedented influence in the media, much more than Western celebrities.”
Launchmetrics said in its June 2025 Spring/Summer Men’s Paris Fashion Week report that South Korea was the third region garnering the most attention, with most of the attention being attracted by Korean celebrities.
K-pop stars are now among the most anticipated celebrities to attend fashion week shows and often receive the most excitement from fans waiting outside. As always, many people are looking forward to this fashion show season.
“When you look at K-pop fans, they obviously like the members, but they also like the glitz and glamour of K-pop… each group has their own amazing style,” said K-Lily of the popular girl band NMIX.
“Fashion is very important to K-pop, and K-pop is very important to fashion.”
