Last week I posted about the BTS presence at Men’s Fashion Week in Paris. Louis Vuitton had secured j-hope’s attendance and participation for the week. And Dior announced that Jimin would be their new global ambassador. Here’s a video of Jimin arriving at the show. Look at the size of that crowd. 

 

I mean, I don’t know if it’s the biggest crowd in history but it was definitely the biggest crowd of the week – and I say this because I don’t think that’s coming across with most of the mainstream media coverage in the west, focusing on the western celebrities who were in attendance, though none of them drew the kind of in-person and online attention that Jimin attracted. 

Which is the kind of attention that the brands want. They want social media engagement. And for Louis Vuitton and Dior both, their posts of j-hope and Jimin respectively were their best performing ones. What’s even more remarkable is that the posts then translate to dollars – and isn’t that the goal of marketing? To monetise attention? 

The thing about monetisation is that it can be measured. And BTS has a track record in this department. When Jimin wore Louis Vuitton back in 2021, it translated to instant sales: 

 

Asia Pacific is already the largest luxury goods market in the world. It is estimated that by 2025, “Asians are expected to account for more than half of the global luxury goods market”. They will buy whatever j-hope and Jimin wear at fashion week, whether it’s a denim set or a tote bag, those items are projected to not only sell out but generate long waiting lists. 

You wouldn’t know it though if you just followed western media coverage. There are a couple of exceptions though. British Vogue called j-hope “the MVP of Fashion Week” with his multiple appearances, not only at Louis Vuitton but also at Dior, where he joined Jimin. 

And the combination of not one but TWO members of BTS was a major boost for Dior. Of course they coordinated. 

 
Jimin and J-Hope attend the Dior Homme Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 20, 2023 in Paris, France

I LOVE this long half-kilt on Hobi. And I love that he’s making foot casts fashionable. Because that looks like the kind of boot you wear around when you’ve torn your Achilles, LOL. And yet somehow, Hobi can pull it off.

 

Also, somehow, he flew to Paris on LV’s dime and wasn’t restricted to LV fits. In addition to Dior, j-hope also caused a scene at Hermes, arriving in a gorgeous leather jacket with blue trim and flexing his style range: 

J-Hope attends the Hermes Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21, 2023 in Paris, France
 

That’s Hobi modelling three distinct luxury house moods – from the brash elevated camouflage of Louis Vuitton to the gender-bending skirt at Dior to the more understated and traditional coat and trousers at Hermes, he can straddle the spectrum. From rock star to model to businessman at the chalet, Hobi’s fashion range is thrilling. And this is why he’s becoming such a get for the luxury fashion houses. The large majority of the western entertainment media, however, hasn’t quite caught up yet.