LVMH is betting big on K-pop – but why? The Arnault family’s luxury conglomerate tapped a slew of South Korean idols to become brand ambassadors, from BTS’ Jimin for Dior to G-Dragon for Chanel

Feb 2 , 2023

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 23: (L to R) Delphine Arnault, Jisoo, TAG Heuer CEO Frederic Arnault and Rachel Zegler attend the Christian Dior front row during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring Summer 2023 on January 23, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Luxury magnate Bernard Arnault nominated his children Delphine and Alexandre to helm LVMH’s biggest brands like Dior and Tiffany & Co. and they are now betting big on K-pop idols

South Koreans are now the world’s biggest luxury consumers – the average person spent at least US$325 in 2022 – so will the Arnaults win over BTS and Blackpink’s legions of fans?

On January 11, Delphine Arnault was nominated by her father, luxury magnate Bernard Arnault, to helm Dior. Within days, the fashion house appointed Jimin, one of the seven members of the K-pop supergroup BTS, as the brand’s global ambassador.

The singer’s agency, Hybe, directed us to a statement from Dior on Twitter that said Jimin “embodies the spirit and singularity of Dior style”.

Blackpink’s Rosé is Tiffany & Co.’s ambassador. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Delphine’s move comes over a year after her younger brother Alexandre Arnault, an executive vice-president at Tiffany & Co., signed Blackpink singer Rosé to represent the jewellery house. Rosé now advertises Tiffany’s Hardwear line, a collection of necklaces and bracelets.

V, Lisa and Park Bo-gum pose for photographers before the Celine men’s spring/summer 2023 collection presented in Paris, France, in June 2022. Photo: AP

And in June, Celine – another brand under the massive umbrella of Arnault’s LVMH – invited BTS member V, Blackpink member Lisa, and South Korean actor Park Bo-gum to the brand’s spring/summer 2023 show in Paris. Lisa also worked with LVMH brand Bulgari, wearing one of its watches in a 2021 campaign.

All of which points at the undeniable – the world’s biggest luxury conglomerate is officially betting big on K-pop.

South Korean idols are no strangers to luxury brands

South Korean boy band BTS arrives for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, US, in April 2022. Photo: AFP