MPHO RANTAO
SOUTH Korean pop star Kim Ji-soo, better known to Blackpink fans mononymously as Jisoo, has been announced as the first-ever Asian ambassador for Italian luxury brand Dior.
Jisoo was announced as the new face of beauty and fashion for Dior in March, marking another big step in popular fashion brands collaborating with Asian stars as global or campaign ambassadors.
The announcement was made on the fashion house’s Instagram page, alongside photos of the K-pop style star wearing a number of Dior looks.
Dior stated that Jisoo “perfectly encapsulates the House’s contemporary femininity” and cited her as a key inspiration for their upcoming Autumn/Winter 2021 collection (designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri) which used the theme of a haunting ethereal fairytale – with elements of lace, chiffon, dark winter palette in shades of blue, red, white and black.
Jisoo expressed her excitement on the new partnership, saying that she felt it was special to hear that Dior’s Autumn/Winter 2021 collection was inspired by her and that she couldn’t wait to work on making all of her and Dior’s dreams a reality.
Jisoo first began working with Dior in December 2019, when she was announced as the Korean ambassador for Dior Beauty, and later when she modelled the luxury brand’s Autumn/Winter 2020 collection.
The new announcement has also contributed to the ripple effect of Asian stars being signed as ambassadors for European luxury brands, with other brands like Gucci, Celine and Givenchy being involved.
Fellow Blackpink members Rosé and Lisa were named as global ambassadors for Saint Laurent and Celine respectively last year, while other member Jennie has represented Chanel since 2018.
The grand marketing promotion of involving popular Asian celebrities in fashion campaigns has become a very lucrative decision for luxury fashion brands.
It was reported by online publication WWD that other Asian celebrities like K-pop band BTS, Zhang Ruoyun, Li Xian and Oh Se-hun had boosted online audiences for the men’s fashion shows in Paris and Milan in January.
