Blackpink: Luxury Fashion’s Missing Link

by Sharifa Charles

Powerhouse girl group Blackpink has not only conquered the music industry with record-breaking streams and as the first-ever Korean girl group to grace the stage of Coachella, but they’ve also made a name for themselves in the world of luxury fashion as global brand ambassadors.

What makes K-pop so desirable to Western luxury fashion brands? Is it the striking visuals and immense beauty of the idols, their unique and expressive fashion and sense of style, or the ever-growing popularity of K-pop within the West? All these factors contribute to the rise in luxury fashion assigning K-pop stars as global ambassadors. Luxury brands not only want captivating, fashionable, and impressionable artists as the faces of their brands, but they also want to spread their brand image and name globally to reach a newer demographic and audience.

Apart from global recognition and popularity, you may be wondering what other reasons there are for the rise of luxury brands choosing K-pop idols as ambassadors and representatives of the brand. As we all know, K-pop is not only loved for its genre-mixing music but also for its striking visuals. Whether it’s in their music videos or outside appearances at fashion shows, airports, or magazines, it’s clear that idols are expressive dressers who experiment with fashion and various pieces to create unique and innovative outfits.

In K-pop, fashion is used as a medium to set a particular vibe through concepts and music videos, but it also creates a distinct look for each group. K-pop has provided a new genre of fashion style and inspiration and with its influence, brands are eager to work with your favourite idols to create new and exciting fashion looks and moments for you to take inspiration from. Compared to Western artists, K-pop stars are more open about wearing and promoting certain brands, allowing for greater brand exposure and also makes your idol’s style accessible to you. This is another aspect that draws luxury designer brands to work with idols, as they know they can cater to a global audience.

It’s no surprise luxury fashion brands are riding the ever-growing Hallyu wave and collaborating with your favourite K-pop idols. In recent years, we have seen exciting collaborations between renowned luxury houses like Celine, Dior, Bulgari, and Yves Saint Laurent and the captivating members of the beloved girl group Blackpink. Lisa is a global ambassador for Bulgari and Celine; Jennie is an ambassador for Chanel; Rosé for Yves Saint Laurent; and Jisoo for Dior and Cartier. Blackpink’s influence in the fashion world is immense. In 2021, lead singer Rosé became one of the first female K-pop stars to attend the Met Gala.

BLINKs can attest to the loyalty and sheer supportiveness that K-pop fans express towards their idols, whether through continuous streaming of their albums and singles or selling out clothing items and accessories worn by their favourite idols. Luxury brands recognise that, as fans, you want to support your favourite artists. Therefore, by making them brand ambassadors, you have more access to the products worn by K-pop idols and are more likely to buy those products or explore the brand further as a sign of support.

Lisa’s Personal Style And Favourite Pieces

Lisa is a prominent member of Black Pink, known for her fierce yet radiant beauty. Her stylist, Choi Kyung Won, stated: "Lisa, since she is a rapper, is styled with boyish nuance and a witty look." She embodies modern and slightly bold styles with great ease. Her makeup and outfits exude a wild yet alluring vibe that perfectly complements her appearance. Lisa describes her style as comfortable and easygoing. Her go-to day-to-day look consists of denim jeans, an oversized jacket, and a simple t-shirt. Her style and silhouette feel accessible and relatable to fans, with many quoting Lisa as their style inspiration.

"Hedi's designs may look simple, but I think they’re also very clever and dynamic. I rarely need to add any additional accessories because the look itself makes a strong impression all on its own. Hedi’s strength is that his creativity is both elegant and charismatic. The effect is high-fashion and wearable at the same time."

BLINKs if you want to dress like Lisa, be sure to stock up on basics like denim jeans and t-shirts; these will fit perfectly with a striking oversized jacket or coat and a classy bag, preferably Celine! Lisa mentions her favourite silhouettes from Celine are bootcut jeans, flared skirts, and bow collar silk shirts, praising their versatility.

Lisa’s Journey As Celine’s First-Ever Global Ambassador

Lalisa Manobal, known more commonly by her stage name Lisa, is a multi-talented artist born in Thailand. She is the main dancer and lead rapper of the renowned girl group Blackpink, which consists of Rosé, Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo. Before debuting as a member of Blackpink, Lisa became YG’s first non-Korean trainee after auditioning in YG’s 2010 auditions in Thailand. She was the only person accepted as a trainee, alluding to her well-praised talents. Lisa is a captivating performer who draws attention onstage for her charismatic persona and mesmerising visuals. With over 94 million followers on Instagram, she is officially one of the most-followed K-pop idols.

The creative director of Celine, Hedi Slimane, appointed Lisa as Celine’s first official global ambassador. Hedi references his design inspirations as musicians, with Lisa being one of his many muses. Lisa debuted with Celine as an ambassador through the Celine Essentials campaign. Captured in the signature black and white images, Lisa wears a classic leather biker jacket, dark denim flare jeans, and a sequin jacket. The overall look that Lisa embodies and portrays feels sleek, with an elevated casual look featuring a classic silhouette.

When featured on the cover of Elle, you could see Celine’s influence and nuance in Lisa’s outfits within her shots. Like her fellow members Rosé, Jennie, and Jisoo, each Blackpink member embodied the brand they were representing, and it certainly fits their style.

Lisa first discovered Celine at 15 through her cousin, who was into fashion. Her first Celine purchase was the Celine belt bag, which is still one of her "favourite pieces to this day."

June 2019 marked the date of Lisa's first attendance at a Celine Fashion Show showcasing the Men's Spring/summer 2020 collection during Paris Fashion Week. Attending her first Celine show must have been exciting for Lisa and BLINKs alike. Lisa undoubtedly made an impression, adorned in a structured sequin embroidered jacket, a plain white t-shirt, high-rise jeans, boots, and Celine’s triumph bag in red. Lyst reported that after Lisa’s appearance at Celine’s show, global internet searches for Celine's Triomphe bag rose 66% on June 28, 2019, showcasing how influential K-pop stars are and how luxury brands have been using that widespread popularity to increase awareness of their brands.

Luxury brands are known to choose ambassadors that fit the vision and vibe of their brand. Though Celine and Lisa are what has been dubbed an unexpected partnership," Lisa embodies Celine’s core values through her demeanour and appearance. Celine features a feminine yet androgynous and chic look that is refined and minimal and meshes well with Lisa’s style choice of elevated and casual outfits.

In an exclusive interview with Harper's Bazaar, Lisa states, ‘It means so much to me to become Celine’s first ambassador. I’m so excited and honoured to receive this partnership and to work with Hedi Slimane. Celine has always inspired me, and I hope to be able to take that feeling and, in turn, inspire others."

"To me, Celine is unrivalled, and Hedi Slimane has such a multifaceted talent — from clothing design to photography. He creates this rare, incredible, and desirable world through his vision. I’m always inspired by his work. It’s truly an honour and pleasure to be able to work with Hedi as Celine’s first ambassador."

Celine and Lisa’s unique partnership has opened doors for the French luxury brand and the K-pop star. Celine now has global recognition from Lisa’s ambassadorship, with more BLINKs and K-pop fans stating that their introduction to Celine was through Lisa. Lisa delivers the brand exposure Celine was aiming for through magazine shoots, campaigns, and attending fashion shows. Her influential nature proves she is the perfect fit to represent Celine.