First Ambassador
Ferragamo has found its own K- pop artist. The Florentine fashion house has tapped Jeno Lee, best known as Jeno, as its first global male brand ambassador.
A member of South Korean boy band NCT, Jeno attended the brand’s fall 2023 fashion show in Milan in February, sharing behindthe- scenes moments of his Italian trip with his roughly six million followers on Instagram.
“Jeno Lee has a charismatic personality and an uncanny ability to connect with a young international audience through his music, style and persona,” said Maximilian Davis, who took Ferragamo’s creative helm last year.
“We’re driven by the same passion for creativity,” underscored Davis, while Jeno said he was “excited about the opportunity to create synergies with the brand,” which he praised for its “incredible heritage, style and craftsmanship.”
The Korean artist is not new to the world of fashion. In September last year, he was the first K- pop star to open a New York Fashion Week runway show, strutting down the Peter Do catwalk in a backless black suit, which was part of the designer’s seminal menswear collection.
Over the last few years competition in the luxury arena has heated up to secure South Korean idols, with many local stars being anointed ambassadors at one or several brands.
Most famously, Lisa, Jennie, Rosé and Jisoo of Blackpink, the most popular all- girl group, have secured partnerships with top luxury names such as Celine, Chanel, Saint Laurent and Dior. NewJeans’ members Hyein, Hanni, Danielle and Haerin have also been tapped as ambassadors at Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry and Dior, respectively.
Other examples this year include Dior and Tiffany & Co. both signing BTS member Jimin; Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein opting for fellow band members J- Hope and Jungkook, respectively, while Valentino picked BTS’ Suga. Givenchy tapped Taeyang, a member of Big Bang and a solo artist, as brand ambassador, too.