Why Were So Many K-Stars at Milan Fashion Week? The Strategy Goes Beyond Fandom

The front rows at Milan Fashion Week have turned into a global stage for Korean stars. Actors Song Hye-kyo and Im Yoon-ah, RIIZE's Sungchan and ATEEZ's Yunho and San attended shows for Bottega Veneta, Max Mara, Diesel and Dolce & Gabbana during Milan Fashion Week's Spring/Summer 2027 season, held from Sept. 22 to 28.

Each star was there in a different capacity. Song Hye-kyo and San are global ambassadors, while Im Yoon-ah made her first appearance as a "friend of the brand," a more market-specific role used to build a relationship between a house and a star. Sungchan and Yunho attended as show guests, bringing their own audiences and fandom reach to the week. The mix shows how luxury brands are using Korean stars not just as front-row guests, but as bridges between local consumers and global digital fandoms.

Bottega Veneta unveiled creative director Louise Trotter's third collection, the 2027 summer collection, in Milan on Sept. 26. Global ambassador Song Hye-kyo and RIIZE's Sungchan were in the room alongside Jacob Elordi, Julianne Moore, Chinese actor Shu Qi, Tyler, the Creator and Travis Scott.

Song Hye-kyo was named a Bottega Veneta global ambassador earlier this month. The partnership connects her long interest in art and culture with Bottega's focus on craft and creativity. Her established career and recognition across Asia give the house a long-term representative as Trotter continues to reshape the brand.

Bottega Veneta has long leaned on leather craft and its Intrecciato weaving rather than loud logos. The new collection continued that approach with soft tailoring, lightweight leather and relaxed silhouettes, while extending Intrecciato beyond a technique into a metaphor for collaboration. For Bottega, Song Hye-kyo offers a way to communicate that craft-focused identity to Korean and wider Asian consumers.

Sungchan attended as a show guest rather than an official ambassador. His presence offered a different kind of reach through his young male audience and K-POP fandom. Bottega dressed him in a restrained look featuring a navy leather blouson and white T-shirt, putting the brand's men's ready-to-wear offering in front of a younger audience.

Im Yoon-ah attended the Max Mara 2027 Spring/Summer show "Far Horizons" on Sept. 24. It was her first official appearance after being named the first Korean artist chosen as a Max Mara "friend of the brand."

A "friend of the brand" role is generally less formal than a global ambassadorship, allowing a house to build a relationship with a star in a specific market. For Max Mara, Im Yoon-ah offers a way to bring its tailoring and coat-driven identity to a broader Korean audience.

The collection drew from women explorers of the 1930s, including traveler Freya Stark, wildlife photographer Osa Johnson, trans-continental driver Eva Dickson, and aviators Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham. Safari jackets, gored skirts, slinky knits, cargo vests and tailored jackets defined the collection's practical but polished mood. Im Yoon-ah's presence gives that aesthetic a familiar face for Korean consumers, particularly through the public appearances and fashion content that follow Fashion Week.

ATEEZ's Yunho attended the Diesel 2027 Spring/Summer show on Sept. 22, while San attended the Dolce & Gabbana 2027 Spring/Summer women's show on Sept. 26. Yunho's Diesel visit coincided with Glenn Martens' final show after six years as the brand's creative director. Yunho has previously taken part in Diesel campaigns and events.

Diesel has built its identity around denim, bold graphics and provocative shows, targeting a younger customer than many traditional luxury houses. Yunho's presence brought that energy directly to a global K-POP audience as the brand entered a new creative chapter.

San attended the Dolce & Gabbana show as a global ambassador. He also appeared at "Vogue World: Milano" on Sept. 22. Dolce & Gabbana has spent years reworking its signature Italian glamour, sensuality and family-and-craft heritage in a modern key. Its partnership with San combines that traditional image with the stage presence, younger fandom and digital reach of a K-POP artist.

For both members, airport looks, front-row shots and appearances around the shows became a continuous stream of content. Fashion shows, once largely the territory of buyers and trade press, now reach mainstream consumers through stars' social feeds and fan communities.

Fandom buzz does not translate directly into sales or long-term brand loyalty. Even so, houses are leaning on the reach of Korean stars to tell their brand stories and maintain cultural influence. "This Fashion Week shows how far the popularity of K-content and the presence of Korean stars have grown worldwide," an industry source said. "The standing of Korean entertainers feels different than before."