In only a matter of weeks, Ho Yeon Jung’s Instagram following has bounded from 400,000 followers to over 14 million. Originally from Seoul in South Korea, the actor’s stratospheric rise to fame comes as Squid Game – the psychological thriller in which she plays lead character Sae-byeok – breaks Netflix records as its most watched title in the world. And now, she has been picked up by Louis Vuitton to join its pantheon of global ambassadors, among them fellow Koreans BTS.
Only, this isn’t Ho Yeon Jung’s first rodeo. Back in 2016, the actor made her runway debut as a Louis Vuitton exclusive, before modelling for the maison’s Pre-Fall campaign in 2017. “I immediately fell in love with Hoyeon’s great talent and fantastic personality,” said creative director Nicolas Ghesquière. “and I am looking forward to starting this new chapter of the journey”. Ho Yeon Jung added: “It is an honour to start my acting career with Louis Vuitton, the brand I have modeled for. I look forward to all the moments with Louis Vuitton as a global ambassador.”
Today marks the official alliance between Ho Yeon Jung and Louis Vuitton, which will see the two come together across a series of TBC special projects, be that on the red carpet, billboards, or on the front row. And while this signals the first major fashion deal for the 27-year-old, it is not the first time that the fashion industry has dovetailed off the wild successes of Korean popular culture. What with every member of BLACKPINK signed onto blue chip relationships with separate Parisian fashion houses, Ghesquière’s decision to nab Korea’s latest export is nothing short of a power move.
Check out Louis Vuitton’s SS22 show, which closed Paris Fashion Week yesterday – albeit with a couple of unwanted attendees.