BTS V Drives $13.1 Million for Celine at Paris Fashion Week—Highest Korean Celebrity EMV
BTS member V has proven once again why luxury brands are clamoring for K-pop partnerships. At Paris Fashion Week 2026, the global icon generated $13.1 million in earned media value for Celine with just two Instagram posts-the highest figure among all Korean celebrities attending the event.
The Numbers That Matter
According to Lefty, an influencer marketing platform used by major brands, V ranked third among all global influencers at Paris Fashion Week and first among musicians and K-pop artists. His performance was remarkable not just for the dollar amount, but for the efficiency: $13.1 million from minimal content.
This wasn't V's only distinction. Across all four major fashion weeks this season-New York, London, Milan, and Paris-V generated the highest EMV of any Korean celebrity individually.
BTS as a group made an equally impressive showing. The five members who attended fashion week events collectively created $39.26 million in value. V's contribution represented 34% of that total, making him the top earner among his bandmates.
How Celine Benefited
The impact on Celine was transformative. For the first time, the brand cracked Lefty's top 10 EMV rankings for Paris Fashion Week, landing at number eight. The year before, when V was completing his military service and unable to attend, Celine didn't make the list at all.
Analysis by fashion platform XFashion revealed another striking statistic: despite having only 137,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter)-roughly 14% of what competitors Dior and Louis Vuitton have-Celine ranked second among the most-mentioned brands during Paris Fashion Week. Seventy percent of those mentions related to V.
Looking at the combined data from all four fashion weeks, Vogue Business reported that Celine generated approximately $26 million in total EMV and placed 10th globally. V's individual contribution accounted for 50% of that figure.
The October 5 Appearance
V attended Celine's Spring/Summer 2026 show on October 5 at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, just outside Paris. Despite weekend storms, fans lined the roads and parking areas for hours hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
His outfit made waves: a long brown knee-length coat from designer Michael Rider's debut collection for Celine, paired with matching trousers, a crisp white shirt, and a leopard-print silk tie that gave vintage 1880s Parisian elegance a modern edge.
Inside, V met Anna Wintour, Vogue's legendary editor-in-chief. She personally invited him to an upcoming Vogue World event-not once, but twice. He also connected with Sidney Toledano, senior adviser to LVMH Group.
A Track Record of Fashion Influence
V's October performance continued a pattern established when he first became Celine's global ambassador in March 2023.
That year, despite not attending a single fashion week or major fashion event due to his upcoming military enlistment, Lefty named V the number one male fashion influencer of 2023. He ranked third overall, generating $274 million in EMV through just 31 Instagram posts and stories about Celine between March and December. His engagement rate hit 20.6%-higher than influencers with many more followers.
The commercial results were equally dramatic. Celine Korea's operating profit jumped 591% in 2023, climbing from 2.5 billion won to 17 billion won ($12.4 million). Revenue increased sixfold, rising 513.2% from 50.1 billion won to 307.2 billion won.
BTS Dominates Across Cities
V's success was part of a broader BTS sweep of fashion week. Each member who attended posted exceptional numbers:
Jin generated $9.7 million for Gucci at Milan Fashion Week, ranking second overall among all influencers despite posting only twice and having his Instagram comments disabled. His engagement rate hit 6.4%.
Jungkook created $7.44 million for Calvin Klein at New York Fashion Week without posting a single image himself. That figure represented 30% of Calvin Klein's total EMV and 25% of the entire New York Fashion Week season's media value, making him the most-mentioned influencer across all NYFW events.
RM secured $3.11 million for Bottega Veneta at Milan Fashion Week from one post with a 6.4% engagement rate, ranking sixth among Korean influencers.
Jimin helped Dior achieve the number one spot in overall engagement and visibility at Paris Fashion Week 2026, though his specific EMV wasn't disclosed.
What EMV Measures
Earned media value converts social media reach, engagement, and brand exposure into a dollar figure. It's become the fashion industry's standard for evaluating how much value a celebrity or influencer brings to a brand.
The metric matters because it quantifies something brands desperately need: authentic audience connection. V's ability to generate massive EMV with minimal posts demonstrates the quality and loyalty of his following-something money can't buy through traditional advertising.
Looking Forward
As BTS prepares for their full group comeback in spring 2026, V's fashion influence shows no signs of slowing. For Celine, the partnership has delivered measurable growth in visibility, engagement, and revenue.
The numbers tell a clear story: in an industry where influence translates directly to sales, V has become one of fashion's most valuable ambassadors. His October performance at Paris Fashion Week wasn't just about looking good on a runway-it was about moving markets.
