Heart Evangelista, Wonyoung Jang & More Among Paris Fashion Week MVPs

Paris Fashion Week is going from strength to strength in the run-up to the Olympic Games.

The fall ready-to-wear shows in the French capital generated $425.5 million in media impact value (MIV) as Asian celebrities continued to drive conversation around leading brands, according to a report released Thursday by data research and insights company Launchmetrics.

“It’s been really a great season,” Michael Jais, chief executive officer of Launchmetrics, said during a webinar. “There is a real sensation of Paris being the center of the world at the moment.”

He noted that 87 percent of the total impact was generated within 48 hours of the end of the event, reflecting the high level of excitement around the shows. While Launchmetrics did not provide a comparison figure for the same period last year, it reported at the time that Paris generated $285 million in MIV. 

Media and influencer voices continued to dominate the results. Mexican TikTok star Kunno was the top influencer, garnering $3.7 million in MIV. Among celebrities, Filipina model, actress and beauty queen Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach-Jauncey took the lead, with placements worth $6.8 million.

South Korea was the top region in terms of celebrity coverage, but ambassadors from across the Asia-Pacific region made an impact.

Among the top-ranking front row guests in terms of MIV were Japanese singer and dancer Momo; South Korean singer Wonyoung Jang from girl group Ive; Filipino actress Heart Evangelista, and Thai actor, model and host Jumpol Adulkittiporn, also known as Off. 

Reflecting the globalization of fashion, their influence extends well beyond their native countries, Jais noted. 

“They really impact global audiences. They also really play the game, and I would say unlike most celebrities — and I will not mention names — they take the time to sign autographs to their fans, take pictures, use really the right hashtags on their content,” he noted.

“APAC celebrities make really impeccable ambassadors, bringing more than just their power. They really strategically leverage their gigantic social media reach to promote not only themselves, but really the shows, and to maximize brand exposure across the diverse global audience,” he added.