BTS's Jin Lights Up Milan as Gucci Premieres The Tiger - What His Appearance Signals for K-Pop x Luxury
MILAN/SEOUL - Gucci opened Milan Fashion Week with a movie night instead of a runway, premiering The Tiger, a short film co-created by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn to introduce creative director Demna's first chapter at the house. The screening took place at Palazzo Mezzanotte, drawing an A-list crowd as Gucci pivots to a more cinematic launch strategy ahead of a full runway debut slated for February.
Among the most-watched arrivals was Jin of BTS, who attended as a Global Ambassador for the brand. Gucci's official channels highlighted his appearance at the premiere, where he greeted fans clustered outside the venue before joining guests inside. The house positioned the film and the "La Famiglia" lookbook as a soft launch for Demna's vision-and Jin's presence helped push the moment into mainstream pop conversation well beyond fashion circles.
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- © Elena Ferrarini - Instagram (linked)
A cinematic reset for Gucci
Instead of staging a spring/summer 2026 catwalk, Gucci leaned into narrative: Jonze and Reijn's The Tiger centers on a gilded family gathering that unravels, with Demi Moore among the leads and an ensemble cast that includes Edward Norton and Elliot Page. The pieces on screen-coded as characters from Demna's "La Famiglia"-tie back to an online lookbook and a two-week boutique capsule, signaling a phased go-to-market while Kering works to reinvigorate one of its most important labels.
Why Jin matters at this premiere
For global luxury houses, the calculus is straightforward: K-pop star power fuels reach and conversion, particularly across Asia and the U.S. diaspora. Jin's Milan stop not only amplified social coverage of the film but also reinforced Gucci's bet on cultural crossovers to reset sentiment. For the K-pop side, the optics are equally useful: post-service, Jin's fashion-front resurface keeps attention high ahead of music-cycle moves while strengthening a long-run ambassador portfolio. Gucci's own post noted his arrival and participation at the premiere, anchoring a wave of fan clips and media mentions across Europe and Asia.
The market and brand context
Demna's debut comes as luxury spending slows and Gucci faces pressure to stabilize sales. A film-first reveal reduces operational risk while creating a bankable, shareable asset for digital marketing. It also gives the house runway to refine silhouettes for February, when inventory and wholesale partners expect clearer direction. In that interim, ambassadors like Jin keep the story hot-bridging fashion media with entertainment press and social-video formats that carry further than traditional lookbooks.
What to watch next
-Brand strategy: How much of The Tiger's mood boards translate into the February runway-especially tailoring, outerwear, and accessories called out in early coverage.
-Ambassador cadence: Whether Jin reappears for campaign assets or shows as the lookbook moves into stores; Gucci's cinematic approach suggests additional content drops.
-Fashion-meets-pop momentum: If engagement lifts enough to move sell-through on capsule pieces, expect similar film-first experiments from rival houses across Paris.
Bottom line: Gucci swapped runway for narrative-and with Jin visibly in the mix at The Tiger's premiere, the house used K-pop's global reach to reboot a heritage brand moment while it readies a full runway reveal in early 2026.
