How does a fashion show make an explosive and electrifying come bank after an absence of nearly six years? First, assemble an army of familiar faces like Tyra Banks, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Cher and more. Second, the show should be all about celebrating women. Third, ensures everybody’s from different backgrounds and ethnicities for maximum acceptance.

 

More importantly, introduce someone new, young, sexy and incredibly famous who had not been walking on the prestigious runway before – someone not in the fashion industry, but a celebrity nonetheless. It would be better if she was a bit controversial, has some love stories to tell, and is a global influencer who could add groundbreaking performance in the fashion industry.

 

Making history as the first K-pop artist and Southeast Asian woman to headline the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, fans worldwide cheered as BLACKPINK Rockstar Lisa performed her two songs – “Moonlit Floor” and “Rockstar” – at the Tuesday (Oct 15) show in New York. Styled as a warrior, she opened with her single album “ROCKSTAR” released in June – almost 3 years of dormancy from her solo career.

Captivating the audience with her powerful stage presence, Thai rapper and singer Lisa made her entrance on a motorcycle and performed alongside a group of backup dancers. Rockstar, which is also her first English single album as the K-pop icon stepped into a new phase of her solo career outside of Blackpink, has hit over “5.5 million Likes” on YouTube, making it the most-liked K-pop music video of 2024.

 

Her “Moonlit Floor” performance, where she wore angel wings and lace lingerie, was described as “romantic”by Elle magazine. The song is about love and kisses in Paris, believed to reference her relationship with French businessman Frédéric Arnault, the third son of billionaire Bernard Arnault, whose family is the owner of the luxury goods giant LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) – the world’s largest luxury goods company.

 

The romance between Lisa and Frédéric, currently holds the position of CEO at Tag Heuer, might lead to the making of a power couple in the luxury fashion and entertainment industry. Arnault, who oversees dozens of prestigious brands including Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Givenchy, and Fendi, was worth an estimated US$231 billion in late March, before a 20% drop in his company’s stock price.

After ending her contract with Blackpink’s management company YG Entertainment, Lisa has been pursuing her career in the U.S. and Europe through her own company LLOUD. Through a partnership with RCA Records, she now has full ownership of her solo music. Her solo journey began with the release of Rockstar, which was filmed in her home city of Bangkok.

 

Lisa, whose real name is Lalisa Manoban, paid shopkeepers 20,000 baht (US$540) each so that she could close down a bustling Bangkok Chinatown street on Yaowarat Road to shoot the Rockstar music video. The song, which blends contemporary R&B with hip-hop, was filmed in the capital city to pay homage to her Thai heritage, further solidifying her status as a cultural icon.

 

After making its debut on the morning of June 28, Rockstar skyrockets to the top of the list of solo artists with the most views – 32.4 million – on YouTube within the first 24 hours of its release. This eclipsed Taylor Swift, whose song Fortnight hit only 19.5 million in 24 hours. Crucially, Rockstar reached number 1 on the Billboard Global (excluding U.S.) chart and number 4 on the Billboard Global 200 Weekly Chart.

At the age of 27, Lisa is the most-followed Asian artist on Instagram, boasting over 104 million followers. But her soft power was so incredible that the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is an expert on international business, told local officials in Bangkok to prepare to promote food in Yaowarat Road to capitalise on Lisa’s video.

 

Continuing her streak of success, Lisa, who has received singing and dancing training in South Korea since she was a teenager, followed up with New Woman featuring Rosalia, which earned her yet another Top-10 hit on the Billboard Global 200. She also made history at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, becoming the first K-pop soloist to perform at the event and winning Best K-Pop for the second time.

 

Earlier this year, she headlined the Le Gala des Pieces Jaunes charity event in Paris, where she performed her solo hits like Lalisa and Money, and made a surprise appearance alongside DJ Snake for their hit collaboration SG. Her appearance and performance at such high-profile events has made her a favourite in the international fashion and entertainment circles.

Founded in the 1970s in the U.S., Victoria’s Secret started its televised fashion shows in 1995, featuring top models like Adriana Lima and Gisele Bündchen. However, the brand discontinued its iconic show in 2019 due to falling sales and viewership, alongside various scandals. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 is an attempt by the brand to regain its relevance by presenting a more inclusive image.

 

In November 2018, Ed Razek, then chief marketing officer for L Brands, came under fire for saying he did not think the brand should include “transsexuals” in its runway show. The lingerie brand was the subject of a 2020 New York Times investigation over allegations of a culture of misogyny at the company. The company split from L Brands in 2021 and has since made efforts to revamp its approach and become relevant to women again. 

 

In August 2023, the company says that it represents “all women”. In a statement, it says – “We have moved from promoting an exclusionary view of what’s sexy, to celebrating all women throughout every phase of their lives. We will continue this work and look to be an industry leader in retail innovation, fashion, sustainability, and continuous ingenuity – getting to the heart of what our diverse customer base wants.”

To prove that Victoria’s Secret represents all women, not only many of the brand’s most famous “angels” were returning (such as Gigi Hadid, Mayowa Nicholas, Barbara Palvin, Behati Prinsloo, Jasmine Tookes, Adriana Lima, Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser and Devyn Garcia), but would be headlined by 78-year-old “Goddess of Pop” Cher as representative of mother of fashion.

 

Still, there’s no such thing as free lunch. While the exact amounts that the artists have received for their performances at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 in New York City have not been published, their earnings can be estimated based on their show charges. Cher, being one of the most established artists in music and a fashion icon, usually charges between US$1 million and US$1.5 million. 

 

Celebrity Talent International reported that Tyla, the rising South African star, takes home around US$500,000 to US$700,000 for her performance. Blackpink Lisa, on the other hand, previously charged a booking fee ranging from US$500,000 to US$750,000. She reportedly was undervalued and received the lowest salary in the group. However, now that she is a pop star going solo with her own company, her asking price could easily hit US$1 million.

 

 

That would be a small price to pay considering that the production cost of the show might be between US$10 million to US$12 million, including set design, wardrobe, live music, and infrastructure deployment. As part of the brand’s transformation, Victoria’s Secret would be willing to pay a premium for the list of angels on the runway to jumpstart its tainted image.

 

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October 16th, 2024 by financetwitter

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