Has the spotlight shifted at Fashion Week? From LingOrm to Faye, why are Thai stars taking over social media more than Korean stars?

If you’ve been following the recent fashion weeks, you’ve probably noticed Thai stars becoming much more visible in show coverage. Beyond the familiar K-Pop idols, names like LingOrm, Faye, and Namtan are constantly popping up in the front rows and on social media feeds.

• Read more: A star-studded night in Bangkok: Dior Siam Paragon opens with Sehun and LingOrm in stunning looks!

While it used to just feel like there were more Thai celebrities around, data from the recent Spring/Summer 2027 fashion week backs up the trend: Thai actresses took the lead on Instagram impact rankings across Paris and Milan.

Before looking at the numbers, it helps to understand EMV (Earned Media Value). Think of it as estimated media value. It converts the reach and engagement generated by a celebrity or creator’s posts into a dollar figure, making it easy for brands to compare social media impact. Calculation methods vary across analytics platforms, and these figures reflect estimated promotional value rather than actual brand revenue or star payouts. Still, EMV is often used to gauge the potential influence a celebrity brings to a brand.

LingOrm’s influence is something even Dior can’t ignore

Starting with Paris, rankings released by Lefty placed Orm Kornnaphat at the top with roughly US$ 112 million in EMV, followed closely by Lingling Kwong at around US$ 89 million.

Together, the duo shared 36 Instagram posts for Dior, generating around US$ 201 million in EMV. Compared to Dior’s overall US$ 360 million, that accounts for more than half. In other words, this popular pairing’s fashion week itinerary was a major source of brand visibility all on its own.

Another report showed similar results. Tracking 479 celebrities and brand ambassadors during Paris Fashion Week, Onclusive found that Lingling and Orm captured about 24.31% and 22.59% of the social media voice, respectively, together claiming nearly half the total. The first Korean name on the list was RIIZE’s Anton in eleventh place. The social media buzz around Thai stars was clearly prominent this season.

Over in Milan, Faye and Namtan took the lead

Moving over to Milan, the main characters still came from Thailand.

Faye Peraya claimed first place on Lefty’s Milan list with around US$ 43.4 million in EMV, while Namtan Tipnaree took second with roughly US$ 17.4 million. Korean stars still delivered solid results—ATEEZ’s San, for example, generated about US$ 9.7 million in EMV for Dolce & Gabbana to rank fourth—but Thai actresses secured the top spots this season.

Among them, Faye shared 26 posts for Ferragamo. By spinning a single runway look into a steady stream of content, she gave fans a reason to keep watching and kept the brand on everyone’s phone screens long after the show ended.

Why are Thai stars so good at generating buzz? The answer is behind the scenes

The key to this influence is that fans want to see much more than just “what she wore today.”

Lefty’s Paris report noted that styling teams and family members have gradually become part of the fashion week story. Makeup tutorials, backstage interactions, and show reactions offer a closer perspective on the stars, turning a brand event into an ongoing series for fans to follow.

 

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A post shared by Tipnaree Weerawatnodom (@namtan.tipnaree)

For brands, the most attractive part of this season’s results might be how Thai stars brought the passion of fans chasing dramas and characters straight into fashion week. Looking at the data, there is no denying that Thai celebrities’ social media influence during this fashion week was on par with that of Korean stars.

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