Are Male Celebs The New Pin-Ups For Luxury Womenswear?
The likes of Bad Bunny, Jacob Elordi, A$AP Rocky, Pedro Pascal and Kendrick Lamar have been increasing dressed by women-centric luxury houses
Are men the new catalysts to spike up luxury women's wear sales?
Of late, more and more male celebrities are drawing eyeballs for womenswear luxury brands which rarely market their men's collections. Look at the front rows of Chanel and Schiaparelli couture and they're being owned by male pin-up sensations and Gen Z boys. The likes of Bad Bunny, Jacob Elordi, A$AP Rocky, Pedro Pascal and Kendrick Lamar have been dressed by Chanel, Fendi and Bottega Veneta among others and consistently graced the front rows of major womenswear shows. At Chanel's Spring Summer 26 showcase, Pascal showed up in a navy jumper and a black bag from the brand accessorising it with an emerald ring and shades. Even though Chanel doesn't do men's ready-to-wear currently, the brand created a custom look for the Materialists (2025) hottie. Recently Jacob Elordi wore an identical Chanel jacket which was earlier seen on Michelle Obama - a custom wool-check suit from Matthieu Blazy's debut spring/summer 2026 collection that featured a cropped jacket adorned with gold buttons and matching pleat-front trousers. For the 2026 Grammys, Bad Bunny became a Schiaparelli boy breaking the internet in a sculptural black tuxedo that was classic enough from the front, but a party in the back: the ensemble featured a laced-up detail along the rear of the blazer.
Clearly, there's been a cultural shift as male celebrities command huge attention sparking off conversations and garnering virality which has more to do with what they're wearing.
Social Media ROI
Bad Bunny's custom Schiaparelli ensemble at the 2026 Grammy Awards generated $9.2 million in Media Impact Value (MIV) for the brand. This epoch-defining appearance, which marked the first time the house crafted a menswear look (under creative director Daniel Roseberry), made the brand the number one ranked fashion house on the night of the Grammys. Luxury entrepreneur Kalyani Saha Chawla observes that the new breed of male celebrities are being noticed much more than the female counterpart. "The swag, the inherent style along with the recognition of their own craft. Also, their followers are far greater and traction from both male and female fans and followers staggering. It’s quite clever to focus on them," she shares. Jacquemus, Loewe and Bottega Veneta have their own muses - all male. “And they have made the products unisex which is a broader sales base. Commercially far more viable on all fronts," she quips.
The He Economy
There's something provocative about seeing men in women's clothing and accessories. Kendrick Lamar modelled a selection of eyewear in a Chanel campaign and Jacob Elordi, a Blazy muse, and Timothée Chalamet have been photographed carrying the classic Chanel bags. It’s a smart move, but it feels aligned with where culture already is.
Male celebrities today hold serious visual power. Red carpets are as much about what he’s wearing as anyone else, and that attention is valuable currency. Designer Shweta Kapur of label 431-88 shares, "When Chanel or Schiaparelli dress someone like Pedro Pascal or Kendrick Lamar or Bad Bunny, it’s not about pushing menswear. It’s about reframing their house codes through a different lens. Tweed, couture embroidery, sharp tailoring - on a male celebrity, it suddenly feels less archival and more current." There’s also a quiet confidence in it. A brand that’s secure doesn’t need to overdefine who its clothes are for. "Letting influential men wear traditionally feminine craftsmanship expands the narrative without diluting the identity. It’s strategic, yes but it also just reflects how fluid style feels right now," she adds.
A male celebrity donning a heritage label that revolutionised womenswear and reimagining and restyling it seems to be working very well because it’s not 'menswear'.