K-Pop girl group Aespa from one of South Korea’s biggest entertainment labels, SM Town, have now become the new face of Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches, jewellery and accessories Chopard.
Caroline Scheufele has always admired the art of performance and women who embody joie de vivre – a keen enjoyment of life. Setting her eyes on Aespa, a South Korean girl group, Chopard’s Co-President and Artistic Director knew she had found the newest brand ambassadors.
With abundant youth, creativity and great energy, these rising stars effortlessly personify Chopard’s Happy Sport, Happy Diamonds, Ice Cube, Alpine Eagle, and Precious Lace collections alongside the latest My Happy Hearts collection.
Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning comprise the uniquely named group that adapts its image from a combination of “Avatar x Experience” and “aspect”. The group concept aims to represent innovative activities driven by the theme of experiencing a new world via the encounter of the ‘avatar’ – your other self. Innovation is not only deeply embedded in the DNA of Aespa but reflected in Chopard’s ethos.
The legendary maison continues pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, from engineering a proprietary steel alloy – Lucent Steel A223 – formulated entirely from recycled steel seen in its Alpine Eagle collections to the creation of dancing diamonds in 1976. Chopard designer Ronald Kurowski fell in love with light playing off water droplets from a cascading waterfall, driven to reproduce the beauty he had seen. The designer created a means for diamonds to dance across a watch dial by setting them in gold bezels sandwiched between two sapphire crystals resulting in the first Happy Diamonds watch.
Stars align as Aespa’s futuristic warrior aesthetics complement Chopard’s ingenious collections. Since Aespa made its debut in November 2020, Aespa has shown strong star power. Their single “Black Mamba” made its way to numerous international billboard charts within three days of airplay. Aespa’s success grew with hit songs like “Next Level” and “Savage”. The release of their second mini album, “Girls”, peaked at the #3 spot on the Billboard main charts, the Billboard 200 and the Artist 100.
In April 2022, Aespa commanded the spotlight at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, bringing unforgettable “aenergy” to a youthful audience of discerning music lovers. Aespa also became the first K-pop girl group to perform on the opening stage for ABC’s “Good Morning America” summer series concert, the GMA 2022 Summer Concert Series, further attesting to their growing international popularity.
Living up to their progressive concept, the group made an impactful speech at the UN 2022 High-Level Forum on Sustainable Development. Reflecting on metaverse acceleration, Giselle questioned if we are working just as hard to achieve the best results for the real world. The group believes the need for sustainable development is urgent and implores the next generation to support green goals to protect the world we share.
Chopard has been on a Journey to Sustainable Luxury since 2013, redefining ethical luxury throughout the last decade. Since 2018, all Chopard creations comprise only Fairmined-certified gold and diamonds sourced only from suppliers certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council.
Happy Sport was a trailblazer of the sport-chic trend. Conceived by Caroline Scheufele, it is the first watch created and designed by a woman for women. Never had a watchmaker combined the rarity of diamonds with the robustness of steel, taking the watchmaking industry by storm. A watch suited to unconventional women who disregard formal conventions, Aespa embodies the spirit of Happy Sport. The simplicity of the girls’ radical minimalism offers the ideal backdrop for an endless showcase that is all about light, elegance and freedom.
When it comes to My Happy Hearts and Aespa, it is a match made in heaven. A collection quintessential to young girls, each heart-shaped creation punctuates ensembles with an enchanting and innocent magnetism. My Happy Hearts invites a reinvented relationship with oneself. It presents an artful game of mix and match where different models and colours create an infinite range of expressions to suit moods, outfits and emotions.
Chopard’s Ice Cube collection is synonymous with contemporary jewellery. Pared-down and deliberately androgynous graphic and rectangular shapes refute traditional jewellery-making conventions, pairing well with the Aespa girls’ own inimitable genre. In Chopard’s latest campaign, the girls combine Ice Cube with the purity of Chopard’s Alpine Eagle watch collection, turning it into an original aesthetic.
In terms of Haute Joaillerie, Precious Lace reflects the purest traditions through its dainty and precious pieces set ablaze with light. The collection testifies to Chopard’s inspiring power in the world of jewellery, much like Aespa in the realm of K-pop. The girls bring together the magic of Chopard’s signature Haute Joaillerie collection as they march to the beat of their own drum with splendid creations, light as silk.
From every angle, Aespa reflects and accentuates the values Chopard holds dear. Glamorous, eclectic and versatile, Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning are likely to successfully convey the maison’s desire to empower and educate a new generation of women toward a bright and dazzling future.
This article first appeared on Prestige Online Malaysia.
(All images: Chopard)
