Why reggaeton has become so important to fashion

In recent years, the influence of musicians in the fashion industry has been undeniable, with their presence shaping trends and generating interactions with audiences around the world. While K-Pop has undoubtedly made its mark on the fashion weeks of the past few years, establishing a veritable empire in a matter of very few seasons, another musical genre gained momentum in the menswear world during the just-concluded fashion month: Reggaeton. Already wildly popular worldwide, Reggaeton has become a dominant force in the music industry, effectively breaking out of its niche and becoming a mainstream genre with a very wide audience. Reggaeton's growing international recognition can be attributed to the combination of new and emerging talent and the accessibility offered by the streaming industry. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Latin music generated an extraordinary $1.1 billion in revenue in the United States alone in 2022, registering a remarkable 24 percent growth over the previous year. Reggaeton, with hit albums such as Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti, played a significant role in this unprecedented growth. But why have Raggaeton singers made a connection with the fashion world?

The link between Raggaeton and fashion

The main indication of the link between the Raggaeton scene and the luxury industry is precisely the presence of its singers at numerous Paris fashion shows. Colombian Maluma, for example, caused a sensation by appearing on the front row at the Paris shows of Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Dior, and Yohji Yamamoto, generating an impressive $4.4 million in media earnings value (EMV) during the entire season. Puerto Rican Rauw Alejandro's appearances in six major fashion shows, including Givenchy, Kenzo, and Loewe, on the other hand, generated $1.5 million in EMV, further amplifying the reach of the genre. Finally, Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA, who also serves as an ambassador for Amiri, generated a remarkable EMV of $2.1 million with a single appearance. These new names follow in the wake already traced by Bad Bunny, who has become a regular presence at numerous fashion week shows for some time now, as well as long associated with Jacquemus.