How Bright Vachirawit Took The World Of High Fashion By Storm

It’s no denying that Asian celebrities always possessed influencing power, but it wasn’t until recent years that this power was deemed high-fashion worthy. From September 2022, the list for Earned Media Value (EMV) began to be topped by a host of Asian stars — and luxury houses took notice. Bright Vachirawit, Thailand’s most prominent icon and one of the most sought-after muses, was named the Most Visible Influencers during London Fashion Week for SS24, with his 3 Instagram posts creating USD $3.2m for Burberry, the brand he became a global ambassador for.

With over 18m followers on Instagram alone and a prospering career as an actor, singer, and entrepreneur, Bright’s appeal is apparent even aside from his good looks and natural charisma — and he is quite literally taking the world of high fashion by storm.

The 26-year-old has just become the face of Calvin Klein’s newest ad campaign for Fall 2024, and Daniel Lee, Burberry’s Creative Director, recently spoke of Bright as “a talented performer and an extremely hard worker”, indicating that it’s never just about fame when the brand chooses who to work with: “We choose people to represent us in our shows and campaigns because we like what they stand for, and they reflect the communities we are a part of.”

“Personally, I’m just a regular guy who’s really into all sorts of art,” Bright says when I asked about his rise to stardom and the recognitions he’s received in the past years. He was the first South Asia Pacific global ambassador Burberry’s ever named; first Thai actor to win the Korean Updates Awards as Asian Artist of the Year; first Thai actor to win the Asian Culture Awards; first Thai actor/singer to have attended the Met Gala and one of the most mentioned men in media at Met Gala 2023; winner of GQ Men of the Year Award 2022 and 2023 as Actor of the Year and Thailand’s Global Star respectively; named Forbes 30 under 30 Asia — the list goes on. But notably, fashion is becoming a bigger part of the star’s itinerary.

“‘Fashion’ is another branch [of art] that I’m interested in,” says Bright. “I see fashion as something that reflects a person’s identity, their thoughts, personality, and even their character through what we choose to mix and match and wear.”

“It’s been amazing for me to have the opportunity to collaborate with several leading fashion brands.” Bright continues, and says he can’t describe how honored to have attended the Met Gala as Burberry’s ambassador this year. “Anything related to art — music, songs, visual arts like drawing, or creative stuff — I find fascinating. And [attending the Met] has definitely been a memorable and impressive experience for me.”

The young actor has also made headline news when he announced his own artist management agency, Cloud9 Entertainment, in 2023. “I founded my own management agency because I wanted to create a space where every artist can fully express themselves and explore new creative endeavors in their own unique way,” Bright says he envisions Cloud9 as a place that both challenges and nurtures.

Instead of just focusing on corporate terms, the management agency also collaborates with international forces such as The Venture Management when liaising with luxury brands to ensure visions and values on both sides are aligned, especially in terms of sustainability and inclusivity.

The establishment of Cloud9 seems to have sparked a movement in international celebrities and stars, particularly in Asia, to take their affairs into their own hands. In February this year, Black Pink’s Lisa, who’s also of Thai descent, announced her own management agency, LLOUD. “I don’t think [starting your own agency] is a trend,” says Bright, “but perhaps being the owner allows you to fully showcase your true self… everyone in Cloud9 has a role to support each other, and to grow as a unit.”

For Bright, fashion as a form of art has been engrained in his identity from the early days, and the sense of unity and community has been key. In 2020, the actor/singer established ASTRO Stuffs, a casual wear label inspired by Thai street style, where Bright infuses insights from his personal experiences and tells a story through a collection that fuses his love for sports (Muay Thai, in particular) and nature.

“Clothes, for me, hold a certain energy because they’re like these significant items in our lives, each piece with its own vibe. Personally, I’m really into street fashion — I feel like here in Thailand [street fashion] has its own unique flair that sets it apart and makes it intriguing.” ASTRO Stuffs also became one of the members of Better Cotton Initiative — one of the first Thai brands to do so.

At the tender age of 26, the journey to global stardom seems to have just begun for Bright. So what’s next for him, both as an artist and entrepreneur?

“I enjoy trying things that are different from what I’ve done before,” Bright doesn’t hesitate. “I won’t stop developing myself and collaborating on exciting new ventures that push boundaries.”