As fans know, since late 2022, the members of BTS have increasingly focused on their individual careers after spending years prioritizing group activities. Beyond music, luxury fashion quickly became one of the fields where all seven members demonstrated their immense influence, with each of them signing ambαѕѕador deals with some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses. Among them, SUGA became an ambαѕѕador for Valentino, while RM was appointed Bottega Veneta's global ambαѕѕador.
The partnership between SUGA and Valentino was once hailed by fashion media as one of the "best creative collaborations from Paris," while RM made headlines after becoming the first and only global ambαѕѕador in the history of quiet luxury powerhouse Bottega Veneta. However, after roughly two years together, it appears that both stars' journeys with the two luxury houses have come to an end, even as most of the other BTS members continue to represent the brands they signed with in 2023.
Several developments over the past year have led fans to believe that RM and SUGA are no longer ambαѕѕadors for their respective brands. One of the clearest signs is that both artists have virtually disappeared from the brands' official activities. SUGA last attended a Valentino fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in January 2023, while RM's most recent appearance was at the Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2026 Show in Milan in September 2025.
Since then, neither has been seen at the brands' fashion weeks or collection launches, despite the other BTS members remaining highly active in the fashion industry. j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, for example, have continued to attend Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, and Calvin Klein shows almost every season.
Their absence extends beyond fashion events. RM and SUGA have also not participated in any major advertising campaigns or magazine editorials for Bottega Veneta and Valentino in recent years. Valentino's most recent campaign featuring SUGA was released in 2024, while Bottega Veneta last promoted RM in 2025. Likewise, their fashion magazine editorials αѕѕociated with the two brands have not continued beyond that period.
This stands in sharp contrast to the other BTS members, who continue to maintain close partnerships with their respective brands. Since the beginning of this year alone, Jimin appeared in Dior Summer 2026 looks for Vogue кσяєα, Jungkook returned with Calvin Klein's CKJK campaign, while Jin recently drew attention with the August issue cover of ELLE кσяєα, wearing Gucci's latest collection.
Another detail that fans have paid close attention to is that neither SUGA nor RM is wearing custom-made stage outfits by Valentino or Bottega Veneta anymore. During BTS's final European tour concert in fяαи¢є, nearly every member wore custom-designed performance outfits created by the fashion house they currently represent—except RM and SUGA. SUGA performed in a custom Givenchy ensemble, while RM appeared in a Gucci design. The last time Valentino created custom clothing for SUGA was for his Agust D D-DAY solo tour, along with a custom suit he wore in June last year when making a donation to Severance Children's Hospital.
Although ambαѕѕador contracts naturally have fixed terms and may end if both parties fail to reach a new agreement, fans believe several other key factors also contributed to RM and SUGA's apparent departures. One of the biggest reasons is believed to be the leadership changes within both fashion houses.
When SUGA was announced as Brand Ambαѕѕador and Valentino Di.Vas in early 2023, the decision was made by then-Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli. The designer explained that he chose SUGA because the rapper embo∂ιєd the freedom, creativity, and individuality that Valentino represents.
However, in March 2024, Pierpaolo Piccioli officially left Valentino after 25 years with the house. He was succeeded by Alessandro Michele, whose appointment marked the beginning of an entirely new creative direction. Many fans believe that under the new leadership, Valentino and SUGA no longer shared the same creative vision. In addition, SUGA's mandatory military service interrupted promotional activities, and when his contract reportedly reached its expiration, the two sides seemingly chose not to renew it.
RM's situation appears to have been even more closely tied to a specific individual. Unlike many celebrities, RM had never been particularly interested in becoming a luxury fashion ambαѕѕador until Matthieu Blazy personally convinced him to join Bottega Veneta. In his interview with 032c Magazine for RPWP, RM shared: "I wasn’t keen on being an ambαѕѕador for luxury brands. But Bottega’s creative director, Matthieu Blazy, explained he chose me because he liked my lifestyle and art on my Instagram. He said, 'Let's just be friends and talk about those things.' I found it refreshing, so I said yes."
It is clear that what persuaded RM was not simply a commercial partnership, but a genuine creative connection with Matthieu Blazy. As a result, when Blazy left Bottega Veneta for Chanel at the end of 2024, many fans viewed it as a major turning point in RM's relationship with the brand. Although RM still attended Louise Trotter's debut show in 2025, many believe this was likely due to an existing contract. Once that agreement expired, he seemingly decided not to renew it.
While their chapters with Valentino and Bottega Veneta appear to have come to a close, both RM and SUGA seem to be embarking on new journeys!
For SUGA, many fans believe Givenchy could be his next destination. During BTS's recent concert in fяαи¢є, the rapper was not only seen wearing a custom-made Givenchy performance outfit but also multiple Givenchy looks from the soundcheck through the main concert. In particular, the custom Photographic Negative Print T-shirt featuring SUGA's portrait, stage name, and signature further fueled speculation about a possible partnership.
Meanwhile, RM has been expanding his ambαѕѕadorial work into the worlds of art and culture. Since late last year, he has served as Samsung Art TV Ambαѕѕador. In June this year, he was appointed the first-ever Global Public Relations Ambαѕѕador for the National Museum of кσяєα. This October, the BTS leader will even unveil his own curated collection in collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
Even if RM and SUGA's partnerships with Bottega Veneta and Valentino have indeed come to an end, the impact they made during their two years with the brands is undeniable. More importantly, their stories demonstrate that BTS's global superstars choose their partnerships based on genuine creative alignment rather than popularity or commercial value alone. With both artists now entering exciting new chapters, fans are eagerly waiting to see which groundbreaking collaborations RM and SUGA will unveil next.
