K-pop performance at World Cup final delivers massive exposure for designer Jimi Särmö’s leather pants

Finnish fashion brand Vain’s leather pants were worn by Suga of K-pop supergroup BTS during the halftime show of the FIFA World Cup final, delivering unprecedented visibility to designer Jimi Särmö’s work.

Särmö, who founded Vain under his birth name, said the exposure at the world’s largest sporting event is expected to translate directly into sales for the brand.

“We had set up our workspace facing a large screen and the stadium. We were nervous about both the match and whether our pieces would even be visible,” Särmö said. “Eventually, we popped the champagne with friends to celebrate.”

The designer, who hails from Nurmanto in South Ostrobothnia, had prepared for the possibility of his designs appearing on the global stage. A month earlier, during Paris Fashion Week, Vain launched a new collection that included the red leather pants worn by Suga.

“As soon as we posted the first images, we started receiving emails asking if we’d be interested in participating,” Särmö said. Despite multiple fittings, he said the final outcome remained uncertain until the moment the pants appeared on stage.

“We didn’t even know if anything from our collection would be featured. The process is so large-scale. But there they were—the pants and the carabiner clip—right on Suga,” he said. “The carabiner was a nice addition because it also displayed our brand logo.”

The visibility of Vain’s products on global icons can have an immediate commercial impact. Earlier this year, Spanish football star Lamine Yamal wore Vain’s sunglasses during a press conference, and the item sold out almost instantly.

“Yesterday’s exposure will definitely show up in our business across the board. It’s not just visibility—it’s hard numbers,” Särmö said.

For the designer, the endorsement from world-famous figures is a personal validation of his creative direction. “Getting recognition from big names means we’re doing things right and can continue in the same vein,” he said.

The appearance of BTS’s Suga is particularly significant because South Korea is a key market for Vain. “We have a lot of sales there. We don’t listen to much K-pop ourselves, but of course we know BTS. We’ve been waiting for this moment because we’re launching a collaboration with the group.”