Changbin of Stray Kids Named Autry's First Global Brand Ambassador

American sneaker brand Autry has named Seo Changbin of Stray Kids its first global brand ambassador, WWD reported exclusively. The appointment marks a first for both parties: Autry has never held a global ambassador before, and for Changbin, it adds a footwear partnership to a solo presence that has been steadily expanding beyond the group.

The Partnership

Changbin has been in Autry's orbit since at least September 2025, when he attended a brand event in Tokyo celebrating a new collection. The formal global ambassador title formalizes what had been building for months.

"I am happy to join the Autry family," Changbin said in a statement. "I've always been drawn to brands that honor their legacy while embracing innovation and a forward-looking approach to creativity. Autry's heritage and understated confidence resonate deeply with me, and I'm excited to begin this journey together."

Roberta Benaglia, executive chairwoman of Autry and CEO of Style Capital, the Milan-based private equity fund that owns the brand, framed the choice as a values match rather than a reach play. "Changbin represents a new generation of global talent: grounded, driven, and authentic," Benaglia said. "His artistic integrity, confidence, and freedom make him a natural fit for Autry's DNA."

The Spring 2026 Campaign

Changbin's appointment comes with a full campaign built around Autry's spring 2026 collection. The key pieces are the Super Vintage Medalist, an 80s-inspired silhouette that draws on Autry's American athletic heritage, and the Hyperway, a more technical model featuring a high-tech multilayered outsole and the brand's proprietary Action Cush cushioning system. The two shoes together cover both ends of the Autry spectrum: one foot in archive, the other in performance-adjacent design.

About Autry

Autry started life as an American athletic shoe brand in the 1970s and 1980s before fading from the market. In 2019, a group of Italian entrepreneurs from the Veneto region relaunched it, building the label around premium materials, clean silhouettes, and the kind of retro Americana that European fashion has always been able to sell back to itself at a premium. The strategy worked. The brand has grown to over 120 million euros in annual sales, with distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. Style Capital, which holds a majority stake, also backs a portfolio of fashion and sportswear labels across the Italian market.

The Changbin partnership is the brand's most visible single bet on K-pop's commercial reach. It follows a pattern already established within Stray Kids itself: Bottega Veneta named I.N as brand ambassador in early 2025, and Fendi appointed Bang Chan to the same role that same year. Three members of a single group now hold individual luxury or premium brand partnerships, a number that speaks to how thoroughly Stray Kids has moved beyond music into fashion's core orbit.