JAKARTA - The Hallyu wave phenomenon continues to spread. In addition to penetrating the general public, it has also invaded world-class clothing lines.
Fashion and Korean pop or K-pop become a unity. This is because the K-pop industry relies heavily on visuals and concepts; fashion has become one of its characteristics. Every group or musician has an identity in their dress.
Even though K-pop has become a mainstream genre, they still need to present better visuals to compete with Western artists. It's not enough just to have a good song, being good at presenting yourself is also important.
The second-generation K-pop group, 2NE1, is one of the pioneers in the importance of paying attention to fashion when performing. When their peer group wore cheerful and bright colored clothes, 2NE1 was different from the Harajuku-style hit colors from Japan.
Their concept is called "vicious, brave, and edgy". However, now, it is not new to see K-pop idols wearing international fashion collections such as Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Givenchy, and others.
Like a model
The airport is one of the places where K-pop idols dress up the most. From going on overseas tours or simply having flights to other provinces, K-pop idols get great attention when walking around the airport in their fancy clothes.
In fact, what K-pop idols wear isn't all personal property. Their stylists have contributed greatly to creating the fashion identity of K-pop idols. Because of this, it's not uncommon for stylists to go out with K-pop idols to make sure these stars get clothes that match their identity.
The reason fashion brands sponsor K-pop idols is also to get great attention from the public. For example, every BLACKPINK member; Jennie, Rose, Lisa, and Jisoo work with four different brands.
Jennie with Chanel, Rose with Yves Saint Laurent, Lisa with Celine, and Jisoo with Dior. Because of this collaboration, they always appear wearing clothes and accessories from these luxury brands.
However, for certain cases, there are those who end up establishing a relationship that is more than just a partnership with a fashion brand. Singer CL is friendly with designer Alexander Wang. Likewise, G-Dragon from BIGBANG became friends with Chanel designer, Karl Lagerfeld, so the singer of Crooked is now a regular guest at Chanel fashion show.
G-Dragon is also the first Korean artist to team up with Nike to release a collaborative Air Force 1 shoe.
It didn't stop there, WINNER's Mino walked in the Paris Fashion Week 2019 fashion show for Louis Vuitton. Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton designer who chose Mino directly.
#Mino (@official_mino_) and models backstage at the #LVMenSS20 Show. #VirgilAbloh presented his latest collection for #LouisVuitton at the Place Dauphine in Paris. Watch the show at https://t.co/2piHorVMtw pic.twitter.com/cruk3gvmHt
- Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) June 22, 2019
Their Own Color
There is no better place to express your style than social media. With millions of fans, whatever a K-pop idol wears always carries a positive impact - fashion is one of them.
One example, Kai from EXO group as the face of Gucci wearing luxurious clothes while at the airport. Fans found Kai wearing his plaid Gucci jacket for 3.8 million won while his bag was 2.55 million won. In an instant, the two items were sold out by the time fans opened the two brands' official sites.
In 2019, a few days after being named the face (ambassador) of Gucci, Kai wore all the items from Gucci while at the airport. But one that caught the eye was the Gucci Friendship ring.
When fans found out that it cost USD 250, fans started buying the ring and showing it off on social media. As a brand ambassador, Kai is not only considered a good representation but has also succeeded in bringing the Gucci name to a positive side.
Long before becoming the face of Gucci, fans know, Kai is a fashionable EXO member. With his ideal visual and body posture, Kai manages to wear various clothes regardless of genders, such as crop tops and women's handbags.
“There is great love on Twitter and Insta for Kai and it's easy to see why. Being the most stylish of K-pop sensations, EXO's youngest member has a 'color' that only a few peers can achieve. In my opinion, he (Kai) wore Gucci better than Harry Styles and Jared Leto, and this signifies something, "said Teo van den Broeke of British GQ when crowning Kai as Best Dressed Men 2020.
We didn't name @weareoneEXO's Kai no.7 in our #GQBestDressed list for no reason š„ https://t.co/JSOoopMLsd
- British GQ (@BritishGQ) December 5, 2019
Social media can be a marker, but as Broeke points out, one needs to have their 'color' to match fashion brands. When a K-pop idol is chosen to be a brand ambassador, their popularity is not only an excuse but their impact in the industry also needs to be shown.
There are countless K-pop idols who have received invitations to attend world-class fashion events. BLACKPINK's Lisa gets a front row seat at the Prada show at Milan Fashion Week. Her presence became a stir on the internet because she sat alongside Chiara Ferragni and Yoyo Cao.
Lisa of @ygofficialblink ā£arrives at the grand hall of #FondazionePrada's Deposito, transformed for the #PradaFW20 Womenswear show. ā£Discover the collection at https://t.co/egRyx1XKC5. #Prada #mfwā£ ā£ pic.twitter.com/fk0jhegH9v
- PRADA (@Prada) February 20, 2020
Lucas NCT was seen at the Burberry SS20 show at London Fashion Week, Jennie BLACKPINK on the Channel, ITZY at the 2019 Louis Vuitton Cruise Show, Sehun EXO at the Louis Vuitton Show in 2017 and 2018, Minhyun NU'EST at Moncler in 2019, and the list continues to roll.
Lucas Wong arrives at the #BurberrySpringSummer20 runway show wearing the #Lolabag #BurberryShow #LFW pic.twitter.com/fUQ7jk4xh6
- Burberry (@Burberry) September 16, 2019
Social media
Whenever the news of a K-pop idol, it has to do with a fashion brand, that's where the enthusiasm of the fans lies. Fan pride for international recognition is manifested in the support of hashtags on social media.
This enthusiasm can also be seen with the many fashion blogs dedicated to K-pop fashion fans to find out what brands idols wear at their prices. Among them are BTS Fashion, EXO Couture, Soshi Styling, and others.
With the huge response from cyberspace, K-pop idols are starting to become a priority for fashion brands. Just look at the posts of K-pop idols who often receive gifts or get the opportunity to try a brand's new collection.
The relationship between K-pop and the fashion world has not always been on a business basis. There are times when they make friendships. Take G-Dragon, for example. He is known to be friends with a number of big names from the industry. Apart from the aforementioned Karl Lagerfeld, he is also close to Terry Richardson and DRx Romanelli.
Thanks to them, K-pop is influencing the fashion industry in several ways. They also managed to break the stigma that fashion is for those who are chosen as brand ambassadors. Yes, fashion is for everyone.
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