editor’s Note: Characteristics of the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ This is a regular series dedicated to uncovering the most talked-about outfits of the past seven days.
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Closing out the second day of this year’s Coachella, K-pop girl group Blackpink made history Saturday night when they became the first Asian act to headline the festival. Reportedly, in front of a crowd of more than 125,000 people, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé used the unprecedented moment to pay homage to Korean heritage by taking to the stage in hanboks: a traditional type of dress.
While the costumes were removed for a few seconds in their opening track, “Pink Venom”, revealing each member’s custom black and pink Dolce & Gabbana outfit, fans around the world already got the message. . screenshot The moment quickly spread among Blackpink superfans, also known as Blinks. A Blink tweeted, “The way he took to the biggest western stage of Hanboks… he truly proved his place at the top of the industry.” “Blackpink are truly in a league of their own.”
Another called the group “Korea’s cultural delegation” on Instagram, in reference to not only the hanboks but other visual cues incorporated into their show, such as the stage background featuring an angular tiled roof reminiscent of traditional Korean architecture. .
In recent years, Blackpink has enjoyed a meteoric rise to global fame. According to Guinness World Records, they are currently the most streamed female group on Spotify, and they have the most viewed music YouTube channel. Last year, they were the first female K-pop group to reach No. 1 on the UK and US album charts, and in 2020 their track “How You Like That” became the most viewed video on YouTube in 24 hours. (The group also wore modern hanbok designed by Kim Danha in a scene in the music video.) Their historic set over the weekend was actually another milestone: In 2019, they became the first female K-pop singer to perform in a single. Group to play at Coachella or any other American festival.
From the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra worn by Madonna during the 1990 Blonde Ambition Tour to Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell’s Union Jack mini dress, the right stage outfit can live forever in the public memory. Especially when worn in a career-defining moment. During another watershed Coachella performance — Beyoncé’s 2018 headline set — the singer’s custom Balmain collegiate-style yellow hoodie was a joyous nod to Black culture, especially historically Black allies and universities.
The group’s four black hanbok were custom made by South Korean pattern design brand OUWR and traditional Korean costume maker Kumdanje. Inspired by the Cheol-lik silhouette, each garment was hand-embroidered with metallic traditional Korean motifs, including dan-cheong patterns and peonies (a symbol of royalty in Korea). “It was our pleasure and honor to be able to showcase the beautiful values of Korea and Hanbok together,” the designers said. wrote In a joint Instagram post. “Blackpink showed Korea’s beauty and stunned the world.”
In Korea, hanbok are still worn on special occasions and are often seen TV drama. Many designers in the country have also created contemporary apparel which has been incorporated into everyday wear. At Seoul Fashion Week, JULYCOLUMN’s Fall-Winter 2023 collection used the voluminous silhouette of hanbok to create shirts and structured jackets. Last September, Korean label Bluetambourine brought apparel to Western audiences by using exclusively traditional Hanbok fabric to create its Spring-Summer 2023 collection at Milan Fashion Week.
Whether you’re a dedicated Blinker or not, the look is a powerful example of Asian visibility, recognition of traditional craftsmanship and spirit seen through fashion – representing Korean culture and symbolically embracing both its past and future. Is.
At the end of their performance, and addressing the audience between numbers in English during their two-hour-long performance, Blackpink concluded their set in Korean: “So far, it’s Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rose Blackpink. Thank you.”
Top image: Blackpink performing at the first weekend of Coachella 2023, shortly after removing their hanboks.