Ride the WAVE

K-pop is taking over the world of luxury fashion, and we're following that bandwagon.

- JOAN KONG

K-pop, which stands for Korean pop, needs no introduction by now, but there’s more to it than just a music genre — it’s a culture that blends music and dance while drawing from different style aesthetics. Regardless of whether you’re a fan, it’s hard to miss the Hallyu (Korean wave) movement that is currently in full force, especially in the realm of luxury fashion.

ROAD TO SUCCESS

Before we take a deep dive into the cultural juggernaut’s impact on the fashion industry, we first need to revisit the beginnings. Entertainment companies, notably the big players such as SM, YG, JYPE and HYBE, recruit potential talents — dubbed trainees — as young as 10 years old and train them for years before they get a chance to debut. During this period, these talents are subjected to a rigorous schedule that involves singing, dancing, acting, rapping and language lessons. On top of that, they also go through media and personality training to learn how to present themselves. Once the trainees are deemed ready, they go through a competitive selection process to stand a chance to debut as part of a K-pop group.

While the road to debuting is anything but easy, the potential reward of a successful career is huge, as you can tell from some of the biggest artists in the industry. Those who make it often have a massive fan base across the globe that follows their every move.