South Korea's vibrant fashion scene is not just about trends; it's a cultural phenomenon that has captivated the world. As Seoul Fashion Week gains international recognition and Korean celebrities become global style icons, the country's influence on the fashion industry is undeniable.  

In 2024, we bring you a curated list of 6 Korean fashion brands that are set to redefine the fashion landscape. From the sleek designs of Gentle Monster to the edgy streetwear of Thug Club, these brands are not only influencing fashion but are also embraced by K-Pop idols and Korean actors, adding an extra layer of allure to their appeal. 

 

1. Gentle Monster 

Known for its sleek eyewear designs, Gentle Monster has become a name synonymous with cutting-edge style. With fine metal alloys and luxurious acetate, the brand has gathered a fanbase that includes K-Pop idols and Korean actors. Stepping into a Gentle Monster store is like entering a sci-fi film, with installations that draw directly from the world of science fiction. Embrace the coolness of buying glasses as your favorite celebrities do. 

 

2. Thug Club 

At the intersection of grunge, surrealism, and playful experimentation, Thug Club stands out as a focal streetwear label. With high-profile customers like CL, who also participate in the promotion campaign, the brand has exploded in popularity. Notably, Thug Club collaborated with FILA, resulting in a collection that sold out instantly. Keep an eye on this brand for a unique blend of street fashion. 

 

3. Andersson Bell

Offering the beloved Scandinavian aesthetic from a Korean perspective, Andersson Bell is a wardrobe staple for many Korean celebrities. With bold prints and quirky pieces, the brand gained popularity when members of BTS popularized their pieces. ZEROBASEONE recently shoot for "Dazed Korea" styled by the brand and stars like (G)I-DLE's Yuqi or Kim DoYeon continues to showcase the brand's iconic styles, making Andersson Bell a must-follow for 2024. 

 

4. YESEYESEE

Pronounced "YES I SEE," YESEYESEE is the go-to brand for a more casual style. Embraced by Red Velvet's SeulGi and NewJeans' Hanni the brand boasts an individualistic concept of fashion. With oversized fits and colorful prints, YESEYESEE offers a unique take on streetwear that resonates with both the general public and Korean celebrities. 

5. GRAFFITIONMIND

Founded by Jeon JungHyun, brother of BTS' JungKook, GRAFFITIONMIND is a stylish streetwear brand that embraces "Low-level culture" and rebellious "Art." With a sleek, minimal aesthetic and graffiti-centered prints, the brand's effortless cool pieces have been rocked by BTS' JungKook himself, adding a layer of authenticity and desirability for fashion enthusiasts. 

6. MAHAGRID 

Collaborating multiple times with Stray Kids, MAHAGRID is a brand that embodies the fusion of fashion and music. Known for its contemporary cuts and experimental designs, the brand has become a favorite among K-Pop fans and Stray Kids enthusiasts. Keep an eye on MAHAGRID for unique collaborations and bold fashion statements. 

 

In the Korean fashion, these 6 brands represent the forefront of style, each with a unique identity and a growing influence on the fashion choices of K-Pop idols and Korean celebrities alike. Keep an eye on these brands to stay ahead of the curve and immerse yourself in the ever-evolving world of Korean fashion. 

With each year that new K-Pop idols take their step into the industry, it becomes increasingly common that there are foreign idols or, more generally, idols who speak lots of languages. Because of the diverse backgrounds from which idols come from, they often have three or more languages under their belt, including Korean. 

Kpopmap has previously listed 10 multilingual idols who are fluent in three or more languages. 

As there are many more idols we have not listed, here are ten more multilingual K-Pop idols who are fluent in three or more languages. 

 

1. (G)I-DLE’s Yuqi

(G)I-DLE’s Chinese member Yuqi speaks three languages; Mandarin, Korean and English. She is originally from Beijing, China, making Mandarin her native language. She speaks incredible Korean like a native and also speaks English. She has flaunted her English skills on many shows including DIVE Studio’s “DAEBAK SHOW”.

 

2. (G)I-DLE’s Minnie 

Fellow (G)I-DLE member Minnie can speak four languages; Thai, Korean, English and Mandarin. Thai is Minnie’s native language as she is originally from Thailand. She grew up speaking English in Thailand while attending an international high school. Her Korean skills are top notch and as for Mandarin, she studied it for a few years and is able to speak it with the other Mandarin speaking members of the group, even engaging in hilarious arguments with Yuqi. 

 

3. CRAVITY’s Allen

CRAVITY’s main dancer Allen speaks English, Mandarin and Korean. He was born in Taipei and lived there until he was five years old when he moved to Los Angeles, USA. He lived in Los Angeles until he moved to Korea during his high school days to become an idol. After living in Korea for a few years, his Korean language abilities can have anyone mistaking him for a native speaker. 

 

4. PENTAGON’s HongSeok 

HongSeok is able to speak three languages; Korean, English and Mandarin. Although HongSeok is Korean, he has had an international upbringing spanning 11 years that has equipped him with his linguistic abilities. He has lived in the US, China and Singapore, even attending the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing before leaving to pursue a career as an idol. He has even appeared on Mnet’s “Visiting Tutor” where he was a Mandarin tutor for a PENTAGON fan. 

 

5. PENTAGON’s JinHo

Like HongSeok, JinHo can speak Korean, English and Mandarin. JinHo is Korean, making Korean his native language. His Mandarin abilities can be attributed to his brief residence in Qingdao, China when he was 15 years old. As for his English abilities, it is known that he hasn’t lived in any English-speaking country before but he is able to communicate well in English with very good pronunciation. 

 

6. GOT7's Bambam

Bambam is from Thailand so Thai is his native language. He came to Korea at just 13 years old in 2010. After being in Korea this long, there is no doubting his Korean proficiency. He also developed his English proficiency while sharing a dorm with other English-speaking idol trainees including DAY6‘s Young K and GOT7’s Jackson and Mark during his trainee days.

 

7. BoA

K-Pop legend and the ‘Queen of K-Pop’, BoA is as rich in her language abilities as she is in her talent as an idol, speaking four languages; Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin. Starting her career at a young age, she has learned these languages sometimes in difficult circumstances such as doing interviews or TV shows in Japan without the help of an interpreter. 

 

8. ZEROBASEONE’s Ricky

5th generation rookie idol and “Boys Planet” trainee, Ricky of ZEROBASEONE speaks three languages; Mandarin, English and Korean. He is originally from Shanghai, China but has also lived in Los Angeles, USA where he picked up his English skills. He has been in Korea for the last couple of years to become an idol where he has learned how to speak Korean. 

 

9. aespa’s Giselle 

Giselle of aespa is ethnically half Japanese and half Korean. Growing up in a Japanese-Korean family, she is able to speak both languages fluently. She also speaks English like a native speaker. Her amazing English abilities are attributed to her time attending an international school in Japan.

 

10. aespa’s NingNing 

NingNing, aespa’s maknae, speaks native Mandarin as she is originally from Harbin, China. She learned Korean in her journey to become an idol and has reached a high proficiency in the language. She is also able to easily hold her own with her English abilities. 

 

Any fan of 2nd gen K-Pop must’ve loved how unapologetically close the idols of different groups were to each other. Fans of 3rd gen K-Pop can also testify to the closeness of 3rd Gen K-Pop idols amongst themselves. Take Red Velvet’s Irene and TWICE’s NaYeon, or the members of GOT7, SEVENTEEN and MONSTA X. We’re very lucky that the friendship between idols has only strengthened with time in 4th gen groups.

Though at first, it seemed that 4th gen groups didn’t interact with each other, with the exception of Stray Kids and ITZY. But now, it’s very different. Idols are completely open to making friends from different groups; whether or not they’re the same age doesn’t really count. Since fans so much love to see their faves hanging out both during and outside work schedules, we’ve noted 7 cutest K-Pop friendships between 4th gen K-Pop groups and soloists.

 

1. Jeon SoMi and aespa’s Giselle

Yes, we know. Jeon SoMi is K-Pop’s best friend. Considering she’s one for the most social idols out there, there’s always news about who she’s hanging out with next. While she’s best friends with TWICE’s ChaeYoung and close to the ITZY members to mention a few, we can’t here but fawn over how adorable her friendship with aespa’s Giselle is. The two of them are strong supporters of each other, and they constantly hang out together, whether it’s catching dinner at SoMi’s house or working out together. Their personalities together is a match made in heaven, and as SoMi even said, Giselle might just be her soulmate.

 

2. TXT’s YeonJun and Stray Kids’s ChangBin

This duo is the talk of the 1999 male idol line in K-Pop, also with the addition of ATEEZ’s WooYoung. Both YeonJun and ChangBin constantly hang out together, as said by TXT’s YeonJun. Even at the MTV VMAs this year, both Stray Kids and TXT were present at the awards show, and we definitely got some lovely ChangBin and YeonJun friendship moments backstage. Fans also love to tease the two for their significant height difference, and that makes the duo even cuter to admire and support.

 

3. Choi YeNa and (G)I-DLE’s YuQi

Another ’99 line friendship on the list, but with female idols this time. Soloist Choi YeNa is one of K-Pop’s social butterflies. Even from her IZ*ONE days, she has shown how comfortable she can make people around her feel with her humor and wit. It seems like fate that she’d befriend YuQi, who also has a considerable amount of charm, wit and humor. The two of them together are quite literally a fun house, and a talent house as well, with YeNa’s single ‘Hate Rodrigo’ that featured YuQi. We think they’re absolutely beautiful, the two of them together.

 

4. LE SSERAFIM’s Hong EunChae and NMIXX’s KyuJin

This pairing was only possible because of KyuJin’s extraversion. Not only did she push to be friends with EunChae, she also wishes that all the ’06 liners— Billlie’s Haruna and NewJeans’s HaeRin— can be friends. With KyuJin and EunChae, it’s a combination of E and I, because of their MBTI types. KyuJin brings in the fun and the energy, and EunChae brings in the quiet charm and cuteness. Together, they are the most adorable friendship duo, and we just love them too much.

 

5. Lee YoungJi and IVE’s An YuJin

Lee YoungJi is a talented rapper alright, but she also has a cult following and friendship among idols. YoungJi is friends with aespa’s NingNing, IVE’s Jang WonYoung and LE SSERAFIM’s Kim ChaeWon to mention a few. However, we’re highlighting on her friendship with IVE’s An YuJin here, because we think it’s the most adorable. As seen in the shows they’ve appeared in together, YoungJi and YuJin have the most adorable dynamic. It’s filled with support while still encouraging the other to step out of their comfort zones. Plus, we all love how in love YoungJi is with YuJin (and WonYoung, too), and it’s just the sweetest thing ever.

 

6. aespa’s Karina and Kep1er’s Kim ChaeHyun

While Kim ChaeHyun might’ve put her SM trainee days behind her, she definitely didn’t forget her amazing older friend, Karina. As soon as Kep1er debuted, ChaeHyun made it a point of duty to meet Karina, and meet they did. The two have been hanging out in photo booths and other places, even doing each other’s group dance challenges together. We can tell that not only is this a cute friendship, but also a reliable one for the both of them.

 

7. Lee ChaeYeon and ITZY’s ChaeRyeong

It’s the way these two jokingly call each other their best friends, and of course, we believe them. Though ChaeRyeong and ChaeYeon are siblings, they’ve been in the industry together for so long. From their competitive days in the survival program, “SIXTEEN” up until their respective debuts, they’ve had each other’s backs. They might be sisters, but the fact that they share their burdens being idols in the public eye must’ve helped build a solid friendship between them. We can’t be more happy for them at this point.