Editor's Note: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, “Look of the Beead” is a regular series dedicated to unleashing the most talked about outfits from the past seven days.
CNN
–
With the end of this year's second day of Coachella, K-Pop Girl Group Blackpink made history on Saturday night. Reportedly to over 125,000 people, Jenny, Jisou, Lisa and Rose used a groundbreaking moment to pay homage to Korean heritage by arriving at Hanbok's stage: traditional type of dress.
The clothing was shrugging a few seconds apart on the opening track “Pink Venom,” revealing each member's custom black and pink Dolce and Gabbana outfits, but fans around the world have already received the message. The instant screenshots spread quickly among Black Pink super fans. “The way they stepped into Hanbock's biggest western stage… proved their position literally at the top of the industry,” he crushed the moment. “Blackpink is really in their own league.”
Another, called the “Korean Cultural Delegation” on Instagram, refers to other visual clues built into the show, not just Hanbok, but one of the stage backgrounds featuring angular, tiled roofs 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 women group on Spotify and have the most viewed music YouTube channel. Last year they were the first female K-pop group to reach number one on the UK and US album charts, and in 2020 it became the most watched video on YouTube in 24 hours. (The group also wore a modernized hanbok designed by Kim Danha in one of the scenes in the music video.) The weekend's landmark set was actually a follow-up for another milestone.
From the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier Corn bra worn by Madonna on her 1990 blonde ambition tour, to Jeri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell's Union Jack Mini Dress, the right stage costume can live forever in public memory. Especially when worn at the moment that defines your career. Coachella performances in another basin – Beyoncé's 2018 headline set – Singer's custom Balmaine University style yellow hoodie was a fun nod to black culture, especially historic black colleagues and colleges.
The group's four black hanboks were custom-made by Korean pattern design brand OUWR and traditional Korean dress maker Kumdanje. Inspired by the Cheol-lik Silhouette, each garment was hand-painted with traditional Korean motifs of metal, including dungeon patterns and peonies (symbols of Korean royalty). “It was our joy and honor to be able to show off the beautiful values of Korea and Hanbok together,” the designer wrote in a post on the Instagram Combination. “Black Pink has shown the beauty of Korea and captivated the world.”
In Korea, Hanbok is still worn on special occasions and is often seen in TV dramas. Many designers in the country also create modern takes that are built into everyday wear. At Seoul Fashion Week, Julie Column's Autumn/Winter 2023 collection was painted on the vast silhouettes of Hanbok, creating shirts and structured jackets. Last September, Korean label Bluetamburin brought clothing to Western audiences by creating a Spring/Summer 2023 collection at Milan Fashion Week, using exclusive use of traditional Hanbok fabrics.
Whether you blink with dedication or not, the looks marked a powerful example of Asian vision, recognition of traditional craftsmanship, and emotions seen through fashion.
At the end of their performance, Blackpink, who spoke to the audience between English numbers throughout the two-hour performance, finished the set in Korean.
Top Image: BlackPink will perform on the first weekend of Coachella 2023, shortly after deleting Hanboks.