PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 6: Kim Tae-Hyung aka V from the music band BTS attends the Celine Show on July 6, 2025 in Paris, France.  (Photo by Edward Berthelot/GC Images)
Cover Kim Taehyung—V of BTS—showcases his signature blend of luxury and nostalgia in looks spanning Celine couture to vintage-inspired Bode pieces (Photo: Edward Berthelot/GC Images/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 6: Kim Tae-Hyung aka V from the music band BTS attends the Celine Show on July 6, 2025 in Paris, France.  (Photo by Edward Berthelot/GC Images)

As Taehyung celebrates his birthday on December 30, trace the style moments that defined his transformative year in fashion

As Kim Taehyung marks another year, his 2025 style narrative reads like a masterclass in modern menswear. The BTS member’s sartorial choices this year oscillated between the gritty romance of Parisian streets and the nostalgic warmth of vintage Americana, creating a visual language that resonated far beyond the K-pop sphere. From his Celine ambassadorship to his championing of independent American label Bode, V proved that true style authority lies in curating atmospheres that feel both aspirational and intimately human.

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The custom piece: geometric embroidered couture jacket

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Above V in a custom Celine Homme jacket featuring folk-art embroidery (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

At Celine’s Spring 2026 men's runway show in Paris, V wears a bespoke creation that fused the cropped rock-chic silhouette with elaborate geometric folk embroidery. The gilded buttons and regimental structure nodded to military uniforms, whilst the artisanal detailing softened the precision. The custom piece helped cement Taehyung as one of the house’s most influential partners.

The craftcore pivot: embroidered workwear jacket

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Above V in a Song For the Mute jacket with vintage workwear styling (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

V’s embroidered liner jacket by Song For the Mute proved his affinity for independent labels championing artisanal craft. The Australian brand’s boxy silhouette and delicate botanical embroidery aligned perfectly with his craftcore aesthetic. This choice validated slow fashion, proving luxury needn't be logo-driven or mass-produced.

The cosy rebellion: slouchy leopard print shirt

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V in a fuzzy leopard print knitwear redefines the aggressive pattern (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
Above V in a leopard print shirt redefines the aggressive pattern (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
V in a fuzzy leopard print knitwear redefines the aggressive pattern (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

Lounging on a couch in leopard print, Kim Taehyung reclaimed the pattern from its aggressive rock-and-roll associations. This look embodies his winter bear persona—approachable warmth over predatory edge. The soft vibe proved that animal print needn’t shout; sometimes it can whisper comfort instead.

The wet look reset: relaxed brown leather blouson

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V channels Euro chic flair in a brown blouson with wet-styled hair (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
Above V channels Euro chic flair in a brown blouson with wet-styled hair (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
V channels Euro chic flair in a brown blouson with wet-styled hair (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

Kim Taehyung’s brown leather Celine blouson marked a decisive shift from idol perfection to cinematic authenticity. The aviator-style jacket, with its patina finish and relaxed dropped shoulders, diverged from the house’s typical sharp noir aesthetic. Paired with deliberately tousled wet hair, this look channelled European film rather than K-pop polish, signalling a more mature visual identity.

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The nostalgic narrative: red patchwork quilt

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V presents his kidult aesthetic in the Bode jacket with illustrated antique patches (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
Above V presents his kidult aesthetic in a Bode jacket with illustrated patches (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
V presents his kidult aesthetic in the Bode jacket with illustrated antique patches (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

Bode’s storytime quilt jacket, with its illustrated patches reproducing children’s quilt designs from the 1890s to 1920s, encapsulated V’s kidult aesthetic. Each square tells a micro-narrative, refusing to relinquish childhood wonder. In vibrant red, the jacket transformed nostalgia into power—warm rather than alarming, whimsical yet utterly authoritative.

The architectural knit: asymmetrical buttoned turtleneck

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V deconstructs winter wear in a Celine Printemps 2026 turtleneck (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
Above V deconstructs winter wear in a Celine Printemps 2026 turtleneck (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
V deconstructs winter wear in a Celine Printemps 2026 turtleneck (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

This Celine Printemps 2026 piece, worn by V at a Paris after-party, deconstructed the winter staple entirely. The asymmetrical button placket running along the neck and shoulder introduced architectural interest to an otherwise minimal silhouette. Rendered in greige—that sophisticated intersection of grey and beige—Taehyung demonstrated how tonal dressing conveys confidence without volume.

The mafia shield: cardigan jacket and oversized shades

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V works a severe black look in a cardigan jacket and dark glasses (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
Above V works a severe black look in a cardigan jacket and dark glasses (Photo: @thv / Instagram)
V works a severe black look in a cardigan jacket and dark glasses (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

The quiet luxury movement found its poster boy in this severe black ensemble. Kim Taehyung’s cardigan cashmere jacket featured vertical brown leather detailing with gilded buttons, whilst dark sunglasses created the necessary celebrity distance. The psychological weight of this look—equal parts authoritative and unapproachable—cemented the mafia boss look that dominated his Paris Fashion Week appearances.

The viral graphic: retro ‘Limbo’ ringer tee

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Above V revives the ringer tee in a Celine ribbed cotton jersey T-shirt (Photo: @thv / Instagram)

The Celine Limbo cotton jersey ringer sparked immediate theories about its provocative text. Worn in Beefbar Paris, this 1970s athletic staple—white with contrasting red ribbing—represented the shift from logomania to slogan tees where the message outweighs the brand. Taehyung transformed a casual basic into a clickable cultural moment.

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Clifford Olanday
Regional Editor, T-Labs, Tatler Asia
Tatler Asia

After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.