Cover Decked in modernised hanboks, BTS performed ‘Idol’ at Gyeongbokgung Palace for ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ (Photo: YouTube)
Decked in modernised hanboks, BTS performed ‘Idol’ at Gyeongbokgung Palace for ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ (Photo: YouTube)
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Characterised by its graceful silhouette and vibrant colours, the modern hanbok is catching the attention of fashion enthusiasts worldwide and making an impact in the fashion world
The hanbok, Korea’s traditional centuries-old garment, was once reserved for special occasions and cultural celebrations. Various South Korean designers, such as Danha, OUWR, and Kumdanje, have modernised the hanbok while retaining as much of its original form as possible for everyday wear and making waves in the fashion world.
Read more: What you need to know before travelling to South Korea
The traditional hanbok consists of the jeogori (jacket) and chima (skirt) for women, or baji (trousers) for men. Its flowing lines and distinctive aesthetic have remained largely unchanged for generations. However, modern designers and Korean celebrities are now interpreting these classic elements through a contemporary lens, creating pieces that honour tradition while embracing current fashion sensibilities.
Oh My Girl
Above Oh My Girl performing ‘Destiny’ on the Mnet hit show, ‘Queendom’
WM Entertainment’s K-pop girl group Oh My Girl has been known to stylise the hanbok for many years now, from award show performances to magazine photoshoots, and even during the group’s appearance at the Kansai Collection, Japan’s largest fashion show. Their most stunning and unforgettable display of modern hanboks, however, were the ones that they wore while performing Destiny on the Mnet hit show, Queendom. The sleek versions of the traditional Korean attire, coupled with their graceful dancing, took breaths away.
See also: K-pop’s global expansion: New markets and cultural adaptations
BTS
Above BTS performing ‘Idol’ at Gyeongbokgung Palace for ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, K-pop megastars BTS continued to carry their worldwide fame through as the world came to a lockdown. While unable to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in person, the group performed Idol in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty and the largest of the five royal palaces in Seoul, decked in modernised hanboks–all in theme with the song, which is a traditionally inspired track featuring different classical Korean instruments.
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Bae Suzy
Above Bae Suzy shines in a series of modernised hanboks (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
Above Bae Suzy shines in a series of modernised hanboks (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
Bae Suzy shines in a series of modernised hanboks (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
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Above Bae Suzy shines in a series of modernised hanboks (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
Above Bae Suzy shines in a series of modernised hanboks (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
Bae Suzy shines in a series of modernised hanboks (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
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In 2023, South Korean singer and actress Bae Suzy’s modern hanbok pictorial adorned the digital billboards along the bustling streets of New York Times Square Broadway in conjunction with Christmas Eve, showcasing not only her charm but also the beauty of the hanbok. Selected as the 2023 Hallyu Cultural Artist by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Suzy stunned in various types of hanbok in collaboration with six Korean hanbok companies and the Korean Craft and Design Culture Promotion Institute.
Read more: Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy to reunite in ‘All the Love You Wish For’ after 7 years
Stray Kids
Above Stray Kids performing in modernised hanboks for their ‘Back Door’ music video
Stray Kids cemented their performances as iconic moments when they rocked modernised red and black hanboks throughout their Back Door promotional activities. They also wore contemporary versions of the traditional Korean attire during their jaw-dropping live performances of God’s Menu at South Korea’s acclaimed award shows such as The Fact Music Awards 2020 and The Golden Disc Awards 2021.
See also: 5 looks that define Stray Kids’ Lee Know—from grunge to ‘gorpcore’
Blackpink
Above Blackpink wearing Danha-designed hanboks in the record-breaking ‘How You Like That’ music video (Photo: YG Entertainment)
Above Blackpink’s Coachella 2023 hanboks which were created in collaboration with Kumdenja and OUWR (Photo: YouTube)
Blackpink wearing Danha-designed hanboks in the record-breaking ‘How You Like That’ music video (Photo: YG Entertainment)
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Not only do the Blackpink members serve as muses for various luxury fashion houses, but they also played a big part in contributing to making Danha the hippest hanbok designer in town when they wore her modernised hanbok designs for their How You Like That music video, which clocked 200 million views in only eight days after it premiered. Blackpink also paid homage to Korean heritage during their Coachella 2023 headlining set by arriving onstage in hanbok-inspired outfits, which were created in collaboration with Kumdanje and OUWR. Their Coachella hanboks were also complemented by the stage backdrop, which featured elements of the hanok (traditional Korean house).
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Lainey was the Digital Director of Tatler Malaysia. When not whiling away the hours watching documentaries, the latest K-drama, or reruns of Friends, she can be found indulging her wanderlust by stalking travel platforms or feeding her obsession with music. She loves animals, running, all things social media, a good conversation over coffee or soju or wine (often rambling on if nobody pulls the brakes on her), and is an avid fan of bursting-at-the-seams laughter.
