Most people’s ideas of Korean pop music videos are usually along the lines of bright colours and childlike costumes. The common misconception is that K-pop music videos stick to one, uniformed “bubble-gum” aesthetic, but the genre’s music video concepts are far from being out of touch with Western fashion!
A reason as to why K-pop and K-pop music videos are so popular now is because they put a unique spin on common fashion trends. From playing with streetwear looks, donning designer labels and experimenting with trends from different eras, K-pop has proven to be fashion-forward, raising the bar for sartorialists all over the world.
We have listed some of our favorite, most fashionably iconic K-pop girl group videos below!
Bad Boy – Red Velvet
In the beginning of the year, Red Velvet released their single “Bad Boy”. The music video includes many streetwear inspired looks that were a more mature approach for the girl group but on point for the trends we see today. The girls wore Opening Ceremony velour tracksuit dresses and Fenty Puma laced tights with sports bra-esque knit tanks bringing the current athleisure fever to their sultry song.
Lady – Exid
“Lady” by Exid is a 90s inspired gem. The video is filled with all the looks from the pre-millennium past that we try to recreate today. The girls are keeping up with the era’s trends, all clad in denim overalls, colourblock windbreakers and classic Timberland boots. The video is an excellent homage to 90s fashion with looks that we also aspire to recreate, while singing about that boy (or girl) who is being distant with us now.
DDU-DU DDU-DU – Blackpink
Blackpink released a video for their much anticipated single, “DDU-DU DDU-DU” and the looks that were featured certainly puts them in the top contenders for being THE on-trend girl group. The entire video was filled with designer opulence, which comes as no surprise for a song about doing what you want and getting what you want. The music video includes many bold designer looks that were straight off the runway, featuring dresses by Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga pumps and the girls were dripping in Chanel jewellery! It’s a high fashion dream in a 3-minute video, confirming that K-pop fashion is more than just pastel colours and school uniforms.
Get It – Pristin V
Pristin V, a sub-group of the newbies Pristin, released a music video for their summer smash “Get It”. Most of the video takes place on a tennis court while the girls rock designer clothing, as one usually does. Throughout the video, one movie-inspired look remained a centre focus. The girls wore yellow plaid outfits VERY reminiscent of our favourite fictional fashionista, Cher Horowitz, proving that K-pop fashion can provide a fresh spin on the classic Clueless look. The video features the girls in tennis skirts with belts and crop tops – very fresh looks for the classic silhouette, although not very typical wear for a sunny day of sporting fun.
Retro Future – Triple H
Triple H is certainly not a girl group but its female member, HyunA is no stranger to setting trends. As a former member of girl group 4Minute, she brings the feminine fashion touch to the musical trio. The video oozes an 80s aesthetic that we’d love to bring back into our everyday wardrobe. HyunA is wearing a vintage Christian Dior bustier, Mimi Wade babydoll dress, and statement accessories such as powder-blue earrings and unique silhouettes of sheer ruffled blouses. The video is eye-catching and attests to the fact that K-pop keeps up with all the past trends we love to bring back.
With the rise of K-pop music in Western society, the scepticism about K-pop fashion now seems unnecessary. So many young people look up to these girl groups for a source of inspiration and there’s a reason why: K-pop fashion is unique and avant-garde. Although some looks can be unconventional, it’s clear just by these few music videos that K-pop really knows how to stay in *and invent* the fashion game.
By Lindsay Selliah
