K-Pop girl trio Blackpink, the first Asian act to ever headline Coachella, brought the second day of this year’s festival to a close on Saturday. Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé used the historic occasion to honor their Korean ancestry by entering the stage wearing hanboks, a traditional clothing style, in front of an estimated 125,000 spectators.
Fans worldwide had already understood the message by the time the clothes were thrown aside during their opening tune, “Pink Venom,” displaying each member’s unique black and pink Dolce & Gabbana ensemble. Blackpink superfans, or Blinks, swiftly disseminated screenshots of the event.
One Blink tweeted, “They literally proved their place at the top of the industry by the way they stepped onto the biggest Western stage in hanboks.” “Blackpink is in a league of their own,” someone said.
Below is the tweet on BLACKPINK wearing a hanbok during their Coachella opening. You can check out below:
BLACKPINK wearing hanbok during their Coachella opening pic.twitter.com/uR2YFVXyOD
— ℘ųཞ℘Ɩɛ Ɩơ۷ɛ💜 (@_Itsme_Purple) April 17, 2023
In reference to the hanboks as well as other visual cues used in their performance, such as one of the stage backgrounds sporting an angular tiled roof typical of traditional Korean architecture, another person referred to the group as “Korea’s cultural delegation” on Instagram.
Blackpink has soared to international fame in recent years. They have the most viewed music YouTube channel and are currently the most-played female group on Spotify, according to Guinness World Records.
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They were the first female K-Pop group to top the UK and US album charts the previous year, and in 2020, their song “How You Like That” became the most-watched video on YouTube in a single day. They became the first female K-Pop group to ever perform at Coachella or any other US event in 2019, and their historic concert over the weekend was a follow-up to that achievement.
The perfect stage outfit can leave a lasting impression on the public, like Madonna’s famous Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra from her 1990 Blond Ambition tour or Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell’s Union Jack minidress. especially if it is worn during a pivotal time in one’s career.
Beyonce’s custom Balmain collegiate-style yellow hoodie was a joyful homage to Black culture, particularly historically Black colleagues and universities, during her headline set at Coachella 2018, another influential performance.
The four black hanboks worn by the group were specially made by the traditional Korean dressmakers Kumdanje and the South Korean pattern design company OUWR. Each piece of clothing was hand-embroidered with metallic traditional Korean motifs, such as dan-Cheong patterns and peonies that were inspired by the Cheol-lik silhouette.
In a joint Instagram post, the designers said, “It was our pleasure and such an honor to be able to show the beautiful values of Korea and Hanbok together.” “Blackpink dazzled the world while showcasing Korea’s beauty.”
Hanboks are still worn in Korea for special occasions and are frequently seen in television dramas. Numerous local designers have also produced modern interpretations that are used in everyday clothing. Recently we wrote a similar article on Bad Bunny Coachella Time; please read it.
JULYCOLUMN’s Fall-Winter 2023 collection at Seoul Fashion Week takes inspiration from the hanbok’s expansive form to create structured jackets and shirts. When creating its Spring-Summer 2023 collection for Milan Fashion Week, the Korean designer BlueTamburin only used traditional hanbok cloth, introducing the item to a Western audience.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Blink, the outfits represented Korean culture and symbolically embraced its history and future. They also highlighted a moment of Asian visibility, appreciation for traditional craftsmanship, and a potent demonstration of feeling experienced via clothing. Blackpink ended their concert in Korean after speaking to the crowd in English in between songs for the entire two hours of their performance: “Up until now, it has been Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé Blackpink. I’m grateful.
