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BTS & Songzio: Korean Culture Takes Global Stage
21 Mar
Summary
- Songzio's designs for BTS's comeback blended Korean heritage with contemporary style.
- The costumes symbolized 'Han', representing a mix of longing and sorrow from Korean history.
- Each BTS member was assigned a unique 'hero' character with customizable, detachable elements.
The recent comeback concert by BTS marked a significant cultural statement, with the group choosing to wear designs by the Korean brand Songzio. This decision, alongside their historic Seoul venue and album title "Arirang," underscored the prominence of Korean culture and identity globally. Songzio, founded in 1993 and co-based in Seoul and Paris, is led by designer Jay Songzio, the son of the founder.
Jay Songzio described the collaboration as heartwarming, especially given BTS's past work with European luxury houses. He explained that BTS aimed to contemporary reinterpretation of Korean history and emotion, particularly the concept of 'Han,' which encapsulates longing and sorrow from Korea's turbulent past. The costumes were conceived to portray the BTS members as heroic figures leading their culture forward.
Design requirements included distinct characters for each member, reflecting their strengthened individual identities. Songzio envisioned characters like RM as 'the hero,' Jin as 'the artist,' and Jimin as 'the poet.' The attire merged traditional Korean hanbok fluidity with reinterpretations of Korean armor, emphasizing metamorphosis through detachable elements for performance versatility.
The fabrics, including a unique hand-woven cotton resembling brushstrokes found in Korean landscape paintings, were developed in Korea. Looking ahead, Songzio is discussing collaboration for BTS's world tour, with plans to reimagine the Korean flag as a group costume.
