YG Entertainment turned 30 on May 20, 1996, when Yang Hyun-suk started Hyun Planning. Expanded beyond music into fashion and culture, YG Entertainment captivated the public's eyes and ears with highly polished branding.
YG's visual directing did not stop at emphasizing mere "prettiness" on stage. Each artist became a brand and an "icon," and individual character traits moved vividly.
Yang Hyun-suk turned this uniqueness into consumable characters, emphasizing the pursued image through gigantic objects not only in music but also on stage and in music videos. This soon became YG's differentiated color and amplified the artists' appeal.
"'Chanel's muse' G-DRAGON, whatever he wears becomes a trend"
At the center was the indispensable G-DRAGON. G-DRAGON served as an ambassador and muse for the French luxury brand Chanel, demonstrating global influence as an unrivaled fashion icon.
G-DRAGON wrote major records such as being the first Korean to receive exclusive sponsorship from Louis Vuitton, the first Asian named Givenchy muse in 2012, and the first Asian male selected as a Chanel ambassador in 2016, and he remains active today. After G-DRAGON was chosen as a Chanel ambassador, luxury brands once regarded as the exclusive domain of Hollywood stars expanded their attention to K-pop artists, and now numerous Korean stars serve as faces of global fashion brands.
What set G-DRAGON's fashion apart was breaking down the boundary between women's and men's clothing, sensibly combining pieces according to TPO and building his own style. He especially used street fashion that balanced style and practicality even on stage, blurring the line between stage outfits and everyday wear.
His influence proved to be more than just popularity among fans; the moment he wore something it sold out. High-top shoes, baggy pants, tweed jackets, Thom Browne cardigans, Chrome Hearts, Vans Style 36, bowl cuts, mushroom hair, two-block styles, genderless looks, and more recently scarf fashion and bathrobes—everything G-DRAGON wore or wore on his feet became a topic.
In 2019 G-DRAGON founded the brand "PEACEMINUSONE" and has showcased his unique designs, releasing items through many collaborations. Products bearing the PEACEMINUSONE logo sell out immediately upon release or boast high resale prices, and G-DRAGON continues to be loved as a trendsetter representing the era.
Blackpink, four members, four ambassador roles
If G-DRAGON influenced fashion broadly, Blackpink asserted presence in a different way. Each member became a brand, maximizing the "visual pleasure" both on and off stage.
Notably, each member became associated with specific brands—Jennie with "Chanel," Jisoo with "Dior," Lisa with "Celine" and "Louis Vuitton," and Rosé with "Saint Laurent"—demonstrating four distinct ambassador roles. Blackpink became the standard in the global fashion world. Recently, all members were invited to the 2026 Met Gala. This was the first time all Blackpink members gathered at the Met Gala this year, and the members dominated the red carpet while showcasing their individual personalities.
Through ambassador activities, Blackpink members solidified their pursued aesthetics, and the addition of stage costumes and dresses directly produced by luxury brands created a synergy that maximized the members' appeal.
BABYMONSTER, a spoonful of girl group in YG's hip-hop crew
Since the late 2000s and early 2010s, YG boldly sidestepped the synchronized choreography and uniform styling formulas that were popular in the K-pop market. Instead, it emphasized freedom, raw charm and personal individuality, growing its influence in the global market.
The nonconformist style felt fresh to overseas fans and became an opportunity to evolve into global fashion icons beyond K-pop idols. YG's visual directing then spread across the industry, becoming a formula that encompassed girl-crush concepts, hip-hop styling, individual member branding and ties to high-end fashion.
This formula continues today, but the approach has changed. Active groups TREASURE and BABYMONSTER are seen as inheriting YG's long-built hip-hop-based swag and strong performance-centered visuals.
BABYMONSTER, rather than simply following the exact vein of direct senior group Blackpink, emphasized performance and a hip-hop-kid mood, preserving YG's distinctive hip-hop crew atmosphere that continued through Big Bang, 2NE1 and iKON.
On this foundation BABYMONSTER has received love calls from numerous fashion brands, but reports say they are currently declining related offers under a policy of focusing on music activities.
"TREASURE boom is coming"
By contrast, TREASURE slightly stepped away from the strong hip-hop crew mood that ran from One Time to Big Bang and iKON, emphasizing the freshness, youth and boyish charm seen in Seven and WINNER, revealing the color of a large multi-member idol group.
On overseas communities there were reactions such as "it doesn't feel like a typical YG group." Nevertheless, while maintaining YG's distinctive central directing, they are expanding activities in a way closer to fourth-generation boy group grammar. In TREASURE's case, Asahi is cited as a representative producing member.
TREASURE's characteristic soft sensibility has been loved through sensuous melody work with songs such as "Orange," "CLAP!," "Byung (LOVESICK)" and "YELLOW." Recently, "YELLOW" even succeeded in reverse charting due to fans' fervent wish that "the yellow boom will come," drawing attention.
Asahi has shown himself as a designer as well as a musician by presenting a collaborative collection with global sports brand Umbro. The "Umbro x Asahi collaboration collection" consisted of unique pieces that reinterpret football heritage in a modern way and injected new energy into the brand.
YG's visual directing has evolved beyond mere fashion to combine music, performance and artists' individuality. YG's method of expanding fashion into musical identity continues to lead pop culture trends and maintain its own style.<
[Photos] OSEN DB, YG Entertainment, SNS, ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
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