K-pop stars take centre stage at New York Fashion Week, including a historic first for NCT Dream’s Jeno
- NCT Dream’s Jeno, Twice’s Dahyun, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and iKon’s DK were among the K-pop stars who made a statement at New York Fashion Week’s latest edition
- Jeno made history as the first K-pop star to be the opening model for a New York Fashion Week collection, fronting Peter Do’s spring/summer 2023 line
From leading catwalk shows to making waves with their street-fashion looks, K-pop stars made their presence known at New York Fashion Week (NYFW)’s spring/summer 2023 edition.
The event, which took place in New York from September 9 to 14, saw the likes of NCT Dream’s Jeno, Twice’s Dahyun, Red Velvet’s Seulgi, iKon’s DK and others hit up the Big Apple’s fashion scene.
The most significant moment took place on September 13, when 22-year-old Jeno (Lee Je-no) made history as the first K-pop star to be the opening model for an NYFW collection, fronting Peter Do’s spring/summer 2023 line.
Jeno’s appearance was part of a collaboration between Do and South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment. Jeno was joined on the catwalk by two of SM’s male trainees, Shohei and Eunseok, as they showcased the largely monochromatic collection.
“It was a natural choice to have Jeno open the show,” read a statement from Do.
“Jeno embodies the Peter Do man – multifaceted, confident and a trailblazer. I have so much respect for these artists because there is so much time put into their craft that people simply don’t see.
“Few realise the intensity of what is happening behind the scenes to achieve the end product; it’s very similar to fashion so I identify with that process very much.
“As a brand forging its own path in the industry, we are proud to partner with the leading global player in K-pop to help write the future of fashion.”
In the audience was another SM star, Seulgi, and soloist Holland, who appeared at several other NYFW shows, including Coach’s on September 12, where he was spotted with some of the biggest names in pop, including Charli XCX.
September 13 also saw another K-pop star walking the NYFW runway, with iKon’s DK (Kim Dong-hyuk) appearing in the Concept Korea fashion show, an annual show at NYFW organised by the South Korean government that highlights Korean designers.
Cast members of the upcoming Broadway show KPOP were also in attendance.
The same day also saw Dahyun attend Michael Kors’ show together with the likes of Anne Hathaway and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
NYFW 2022 marks a major moment for K-pop stars, many of whom are in-demand fashion influencers and brand ambassadors who have regularly attended international fashion weeks in recent years.
