Ateez’s Hongjoong Talks Vogue, Fashion, and Creativity – WWD

It’s late afternoon in L.A., and eight-member Korean boy band Ateez is wrapping up a day of back-to-back press. Quickly, they’ll head out for a fan signing throughout city, the place their followers — collectively referred to as Atiny, a synthesis of Ateez and future — will get a possibility to fulfill the band throughout their newest journey stateside.

“Hello! I’m good, how are you?” Hongjoong, Ateez’s chief, affords a spirited greeting as he logs onto Zoom, contemporary from a photograph shoot. The 24-year-old rapper and singer, who writes nearly all of the group’s lyrics, rolls into body with a pair of pearl Balmain sun shades perched atop his head.

Ateez was in L.A. for the most recent version of KCon, a competition celebrating Korean tradition and music. “The U.S. is admittedly sort of my second hometown. After I go to the U.S., I at all times suppose it’s so comfy,” says Hongjoong of the band’s time stateside.

The group has spent a lot of the previous 12 months on the highway. They’re presently wrapping up the “The Fellowship : Break the Wall” world tour, which kicked off final 12 months in Seoul and has since taken them to cities all through Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The group, which debuted in 2018 underneath the comparatively small label KQ Leisure, has launched 10 EPs — two up to now 12 months alone — and a studio album. 

The work is paying off: Ateez is considered one of many main 4th Gen Okay-pop boy teams, and as Ateez’s worldwide fan base grows, so does the group’s affect exterior of music. Like many Okay-pop stars, Hongjoong is discovering himself more and more known as towards trend, a pure extension given the extremely visible side of an onstage profession. 

On Zoom, the singer continues to be wearing a glance from Balmain’s fall males’s assortment, a white uneven jacket paired with black pants, a method he first noticed in individual as a visitor on the model’s presentation in Paris earlier this 12 months. The singer, who met Olivier Rousteing backstage, notes that he was stunned to study that the inventive director was already acquainted with his work. Harping on the hyperlink between music and trend, Hongjoong is fast to spotlight the synergies between his personal method to songwriting and Rousteing’s method to design. 

“After I met Olivier, we talked loads about our fashion and his mindset,” says Hongjoong, including that he was impressed by Rousteing’s potential so as to add his distinct perspective to the established trend home. “Nowadays I take into consideration that once I make music or once I write lyrics: learn how to make it my very own manner,” he says. “First I take into consideration what I wish to say, after which learn how to make that message cooler to our viewers or followers.”

As a bunch, Ateez has cultivated a toughness inside their music and look. “When on the stage, I fall into that character each time. With my outfit too, if the track is admittedly arduous or robust, I wish to make my character arduous and hard. In order that’s why I put on darkish garments and a whole lot of jewellery,” says Hongjoong. “But in addition I put my very own opinion in there; it’s not solely robust, there may be some magnificence.”

Hongjoong notes that Ateez has been greeted with “a number of love” and enthusiasm throughout their newest journey to L.A.

For some L.A.-based Atiny members, their “future” of getting to fulfill Ateez was realized by means of participation in a latest “Bouncy Problem” dance efficiency in Griffith Park, led by the group. “I get a whole lot of inspiration from [our fans] as a result of they’re all good dancers and good singers. Our worldwide followers, too,” he provides.

The social media-primed choreography stems from the music video for “Bouncy (Okay-Sizzling Chilli Peppers),” the frenetic title observe on Ateez’s newest six-track mini album “The World EP.2: Outlaw.” The music video, which casts the band as cinematic “outlaws” — cowboys, boxers — is nearing 100 million views on YouTube since its launch earlier this summer time. 

After L.A., the group was headed to Mexico and South America — their subsequent live performance is in Santiago on Aug. 30 — adopted by Singapore and the Philippines in mid-September, the place they are going to shut out their newest tour leg. 

Earlier than reuniting with the remainder of Ateez to move out for his or her fan signing, Hongjoong brings the dialog again to trend, noting that he has excessive aspirations. “I wish to research design, and sometime I wish to attempt to be a designer to make my very own trend line,” he says. “That’s one in all my targets.”

Hongjoong additionally notes a promise he made to Ateez followers originally of the 12 months: extra performances and extra music. “Nowadays, we’re actually making an attempt arduous to make new music and make new issues with our members,” he says, including that in his off-time he’s been including to his inventive arsenal — taking guitar classes, for instance — whereas making certain that he’s capable of keep wholesome and convey his all to every efficiency.

“I wish to present our followers and viewers that Ateez can do extra issues, and Ateez can go larger,” he says. “I believe that there can be a far future.”