4 Fashion Icon K-Pop Acts Who Attended The Met Gala
With BLACKPINK‘s Rosé expected to make her debut at the prestigious Met Gala—known as “fashion’s biggest night out“—shortly, let’s take a look back at some of the other K-Pop artists who came before her.
1. Lay (EXO)
EXO’s Lay was the most recent K-Pop star to attend the Met Gala, appearing at the event in May 2019. The year’s theme was Camp: Notes on Fashion, and Lay went for a more subdued example of the style wearing Pierpaolo Piccioli‘s “Time Traveller” suit, which features a bold white print of a UFO in space.
There, Lay was spotted with some of the night’s biggest global stars, including Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong’o, and Joan Collins.
2. Siwon (Super Junior)
Conversely, one of the earliest K-Pop idols to receive a Met Gala invite was Super Junior’s Siwon. He attended the fundraiser in May 2013, when the theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture. In spite of the proposed style, Siwon showed up in a classic, suave suit and tie—possible to tie in with the styling for Super Junior’s then most recent single, “SPY.”
In an interview with Billboard following the event, Siwon revealed he saw stars like Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson at the event. He also expressed how important confidence and self-expression are when it comes to his fashion choices.
3. Rain
The Met Gala has also played host to one of K-Pop’s longest-standing stars: Rain. In May 2015, the ball launched its China: Through the Looking Glass theme, and Rain was one of the attendees. There, he wore a bespoke tuxedo from German brand MCM.
Rain was pictured with numerous stars on the night, from Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing to American actress Julianne Moore.
4. PSY
Last but not least, PSY also attended the Met Gala, shortly after the release of his megahit “Gangnam Style.” Attending in the same year as Siwon, PSY wore a red-and-black checkered jacket that night along with a leather bowtie, embodying the Punk theme in a subtle way.
There, he brushed shoulders with everyone from Beyoncé to Madonna, definitely proving his status as one of the biggest global stars in attendance.