Korean Pop-Inspired Fashion Invades Second Life: Virtual Gangnam Style!

 

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of virtual world and MMO fashion

Lately, Hamlet (and just about everyone else on the Internet) has been listening to the latest single from hit Korean artist PSY, a man with musical taste and a sense of humor that seems to transcend language barriers to the point of making his comeback video a viral sensation. (Watch below.) But if you spend any amount of time hopping around the plethora of Korean pop videos posted on YouTube by fans, artists, and companies alike, you'll soon realize by the volume of English comments just how popular KPop already is among western fans. It's fun, it's catchy, and the fashion is absolutely to die for.

Of course, wherever there's a RL trend SL will always follow -- some designers have even recreated the coordinated costumes worn by their favorite KPop girl groups in their most iconic videos. If you're looking for something a little more wearable though, there are a lot of ways to work the KPop influence into your wardrobe. For example:

KPop fashion usually draws from a lot of familiar sources. The influences of hip hop fashion are especially obvious in PSY's video, and the colors are bright and absolutely scream "pop". If you haven't already seen the video, check it out below:

 

With PSY's redheaded female sidekick (Hyuna, another KPop sensation from the girl group 4minute and an alum from perennial KPop favorite Wonder Girls) you can see a bit of another popular look in KPop; a soft, casual, and romantic style that you might find on the sweetheart heroine of a Korean drama (which are also becoming intensely popular among non-Koreans)... with some hip hop-worthy sneakers added, of course. Here's my take on the look, and complete outfit notes:

• Skin is YU II(A) by .::Mother Goose's::. with the Kissing Lip makeup layer from My Uglydorothy
• Hair is In Heaven by lamb
• Sleek and sexy hands shown are SLink's Jolie Mains
• Top is the Ashima Blouse from Zaara, layered over League's Spring Frill Neck Camisole
• Shorts are Tokidoki's Cocoro Shorts
• Scrunched Prim Socks are by Maitreya
• Shoes are Balkanik2.0's MAX75 (While a silver shoe would have been better, the sneaker market in SL is ridiculously overpriced considering how almost every product is directly ripped from Nike or Adidas designs, and even I won't pay L$900 for an unoriginal design I'll probably only wear once. These shoes are no exception to the trademark issue, but they were much cheaper than any other silver alternatives.)
• Necklace is the Gianna Layered Necklace from Caroline's Jewelry

Then there's the other side of the spectrum, KPop acts who specialize in wearing extra-fierce fashions inspired by catwalk couture, usually with a dash of punk flair for flavor. One of my favourites in this style is 2NE1, a girl group with serious bite. Check out my 2NE1 inspired look below:

• Skin is still YU II(A) by .::Mother Goose's::. though this time I've layered it with Mothergoose's own Lip(B) makeup tattoos, as well as multiple eyeshadow/liner tats from Elymode
• Hair is Stabilizer from Epoque  
• Once again I'm wearing SLink's Jolie Mains, though I've added Rozoregalia's Aludra ring
  
• Jacket is Vega by sYs
• Dress is Epoque's Bodycon Mini (Epoque is actually an excellent spot to pick up kpop-worthy hair and clothing well-suited to this style)
  
• Mesh Leggings by Maitreya are actually retrograde-heeled platform boots as well, another perfect match for this look 
• Necklace is Rozoregalia's Gemma necklace, while earrings are DECO's Anthracite Skull studs

Whether the infectious pop music gets stuck in your head or not, kpop-inspired fashion definitely has something to offer just about any fashionista.

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Iris Ophelia (Janine Hawkins IRL) has been featured in the New York Times and has spoken about SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and with pop culture/fashion maven Johanna Blakley.

Comments

[Cyclic Gearz]

Fantastic interpretations, I love K-Pop, my avatar itself was originally inspired by Meng Jia from Miss A!

[Harper Ganesvoort]

Didn't you also do a piece on the Korean romance drama "Style"? I remember someone did, and that got me interested in the actresses on there. The editor, played by Kim Hye Soo, is very in the "Devil Wears Prada" mode, and the look overall is great.