G-Dragon - Kwon Ji Yong
G-Dragon (Kwon Ji Yong) is a South Korean artist who is known as the Leader of K-Pop group, Big Bang, who also produces and writes his groups’ and his own songs, sings and raps, owns multiple businesses and is a trend-setter to many.
GD’s influences include Pharrell Williams, who is also known to be a great producer and quite the fashionista too, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Blackstreet, and Wu-Tang Clan. He has had so much influence in the fashion scene within South Korea itself.
With his many different hairstyles and hair colors to the different accessories he adorns himself with and how he wears his clothes, his fashion influence is really out of this world.
He never cared about looking weird, he always liked to experiment with his own style. He even wore women’s clothes as long as they fit him. In an interview with Dazed about Chanel in 2017, he mentioned that men thought that Chanel at that time was a “woman’s thing”, but since he was relatively skinny, he was able to fit into the women’s clothing without a problem and concluded that for him it is unisex. His fashion always included mixing and matching things but not just the garments itself but also masculinity with femininity and even different brands as well.
GD loved Chanel, he wore pieces in his music videos and soon he was invited to Chanel shows during Paris Fashion Week where he became close to Karl Lagerfield. In 2016, he became a Chanel ambassador for Korea alongside many others such as Pharrell Williams, Kristen Stewart, Cara Delevingne, etc. In addition to that, he was featured in a campaign by Chanel for the Gabrielle bag.
Additionally, Vans actually created a version of their well-known Old Skool shoes because of him. He was seen wearing the shoes by stepping on the backs as he was in a rush and out of convenience. Soon after many people started following after him and eventually Vans designed a pair with a lower back.
GD started his own fashion brand called PEACEMINUSONE, which included caps, accessories and a range of tees, which is designed by him and his stylist Gee Eun. And even though GD is currently serving his national service in South Korea, his brand has collaborated with Nike for the shoe, Nike Air Force 1 ‘07 “Para?Noise”.
It is hard not to believe his influence over many in the fashion scene. I am personally really influenced by him in the sense that he is not afraid to experiment with new things. I like how to him it does not matter whether it is women’s or men’s clothes, as long as it fits and suits his taste he will wear it. Sometimes, it is quite easy to give in to the thought of the “safer” choice, one that is less outlandish or eye-catching, be it about fashion or general choices we make in life. Which is why I appreciate his confidence and the “it doesn’t matter what you think” attitude that he has, especially in his fashion.
References:
https://www.hallyusg.net/2018/04/23/knews-vansoldskoolmule/
https://www.mariefranceasia.com/fashion/latest-news/fashion-news/g-dragon-chanel-new-ambassador-218884.html#item=3
https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/37667/1/k-pop-superstar-g-dragon-on-chanel-karl-and-gender-ss18-show-interview
https://fashion.luxury/style/4-asian-ambassadors-elevating-the-top-fashion-houses/
https://hypebae.com/2019/8/g-dragon-peaceminusone-nike-air-force-1-07-paranoise-sneakers-collaboration-big-bang
