ATEEZ’s Hongjoong on First Vogue Present Petit Coussin and His Type

For Okay-pop star Hongjoong, all of it comes again to self-expression.

The 27-year-old rapper and producer is the chief, or captain as they name it within the group, of the chart-topping boy group ATEEZ. For the final seven years, he’s been on the forefront of shaping the group of their journey from the underdog group from a small firm to international stars, topping charts all over the world — together with the Billboard 200, twice — and changing into the primary Okay-pop boy group to carry out at Coachella.

In between journeys to Paris Vogue Week and world excursions with the eight-member group, Hongjoong has provide you with a venture that provides one other title subsequent to his title: designer. Timed to his twenty seventh birthday, on Nov. 7, the performer launched his first style assortment, Petit Coussin, or little pillow in French, by means of a filmed style present on the group’s YouTube Channel. The present — impressed by reminiscences of childhood and damaged up into 4 components, labeled by the point of day — featured 24 seems to be designed by Hongjoong and modeled by an array of younger fashions.

“I simply needed to carry my youngster facet to [the present],” Hongjoong tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom from his label KQ Leisure’s headquarters in Seoul. The rapper, dressed casually for the dialog, is outfitted in a jacket he beforehand designed for himself.

Beneath, Hongjoong takes THR by means of the method of designing his personal line, how his mom impressed the title and the gathering and why he’s all the time engaged on new initiatives.

What impressed you to do that venture? Are you able to inform me the place this got here from?

I’ve been to many style exhibits over the past two or three years. Every time I went, I all the time visited the designer’s workplace or the designer’s workroom. Throughout that point, I assumed, sometime I need to attempt to make my very own style present too. Once I noticed their studio or workroom, I felt one thing deep. It gave me a unique emotion than after I make music or after I’m on the stage. I simply thought, I need to make my very own garments, and I need to make my style present too. I assumed this was the right timing to do that venture, so I started this 12 months.

Listening to you speak about timing, I’m actually curious. It doesn’t seem to be you and ATEEZ have a ton of free time. How did you discover time to do that on prime of all the pieces else?

ATEEZ’s schedule is all the time full, however I’ve my free midnight time … Really, everybody thinks we’re so busy, however I believe I’ve sufficient time for myself. I don’t need to waste my time simply mendacity in my mattress. That’s why I [like to] strive one thing and create [music] each time [I have free time]. This time, I simply modified that to designing garments. The [amount of] time is sufficient, I believe.

How lengthy did you’re employed on it?

Nearly six months. Once I make music or different issues, I begin with a really small thought. I simply make my, I like to make my dream greater and greater. I used to be on an airplane and I assumed, oh, it’s just a little bit late and there’s nothing enjoyable in my life. Six months in the past, [life] was just a bit unusual, so I needed to do one thing very loopy. I assumed this was the time to make my style present.

What did you do subsequent?

Between the tip of final 12 months and the beginning of this 12 months, I began going round to Dongdaemun (a well known market in Korea for garments, cloth and supplies). I walked round and took footage of a whole lot of issues. There have been a whole lot of enjoyable and fascinating supplies that I noticed there throughout my strolls within the space. I’d be on the airplane, going by means of my telephone, after which I’d select a cloth that I assumed was enjoyable. I’d begin from there. Since I used to be on a airplane, I didn’t have a sketchbook or something to work on, however I might take my telephone and write notes on what I imagined it to be.

What concerning the sketches for the items?

At first, since I don’t know the way to attract, I might draw one thing very approximate. Then I might be writing [on the sketch], that is the best, that is the left, that is the place the underside would go. Once I was doing this, I felt the identical pleasure I felt the primary time I began engaged on music. I couldn’t anticipate the airplane to land, so I might go right away to start out making them as actual garments.

Then, from the locations I noticed throughout my visits to Dongdaemun, there was a small store with a really previous grandpa that I known as. I informed him, I need to make this. I’ll ship you a greater sketch. That’s the way it began, how the primary outfit got here out to be.

You’ve clearly spent a lot time on this. What made you resolve to go along with kids’s clothes for the gathering and present? It was very cute.

Really, that story, concerning the first merchandise, I simply informed was about different garments. I needed to put on my garments first. After I made a couple of items of clothes [for myself], I thought of making one thing [for others]. I needed to go by step. Once I make music, I begin with making a beat. I normally make very minimal sounds to make it maximal. I simply [keep adding] one thing [and] one thing [to the beat]. With design, it’s the identical. I needed to make small garments first. The small ones want extra particulars. I believe that’s cute and fascinating; the garments are smaller however there’s extra particulars. I visited Jacquemus’ style present in June, and the style present’s entire story was about Jacquemus’ nostalgia for the countryside he grew up in. Whereas watching the present, the concept got here to me. I remembered the store the place my mom used to promote kids’s garments.

How did you get the title Petit Coussin?

The title of my mom’s store was Petit Cochon, nevertheless it was pronounced very Korean. I didn’t know what it meant, so I known as my mother and requested. My mother mentioned she simply heard that it’s French, and it means small pig. I assumed small pig was fascinating, however I assumed pig was not that good [of a name to use for making] garments. I regarded for the same pronunciation, after which I discovered coussin (French for cushion), in order that’s why Petit Coussin is the title.

All of it appears a bit like destiny. Do you suppose your mom operating a retailer whenever you have been younger made you interested by garments? Had been you round them usually as a baby? How did you develop into curious about garments and model?

Comic story, I by no means thought of it earlier than. I by no means thought concerning the relationship between that. However when my mother began exhibiting my footage and bringing among the outfits that have been nonetheless left from that point, that’s after I realized. I used to be like, oh, perhaps that’s how all the pieces began.

Your model onstage is clearly extra of a personality you’re placing on, however you’ve your personal distinctive model offstage. Are you able to inform me extra concerning the variations between your model onstage and your private model?

I believe that’s the purpose. Once I’m each onstage and offstage, I believe that’s all me. ATEEZ has many conceptual levels, and after I’m onstage, I simply attempt to present my captain picture. ATEEZ has a really uncooked and tough picture too. But additionally, on the identical time, I simply need to put my very own character into it too. I discuss so much with my stylist about that. Offstage, I can categorical my very own model, not any character. I don’t want to precise that time too. Once I go someplace and am carrying my very own garments, I don’t have any plan for tomorrow or the following day. Within the morning, [I think to myself], at this time, I need to put on this or I need to put on that. I believe that’s my very own character, my very own factor. I don’t have many plans to put on my very own garments [onstage], but when followers [see what I’m wearing and] suppose, oh, that’s just a little cute or that’s cool. I’ll keep in mind for myself that if I put on that type of garments, I look cute. Or I look cool. Subsequent time I need to be just a little cuter, I simply put on these garments once more (Laughs). So, I don’t [go into picking my clothes] with any plan — I like to precise how I’m feeling that day.

What does self-care seem like for you amidst busy schedules?

Lately I’m extra of a runner. I’m going out for a run and spend a while with myself outdoors. That’s not one thing I used to do, nevertheless it’s one thing that I picked up just lately. I’m doing it fairly routinely. However for the longest time, my type of self-care has been sitting on my own and making issues, engaged on issues and enthusiastic about what I can do subsequent. I all the time have so many plans. Typically I believe an excessive amount of, so I’ve to make one thing as a result of after I’m making it, that pondering goes away. I’m all the time making one thing. If I don’t need to present it to our followers or viewers, I simply disguise it. Then if it’s a very good end result, I’ll present it.

I can relate. What do you hope comes from this line and this style present? What do you need to do subsequent?

I don’t know the way many individuals find out about it, however I did so many initiatives myself after I debuted. It could possibly be my solo venture, or it could possibly be our group venture. I did many issues, however all of it was about expressing myself. This venture was the identical too. I simply need to categorical my very own sense of style and my birthday is so quickly. I simply need to share my story by means of my style or model and my very own garments. I believe I need to do extra initiatives about style as a result of throughout this venture, I used to be so proud of all the pieces. It was so enjoyable. I used to be so completely satisfied making ready this present, so I need to do extra initiatives with my design facet too. I believe [my next project] can be one thing else the place I can categorical myself, like I all the time do. Getting ready for this venture, there have been some difficulties and a few challenges I needed to face. These challenges are one thing I realized from. I’ll additionally take [what I learned] to precise myself onstage. That’s what I problem myself many times with various things.