Think BLINK: How BLACKPINK Have Evolved Their Style
Ahead of BLACKPINK’s confirmed 2025 comeback, netizens wait with bated breath to see what the group will do next in the realm of fashion.
The unique style of each BLACKPINK member. Image: BLACKPINK Official Instagram.
Since their 2016 debut, the K-pop girl group has skyrocketed to super-stardom and hasn’t looked back.
No sooner had the foursome taken to the stage than their trends were emulated by scores of adoring fans. Now a household name, BLACKPINK has come a long way since their debut EP Square One in terms of style.
Eight years ago, the YG Entertainment group was highly sought after by TV producers for their quirky panache—each girl had an individual look. Mirroring 90s pop legends The Spice Girls, BLACKPINK’s distinctive styles allowed their fans BLINKs to choose the member they related to most.
BLACKPINK debuting in 2016. Image: YG Entertainment
A boon for brands, the ever-evolving styles of Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé have inspired lines for the online, mid-priced platform CIDER, while also landing the members in the lap of luxury fashion. The girls have become couture darlings, representing Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and Dior, to name a few. The group’s fashion accolades are more than hot air; BLACKPINK’s mark on opulent labels comes with tangible sales stats that can match its record sales.
In the early days, the girl group wore thigh-high black socks as a staple, along with netting, tailored blazers, and chunky boots in a blend of goth meets Kawaii—and fans couldn’t get enough. The streets of Seoul, London, Tokyo and Paris were swarmed with mini BLINKs in military jackets and pleather, sporting space buns and sky-blue tresses.
Traditional K-fashion such as soft knits and tweed were contrasted with tougher fabrics, studs and eclectic makeup. Lisa was crafted as the most ‘Korean,’ and Australian-born Rosé was known for being quirky. Jisoo was sleek, Parisian. Jennie donned band tees and punk trousers.
BLACKPINK’s bold styles at the Golden Disc Awards in 2017. Image: The Chosunilbo JNS
The looks felt accessible and just daring enough to stand out from more colourful K-pop counterparts at the time such as 2NE1 or JYP’s TWICE, who felt softer and just that little bit beyond reach. YG Entertainment ditched the velour tracksuit bottoms and swirl pattern tees of its Y2K bands, such as Swi.T and Big Mama, with the label itself undergoing a rebrand in order to stay pertinent in pop culture.
BLACKPINK has always been unique. The group’s distinctiveness contributes to their longevity when it comes to relevance.
A crop of Instagram pages flooded feeds overnight, with snaps of Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé stepping out into the night, posing with fans—all dedicated to see what the singers were wearing. From preppy knits to corsets with corsages, the girls’ off-stage looks were just as exciting as what they wore for shows.
Even a grainy shot of Lisa strolling through the airport in an oversized grey hoody, baggy black tee and olive trousers made the style pages. The main wardrobe item; a marl, drab zip-up hood (often associated with dog walks and heading out to the supermarket) became the universal symbol of K-style.
Lisa’s comfy but stylish airport fashion. Image: Starnews Korea
Fast fashion outlets offered hundreds of variations of the simple, oversized grey hoody. Grey was no longer dull, it was stormy, gunmetal, ash.
The industry’s response to Lisa’s airport look is a testament to BLACKPINK’s hold on Gen Z’s contemporary aesthetic. Once called ‘hobo chic,’ reserved for the mud of Glastonbury or LA stars scuttling away from paparazzi, the oversized outfit has been remodelled into a cleaner, sleeker concept.
BLACKPINK’s sold-out BST Hyde Park show last year saw the pop group stunning 65,000 onlookers with their vocals and outfits. The girls exploded onto the stage, coordinated in angelic all-white against a backdrop of pink fireworks, as they belted out the truculent tune “Pink Venom.” Lisa showcased an iconic pair of slashed leather trousers with a steampunk top—paying homage to the band’s image as trendsetters.
BLACKPINK, however, have evolved from knee-high socks and long hoodies. Still just as sought after for their style, the four young girls who stood on stage self-consciously in 2016 in all black are now sitting front row at Paris Fashion Week.
This year, Rosé was spotted at the SS25 YSL show in a light gold slip dress, a nude shearling coat slipping from her shoulder. The lingerie as outerwear fit was paired with a Tiffany tennis bracelet, gold and pearl statement earrings, and gold slingback shoes. The singer looked like a starlet from the 50s, her platinum hair jauntily curled around her face.
Despite the outfit costing upward of 40,000 dollars, the star has lost none of her accessibility, playfully posting a selfie prior to the show for fans. The salacious outfit and spicy slip were praised by netizens, but concerns were expressed over how thin the star’s legs looked. BLACKPINK fans appear to care for the four girls as if they were personal friends, much like the BTS Army.
Jisoo was also in Paris, adorned in Dior at the SS25 show, and much like her debut in 2016, she was dressed head-to-toe in midnight black with accents of silver. However, this time, the red carpet veteran had no traces of self-consciousness as she paraded a two-layered chainmail peekaboo skirt, an off-shoulder shirt, and kitten-toed boots with a slash of glitter up the side.
Rosé in a light gold slip dress at SS25 YSL show. Image: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis
Jennie was pictured last month sporting a daring all-red ensemble, coiled in a crimson glitter scarf over a metre long. The high fashion get-up was an unofficial tribute to Aussie singer Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam.” Lisa was filmed making lemon water this summer in a cute grey co-ord, sporting a fringe, and minimal makeup. The two band members couldn’t be more different with their summer aesthetic, but somehow equally covetable.
The band is a combination of both mystery and relatability. BLACKPINK has yet to release an official autobiography and has only one authorized documentary, filmed in 2020 for Netflix. The group’s Instagram grid is perfectly crafted and professional, yet the members can be seen indulging in playful videos and have shared their very normal struggles with rehearsing and confidence during interviews.
The band’s exclusive style sui generis has kept it at the top, and as K-pop academies launch fresh names and faces, none seem to have ridden the Korean Wave in the same manner as BLACKPINK, with a steampunk surfboard covered in sequins.
Edited by Nicole Tilby.
