Just outside Paris at Stade de France, Jung Kook—of pop royalty BTS—debuted several custom Balenciaga looks onstage before a record-breaking size crowd of 92,000 per day. Each look was specially made for the Paris leg of the sold-out BTS Arirang World Tour.
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- Heavy metal, calligraphic stencil, and varsity typography in varying techniques were used.
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- JK in high-collared jacket adorned with metal Le City studs, a Balenciaga signature originating from the classic It Bag.
These exclusive pieces reimagine designs and key elements from Balenciaga’s Fall 26 and Spring 27 collections, by Pierpaolo Piccioli: au courant interpretations of the House’s iconic codes that correspond to the BTS tour’s three thematized acts—and to Jung Kook’s own distinctive style.
In Act One, Jung Kook wore a black leather ensemble of multi-belted pants, buckled moto gloves, and a high-collared jacket adorned with metal Le City studs, a Balenciaga signature originating from the classic It Bag.
Act Two’s looks involved oversized silhouettes, in keeping with the House’s long history of sculptural volumes. On July 17, Jung Kook wore a Le City-studded denim jacket featuring a patchwork logo, layered over a tie-dye logo T-shirt and baggy jeans. The next day, he wore another black leather look, this one consisting of opera gloves, XXL pants, and a boxy, hooded short-sleeve top featuring an embroidered logo and the number 10—Balenciaga’s historic Paris address on Avenue George V.
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- Arirang World Tour merch was reworked, creating distressed, washed pieces.
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- Le City-studded denim jacket featuring a patchwork logo, layered over a tie-dye logo T-shirt and baggy jeans
Throughout the two back-to-back shows, Jung Kook wore his Balenciaga Venom Boots and Boomerang Cat Sunglasses, as well as Balenciaga jewelry, including the BB Icon Necklace and the DIY Pin Necklace.
For the final act, official BTS ARIRANG WORLD TOUR merch was reworked, creating distressed, washed pieces—a hoodie worn on the first France show date and a T-shirt worn on the second—that layered Balenciaga logomarks, Jung Kook’s name and initials, the album title, the tour’s European cities, and the year 26. These graphic artworks utilize heavy metal, calligraphic, stencil, and varsity typography in varying techniques, including overdying, screen-printing, and appliqueing—an example of the House’s consistent exploration of materiality and craft.
In the Philippines, Balenciaga is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 5 and Shangri-la Plaza East Wing. Visit ssilife.com.ph or follow @ssilifeph on Facebook and Instagram, and @ssilife on TikTok for more information.
