What is the secret to the chic and luxurious visual of idol group aespa and their unique vibe?
On July 8th, as aespa (Karina, Winter, Gisele, Ningning) released their second mini-album “Girls”, Exports News got the chance to have an interview with makeup artist Kwon Sun-young (hereinafter referred to as director Kwon) at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Director Kwon, who has been aespa’s visual advisor at SM Entertainment for about two years, is in charge of all visual-related tasks even before aespa’s debut.
Director Kwon, who also joined aespa’s recent LA showcase schedule in the U.S., showed off her excitement by boasting the group’s new album released on the same day. In particular, she expressed her pride in the colorful and intense visuals in the music video of aespa’s new song “Girls.”
Director Kwon said, “In order to film that 4-minute music video, aespa and numerous staff members have struggled for days and days. I’m so proud to see the finished product,” she said with a smile.
“Because of the nature of short-form content, it is most important to keep the details alive because video length is short. We tried to split the scenes in detail and show various visuals every moment,” she explained.
This new album is the finale of the season 1 of SMCU aespa worldview. aespa’s charismatic charm when fighting with Black Mamba, who is interfering with their connection with their avatar ae, was enough to capture the hearts of global fans.
Director Kwon pursued a stronger image this time for aespa, following ‘Black Mamba’, ‘Next Level’, and ‘Savage’. “Compared to the previous visual concept, I’ve worked hard to show their various appearances in “Girls”.”
aespa’s first English single “Life’s Too Short”, which was released earlier last month, drew a lot of attention for the group’s lovely visual transformation. In particular, for the MV of “Life’s Too Short”, aespa adorned the softer highteen concept instead of their usual female warrior and techno image.
Kwon Seung Young commented that aespa seemed to be fond of this change, saying: “aespa members have always done strong and intense concepts, but they really liked the lovely highteen style of “Life’s Too Short”. They also took a lot of selfies at the music video shooting site. I was satisfied because I tried a wide variety of makeup, including blush and freckles.”
The makeup artist also praised aespa for their ability to digest all sorts of makeup concepts, saying: “They are like a white drama paper. No matter what they wear, they perfectly fit it and portray it.”
“aespa’s luxurious and elegant image is unparalleled,” Kwon Seung Young added. “There is an atmosphere unique to aespa, setting them apart from other idols. We will continue to keep this unique vibe of aespa as it is.”
Finally, the makeup artist also discussed the dedication and meticulousness of SM founder Lee Soo Man.
“Lee Soo Man takes care of everything related to aespa. He knows exactly which colors and which makeup products to use – which is uncommon among regular men. He’s so meticulous he needs confirmation on every detail about the concept, and would give detailed directions on what we need to fix, add. In fact, he’s kind of intimidating,” she commented.
