“Annyeonghaseyo! We’re back!”

When BTS staged their comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea on 21 March, the boy group did not only reclaim their thrones as kings of K-pop — but also as fashion royalty.

Over 100,000 ARMY from the live audience and millions more from 190 countries where the group’s comeback concert in nearly four years was streamed by Netflix witnessed not only BTS performing songs from their fifth studio album Arirang for the first time, but also their return as catwalk “inspos” (inspirations).

Korean designer Jay Songzio, in an interview with WWD, shared that BTS members RM, V, Jung Kook, Jimin, Suga, Jimin and j-hope wore a black-and- white collection the designer calls “Lyrical Armor,” custom looks referencing early Joseon-era armor and traditional Korean dress — interpreted with a modern, avant-garde, high-street and rock star edge through details like slashes, studs and a variety of textures from fabrics like leather and tweed.

According to Songzio, BTS’ talent management, Hybe, contacted him about two months ago when the company announced the performance. Since the album, Arirang, is named after one of Korea’s most traditional folk songs and since the concert is set against the backdrop of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace — which according to Agence France-Presse, is “fitting for the ‘Kings of K-pop’,” Songzio said it was important for Hybe “to find a very Korean brand, not only in its nationality, but also in its aesthetic” to create BTS’ costumes.

“And as one of the brands who really tried to always emphasize that Korean aesthetic, I think it was a good match,” he said.

More than just giving the group great visuals, the ensembles represent something more — hope — that make them relevant nowadays due to ongoing conflicts like in the Middle East and in between Russia and Ukraine.

“Before going into the individual members, I felt that it was important to translate a very emotional healing into this collection, because at the end of the day music is all about emotion,” Songzio told WWD.

“And a very unique Korean emotion called han, which can be translated many ways, but it means sorrow and longing. In Korea, people say that we all carry han inside us because of our very turbulent history. Korea, since its very early ages, we have had countless wars — a lot of challenging and difficult times, and Korean people always had to overcome this sorrow. So I tried to build a story where these members become some sort of heroes, some sort of warriors who are fighting in these turbulent times and then leading to a brighter future.”

Following the concert, the superstars will embark on their Arirang World tour, spanning 82 concerts across 34 cities in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America, beginning 9 April in Goyang, South Korea and ending on 13 to 14 March 2027 in Manila.