Aespa’s Karina Marked Her First Couture Week in Style

As one of the four members of the South Korean girl group Aespa, Karina is no stranger to traveling around the world. Of late, the group has been jetting across Asia for their Synk: Hyper Line Tour, where they’ve been performing hits off their new EP, My World. But this week, Karina took a break from all of that to attend the Thom Browne show in Paris. “I love Paris so much,” the singer tells Vogue. “I always try to walk around the neighborhood even when I’m on a short trip. I love the museums, art galleries, and simply walking on the streets of Paris brings me great joy.”

The Thom Browne presentation, held at the Palais Garnier, was a special affair for Karina—marking not only her first couture show, but also her first time attending any fashion show without the rest of her group. “I was nervous—but excited at the same time,” Karina says. “I was really honored to be invited; it was a new and enjoyable experience.” As a couture newbie, the star says she was struck by the theatricality of it all. “The acting element incorporated into the show really amplified it, and added richness to it,” she says. (A Thom Browne show is always a spectacle, after all.) “When the show started, the opera house was a full theater and there was this drama that just made it even more grand and magnificent.”

For a first-timer, she certainly understood the fashion M.O. that comes with sitting in the front row. Karina appeared in signature Thom Browne tailoring, opting for a gray suit that felt both sleek and laid back. “I usually prefer a more relaxed styling, and I feel that the pieces I wore to the show go really well with my personality,” says Karina. “The pleated skirt has both a calm and lively aspect to it, which really blended nicely with the sophisticated and structured top.” Her staggering platform shoes, and a whimsical dog bag, added a sense of playfulness to the look.

You can expect Karina to keep on delivering bold outfits during her ongoing tour, too. Up next, she and her fellow Aespa members are going global. “We will be performing at Outside Lands in San Fransisco in August, and then head to L.A. to officially kick off our U.S. tour,” says Karina. “I am so excited to finally be able to see our fans throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe following our stops in Asia.” Given their dates are rapidly selling out, something tells us the shows will be ones to remember.

Below, a closer look at Karina’s couture week look.