In a new interview, CL talked about 2NE1’s early image and how the group’s initial iconic style was developed organically.
When people talk about 2NE1, it’s almost criminal to not mention the group’s iconic style, which went hand-in-hand with their musical image. Coming in with a bang on the back of singles like ‘I Am The Best’, the quartet became known for their grunge meets punk-rock aesthetic.
In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, K-pop star CL – who was the leader of the group for the entirety of its successful run – talked more about how the style developed. Despite being from a major market player like YG Entertainment, however, CL mentioned 2NE1’s image developing naturally – a phenomenon almost unheard of in the tightly monitored K-pop industry.
“Now things are done through the major label system, but in the beginning of 2NE1, it was very organic.” she said in the interview.
“There were very few people in the companies. It would be me and my creative director, and we were all friends, and we were just in the studio coming up with what we liked and finding references.” she continued.
Despite the group’s massive impact on erstwhile Korean entertainment, CL said they hadn’t prepared for how big they would be.
“Back then, performance was the main point, so that’s why we were wearing sneakers onstage, which I didn’t know that it would be such a big deal for a girl group in Korea. We were just being ourselves, and that happened to make us different from the other groups.” she said.
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The star, who claims she was part of the ‘MTV-girl era’, said she developed part of her own style due to the 2NE1’s early approach to styling.
“We would get vintage pieces and re-work them, and we made a lot of our own stuff, which was fun. I learned not to think too much, but to also think out of the box,” she said.
You can read more about this topic over at the Asia Pop Observer.
Check out ‘Lover Like Me’ by CL:
