Can KATSEYE Become the Biggest Girl Group in the World?
When Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE dropped on Netflix this past summer, the show went viral for a reason. It followed a group of 20 girls competing to become part of a new kind of girl group: in the style of a K-pop band but with members from all over the world, singing mostly in English instead of Korean. The very major concept was a collab between HYBE, the record label responsible for BTS, and Geffen Records, which reps stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. Unlike many of the K-pop stars who came before them who enter training academies years before they will eventually debut, the KATSEYE hopefuls only got to train for one year. The process, which was documented in that Netflix show, was grueling and heartbreaking, but people could not get enough of the group and its drama. When the winners were crowned, the fan base was locked and loaded.
Months later, the group is riding the success of their debut EP SIS. That title is an acronym for “soft is strong,” an ethos that also happens to resonate with Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of Louis Vuitton. (He once described fashion as “a formidable soft power.”) So we brought the band and the design house together, where the new queens of pop try on Louis Vuitton’s spring-summer 2025 collection and answer a few of our hardest-hitting questions…to prove that strength does come in many, many forms.
Age: 22 Hometown: Manila, Philippines
On making KATSEYE: I dropped out of college for this. I thought of the training like a full-ride scholarship. Being selected was graduation.
Biggest pinch-me moment: KCON. That was our first performance.
Style icons: Anne Hathaway and Heart Evangelista.
Favorite girl group: The Pussycat Dolls. We just met Nicole Scherzinger after seeing her in Sunset Blvd. on Broadway and I couldn’t stop crying.
Go-to karaoke song: “My Heart Will Go On” by Céline Dion.
Dream collaborator: Pharrell.
Childhood crush: Nick Jonas.
Favorite movie: Mamma Mia! or The Princess Diaries.
Bucket list vacation: Greece.
Best advice she’s received: Play with passion or don’t play at all.
Age: 17 Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
On fame: I feel like I’m in a dream. Every time I see our Spotify score go up, I can’t believe it.
Style icons: G-Dragon and Blackpink’s Jennie.
Dream collaborator: Jennie again. I love her.
Go-to karaoke song: “Ending Scene” by IU.
On missing her family: I FaceTime with them every night.
Comfort food: Kimchi stew.
Favorite road trip snack: Butter caramel Pringles. It’s a rare flavor you can only get in Korea. They come in a pink tube.
Favorite show: Alice in Borderland.
Childhood crush: Adrien Agreste from Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Favorite song to perform: “My Way.”
On what’s next: More fans, more songs, more stage experience, and lots of awards!
Age: 19 Hometown: New York, New York
On ambition: I always knew I was going to be famous.
On fame: This isn’t a normal human experience. But we keep each other very grounded.
Style icons: Alton Mason and Arca.
Favorite girl group: The only right answer, Spice Girls.
Favorite shows: You and Orange Is the New Black.
Childhood crush: Ruby Rose.
Comfort food: Rasam! It’s this South Indian tomato broth from my hometown.
On representation: A fan told me that she started wearing bindis because I wear bindis. That feels amazing.
Best advice she’s received: Someone told me to journal everything, so I have been every single day.
Age: 22 Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
On her bandmates: We’re truly sisters. I treat them like I do my sister back home.
Style icons: Rihanna, Bella Hadid, Lisa Bonet.
Dream collaborator: Charli XCX would be fire.
Favorite girl group: Destiny’s Child.
Childhood crush: Justin Bieber. I had the Bieber fever hard.
Go-to karaoke song: “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse.
Favorite song to perform: “Touch.”
Favorite movie: Is it problematic if I say Twilight?
Comfort food: My dad’s cooking. Any kind of West African cuisine.
Dream vacation: New York. I want to come back and have time to explore.
On what’s next: Global domination! I want us to be the biggest girl group in the world.
Age: 19 Hometown: Honolulu, Hawai‘i
On ambition: I’ve always been attracted to the entertainment industry. I wanted to be an actress; I wanted to model.
Style icons: Lily-Rose Depp and Devon Aoki.
Biggest pinch-me moment: Seeing our billboard on Sunset Boulevard.
Go-to karaoke song: “God Is a Woman” by Ariana Grande.
On finding alone time: I take drives around L.A. and listen to music.
Favorite road trip snack: Hot Fries.
Childhood crushes: Cole Sprouse and Kate Moss.
On love: There’s no time for dating. There’s not even time for friends. Like, we’re each other’s friends.
Best advice she’s received: Look at the bigger picture.
Age: 20 Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
On her bandmates: They are the sisters I never had.
Style icons: Kendall Jenner, Shakira, Charli XCX.
Favorite girl group: I really rocked with Fifth Harmony.
Dream collaborator: Easy...Rosalía.
Go-to karaoke song: “Umbrella” by Rihanna.
Favorite shows: Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, New Girl.
Favorite road trip snack: Hot Cheetos.
On reuniting with So You Think You Can Dance costars: I actually texted Tate McRae not too long ago!
Childhood crush: Ross Lynch.
On love: Dating is not in the picture. It’s literally impossible.
On what’s next: A home country tour would be sick. Traveling and performing across the Philippines, Switzerland, Korea…that would be so cool.
Stylist: Cassie Anderson. Hair: Clay Nielsen at Tracey Mattingly Agency. Makeup: Alex T. at Art Department. Manicure: Ada Yeung at Bridge using Chanel. Production: Dana Brockman at Viewfinders. Set design: WayOut Studio at 11th House Agency.
All clothing and accessories by Louis Vuitton.
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