Just outside Paris at Stade de France, Jung Kook—of pop royalty BTS—debuted several custom Balenciaga looks on stage to a record-breaking size crowd of 92,000 per day. Each look was specially made for this leg of the international, sold-out arena tour of ARIRANG, BTS’s fifth studio album.
Photo: Balenciaga
These exclusive pieces reimagine designs and key elements from Balenciaga’s Fall 26 and Spring 27 collections, by Pierpaolo Piccioli: au courant interpretations of the House’s iconic codes that as well correspond to the BTS tour’s three thematized acts—and to Jung Kook’s own distinctive style.
During Act One, Jung Kook wore a black leather ensemble of multi-belted pants, buckled moto gloves, and a high-collared jacket adorned with metal Le City studs, a Balenciaga signature originating on the classic It Bag.
Photo: Balenciaga
Act Two’s looks involved oversized silhouettes, in keeping with the House’s long history of sculptural volumes. On July 17th, Jung Kook wore a Le City-studded denim jacket featuring a patchwork logo, layered over a tie-dye logo T-shirt and baggy jeans. The next day, he wore another black leather look, this one consisting of opera gloves, XXL pants, and a boxy, hooded short-sleeve top featuring an embroidered logo and the number 10—Balenciaga’s historic Paris address on Avenue George V.
Photo: Balenciaga
Throughout the two back-to-back shows, Jung Kook wore his Balenciaga Venom Boots and Boomerang Cat Sunglasses, as well as Balenciaga jewelry, including the BB Icon Necklace and the DIY Pin Necklace.
For the final act, official BTS ARIRANG WORLD TOUR merch was reworked, creating distressed, washed pieces—a hoodie worn on the first France show date and a T-shirt worn on the second—that layered Balenciaga logomarks, Jung Kook’s name and initials, the album title, the tour’s European cities, and the year 26. These graphic artworks utilize heavy metal, calligraphic, stencil, and varsity typography in varying techniques, including overdying, screen-printing, and appliqueing—an example of the House’s consistent exploration of materiality and craft.
