On a Thursday evening, a huge crowd gathers in front of the Gentle Monster store at ION Orchard.
It turns out that these are fans waiting to catch a glimpse of K-pop idols BamBam and Sorn, who are members of K-pop band Got7 and CLC respectively.
“This is their first working schedule together outside of Korea,” a press statement reveals.
Despite being in different bands, they do share a thing or two in common – their love for sunglasses. And they are both K-pop stars of Thai descent.
Fans would know that Thai K-pop idols, including NCT’s Ten, (G)I-DLE’s Minnie and 2PM’s Nichkhun are actually a close-knitted group of friends.
The duo, along with other local artists and personalities, graced the reopening of the South Korean based luxury sunglasses and optical glasses brand.
BamBam is greeted with deafening cheers, arriving in a black blazer and a pair of denim jeans, topped with a pearl choker and a pair of dark shades.
After taking several press interviews, he stepped out for a photo call. To show his appreciation, he snapped a few photos with his fans who came down to show their support.
Sorn also opted for a darker outlook with a body-hugging outfit. She completed the look with a pair of contrasting white sunglasses.
It is the brand’s usual practice to reopen their store almost annually for a change in their concept and brand direction.
But “this is the first in three years due to the global pandemic”, a brand spokesperson tells me as I tour the store.
Gentle Monster is widely known for their gigantic yet abstract in-store installations. So this time is no exception.
Their reopened store features a giant-sized ant, a blinking eye and a futuristic-looking robot.
With a refurbished storefront, it boasts two collections — the Bold collection, which is the brand’s newest collection, as well as the Gentle collection.
You can shop Gentle Monster at ION Orchard (#01-13 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn) or Marina Bay Sands (2 Bayfront Avenue, #B2-103/104/105).
This article originally appeared on SeoulHype, Asia’s fastest-growing media platform about Korean entertainment, culture and music.