BIGBANG have had a long love affair with their fans that surpasses the standard public hysteria that comes with being in a K-pop boy band.
Now, with the future of the band uncertain as the members must complete their mandatory military service, the annual BIGBANG anniversary concert has taken on a greater significance.
At the final concert of the group’s blockbuster 32-city MADE world tour in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday, the members confirmed that not only would they be holding the performance but promised that this year, it would be something special.
“Before the concert, we had a meeting with YG staff members,” BIGBANG member Seungri told the crowd, according to the Korean news website Soompi.
“We’re going to hold a BIGBANG 10th anniversary concert this summer, here in Korea in an outdoor venue.”
According to the group’s vocalist Taeyang, the event will be more than just another BIGBANG set.
“In return for ten years of your love, we plan to make the 10th anniversary concert an epic day-long festival,” he said.
While frontman G-Dragon reflected on the veteran Hallyu act’s chart-topping run.
“During the past 10 years, there haven’t been only good days,” the Korean icon told the audience.
“There were bad days too, but I think we’re able to be here today in this spot because you were all there for us during those times, looking out for us and loving us.”
In an interview last month for the Korean publication Star news, G-Dragon had confessed that he and his bandmates weren’t particularly comfortable pondering the end of the group.
“Actually, we try not to talk about our future,” the group’s frontman G-Dragon told.
“We’re busy enjoying every second of the time left for us. One thing that is certain though, is that our future will be greater than the present. We believe that tomorrow will be better than today and we act with such a belief.”
All eligible males between the ages of 18 and 35 currently must enroll for between 21 and 24 months of army service in South Korea (the length of mandatory enrollment changes by several months depending on which branch of the military that they serve in), due to the country’s decades-long conflict with the North.
Band member Daesung appeared to hint at a future for the band beyond the group’s time spent serving their country.
“It is true that there won’t be that many opportunities to stand on the stage as a complete team before we go to serve our military service,” he said.
“That is why every performance of us these days is so meaningful and precious. We’ll of course continue to perform our music after we come back from the army, but we have no specific plans yet.”
 

Source: KoreaPortal

Karl Lagerfeld, Jefferson Hack Celebrate Another Magazine 15th Anniversary

Full article at WWD

HAVING HIS CAKE: Worlds collided at 31 Rue Cambon on Tuesday night, when Karl Lagerfeld opened Chanel’s haute couture salons and Coco Chanel’s historic apartment to a crowd of revelers, including Kendall Jenner, G-Dragon, Pharrell Williams, Bella Hadid, Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, Riccardo Tisci, Clare Waight Keller and Rick Owens.
“They’re all in a good mood,” said Jefferson Hack, publisher of Another magazine. He was speaking at the cocktail Chanel cohosted with the publication to celebrate Another’s 15th anniversary and the cover Karl Lagerfeld lensed for its limited-edition birthday issue.
Hudson Kroenig was flanked by his godfather Lagerfeld on one side and Princess Caroline of Hanover and Hack on the other while blowing out candles on a vertiginous cake. The seven-year-old son of Lagerfeld’s muse Brad Kroenig later showed off his dance moves.
“He’s good,” praised Williams.
The party also drew guests including Caroline de Maigret, Jamie Bochert, Anja Rubik and Stella Tennant. Willow Smith, the young singer, songwriter and actress who a few hours earlier had been named a new face for Chanel, was absent.
Jenner, just out of the Off-White show with her mother Kris Jenner, struck a pose with G-Dragon.

“I have just arrived today for a shoot with Karl tomorrow for Vogue Korea,” said the South Korean pop star, who is still working on a new album. “I am waiting for the tour. It’s going to be yearlong.”
Who has more Instagram followers — Jenner or him?
“She does,” he answered.
The limited-edition anniversary issue has as its cover a striking 3-D portrait of Lagerfeld done in hologram. “On his broach, there’s a hologram of Choupette, so now we have a hologram within a hologram. It’s a holy-gram,” Hack said with a laugh, referring to the designer’s beloved cat. “The portrait was done with photographer Rob Munday. He used a similar technique with the Queen of England. He’s the most experienced in holographic photography.”
“The cover is super cool. It’s pop. There’s a Warhol-esque quality to it,” said Waight Keller, who remembers getting the first issue of Another. “Fifteen years have gone and I still have it.”
The designer praised the Chanel show. “I love the fact he’s doing very strong colors and the mix with denim,” she said. “I always love denim. And the little white lace dress at the end — very Chanel. That was beautiful.”
“Holograms remind me of the pornographic postcards in Italy — you know the women, dress-undress — they were beautiful,” Tisci noted.
Givenchy’s creative director plans to take a break in two weeks. “I am going to travel a little bit but Brazil first. I represent amfAR Brazil. It’s in May, but I am going [to organize for it now],” he said.
Owens won’t have any holiday until the summer. “I have already started the pre-collection,” he said. “But I spend the entire summer in Venice. I have a house there.”
Jamie Bochert, who walked the Chanel show in a dark gray suit with blue sleeves, has just recorded her first album. “I am gonna play live shows now in New York and L.A. I got to go back home first and rehearse with my band. It’s guitar and piano-driven, bluesy, psychedelic and dark, I guess. I am very inspired by Nick Cave,” she said.

[…] Full article at WWD