Photo Credits: ELLE China SM Entertainment Cube Entertainment

The ELLE China Style Awards 2025 marked a special milestone with its 80th anniversary, celebrated through a dazzling pictorial featuring two standout stars: aespa’s Ningning and Yanan from PENTAGON. Both artists brought a captivating duality to the shoot, combining futuristic elements with timeless elegance, reflecting ELLE’s vision of infinite style possibilities.

Ningning’s pictorial exuded a breathtaking futuristic beauty that resonated deeply with aespa’s signature sci-fi concept. Her styling featured a seamless blend of high fashion and avant-garde aesthetics. One key look showcased her in iridescent, sculptural garments that shimmered with metallic and pearl hues, emphasizing a celestial, almost otherworldly aura. Makeup accentuated this effect with luminous skin, bold iridescent eyeshadows, and a soft nude lip, complementing a sleek, center-parted hairstyle that maintained a glossy, natural finish. In another set, Ningning embraced a more ethereal vibe, wearing flowing fabrics with intricate textures, coupled with dewy, radiant makeup and her hair styled in loose, gentle waves that softened her striking features.

Meanwhile, Yanan of PENTAGON brought a sophisticated edge to the ELLE pictorial with styling that blended modern minimalism with classic tailoring. His wardrobe included sharply tailored suits in monochrome tones punctuated with subtle embellishments, showcasing his poised fashion sensibility. His hair was styled in a clean, textured look with natural volume, while makeup remained understated yet flawless, highlighting his clear complexion and strong bone structure. These fashion choices offered a refined contrast to Ningning’s futuristic flair, yet meshed perfectly within the narrative of cohesion and elegance celebrating ELLE’s legacy.

The backstory of this shoot reflected ELLE China’s commitment to honoring both its 80 years of fashion influence and the role of young trailblazers in shaping the future of style. The pictorial was shot in Sanya, Hainan, embracing a blend of natural beauty and modern glamour that paralleled the artists’ own visual storytelling. This celebration was part of an immersive event that positioned Sanya as a new global fashion capital, merging ocean breezes with haute couture.

Together, Ningning and Yanan embody ELLE’s infinite theme—where classic values meet bold, boundary-pushing fashion statements—and their vibrant, stylistic contrast offered a fresh yet timeless tribute to ELLE’s storied legacy.