BTS V and Celine Redefine Fashion: Inside W Korea’s Must-See September 2025 Issue, a K-Pop Global Event

Photo. Credits: CELINE. W Korea Magazine. BigHit Music

As anticipation builds each September for W Korea’s special issue, 2025 has become a milestone year as BTS’s V, known offstage as Kim Taehyung, takes center stage in an electrifying cover collaboration with Celine. More than just a fashion event, this moment crystallizes the global allure of K-pop and the way boundary-pushing icons like V define cultural relevance. The cover reveal, teased by W Korea with snippets showing V’s striking green hair, eyebrow slit, and the distinctive styling that Celine’s creative direction is known for, instantly went viral among BTS fans worldwide. The effect was instantaneous: images and short behind-the-scenes videos spread across social media, with fans and insiders alike touting this as one of 2025’s most iconic magazine visuals.

W Korea, a renowned trendsetter in fashion publishing, has chronicled the evolution of style since its first issue in 2005. Widely respected for its innovative art direction and its uncanny ability to bridge Eastern and Western aesthetics, its covers are now a coveted platform for artists aiming to showcase not just their outer beauty but the stories and concepts that define them. It is hardly surprising that dozens of Korean and international stars eagerly anticipate the chance to be the magazine’s cover feature—yet few generate the feverish excitement witnessed with BTS members. Part of this is the magazine’s knack for tapping into current movements: inviting idols and K-pop luminaries who are defining new standards for beauty, performance, and authenticity in global youth culture.

For Taehyung’s 2025 appearance, the connection between W Korea and K-pop’s biggest group feels like a natural extension of an ongoing relationship. W Korea has previously spotlighted various BTS members, each revelation drawing attention not only for the sharp visuals but also for the ability to capture the personalities and artistic sensibilities unique to each artist. For Taehyung, this Celine project is more than just a photoshoot—it’s a moment of personal and artistic evolution, made clear in both the mature charisma he radiates and the inventive styling that has become his trademark. With the “Visual King” in a Parisian mansion, as the magazine described, the creative meeting of talents resulted in images immediately hailed as masterpieces by critics and fans.

The partnership with Celine itself is a testament to V’s global impact in the fashion world. As Celine’s brand ambassador, his appearances at Paris Fashion Week have drawn attention from luxury insiders and casual fans alike, earning personal invitations from industry leaders such as Anna Wintour. The September cover shoot solidifies both V’s influence and Celine’s presence at the forefront of youth-driven luxury trends. No sooner were the first sneak peeks released than K-pop fans flooded social platforms with praise and anticipation, ensuring pre-orders for the physical issue soared and sharing links to digital content in dozens of languages.

Of course, this fan fervor is deeply rooted in BTS’s broader legacy. Debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment, BTS quickly rose from underdog rookies to world-conquering superstars, known for their razor-sharp dance, emotionally resonant lyrics, and distinct personalities. The group’s seven members—RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—each bring unique artistry and bilingual charisma to both their music and side projects. Magazine covers, especially in the last five years, have become not just a mark of popularity but an event in themselves: moments when the group’s global ARMY comes together to celebrate their every move. When V appears solo on W Korea in partnership with Celine, it’s more than a fashion statement; it’s testament to K-pop’s continued surge in cultural cachet.

K-pop’s relationship with prestige magazines like W Korea is special because it operates on a different level than Western celebrity coverage. In Korea, magazine covers frequently function as barometers of social change, and W Korea, with a finger on contemporary pulses, has built an audience that is not only stylish but socially savvy. This synergy means every BTS member’s cover is dissected, adored, and imitated—not just for visuals, but for what it reflects about identity, artistry, and aspiration. The fandom’s collective excitement breaks barriers, pushing these issues to record sales, dominating search trends, and spawning global discussion threads about styling, meaning, and representation.

As K-pop continues its meteoric rise and BTS’s members spread their creative wings into solo ventures and fashion ambassadorships, moments like V’s Celine-powered W Korea cover illuminate why Korean artists and their favorite magazines have become fixtures in the global culture conversation. Each issue is not simply a souvenir but a tangible expression of a movement still gaining momentum, with BTS and their fans at its heart.