Photo Credits: K-Tigers E&C Universal Japan

CLASS:y becoming the new global ambassadors for jewelry brand OHT feels less like a campaign announcement and more like a plot twist in a coming‑of‑age film. It’s the moment when a group that has been quietly leveling up suddenly steps into a sharper, brighter frame—one where every facet of their identity can finally catch the light.

From Survival Stage to Statement Era

CLASS:y were born in front of the cameras, forged through the MBC survival show My Teenage Girl, and officially introduced to the world on May 5, 2022 with their debut mini album Class Is Over and title track “SHUT DOWN.” It was a debut that announced them as students of the game who fully intended to rewrite the rules, armed with a world-building slogan—“We customize our own”—that signaled early on that identity and narrative would be their core strengths.

Within weeks, the group extended that narrative across borders, releasing “SHUT DOWN -JP Ver.-” and making their formal Japanese debut under Universal Music Japan in June 2022. Fanmeetings and festival stages followed, proving that CLASS:y’s performance DNA—precise, youthful, and slightly defiant—translated seamlessly from Korean music shows to overseas crowds.

“CLASS:y don’t just grow; they upgrade—concept, choreography, and now, the jewelry that frames their story.”

As 5th‑generation girl groups began to crowd the scene, CLASS:y quietly assembled a discography built on energy and ambition, with tracks like “Tick Tick Boom,” “SHUT DOWN,” and “CLASSY” becoming calling cards for their polished, pop‑driven sound. Every comeback nudged their image a little further: less school uniforms, more self‑authored characters, hinting that a bolder visual chapter was on the horizon.

Why OHT and CLASS:y Make Sense Together

OHTNYC—known in K‑pop circles simply as OHT—is a jewelry label rooted in genderless design, gothic and punk inflections, and a distinctly modern interpretation of glamour. The brand has become a hidden code in idol styling, spotted on everyone from Western stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Gigi Hadid to a rising wave of Korean artists who favor pieces that look like they could double as armor, spellbook, or secret key.​

In Korea’s idol universe, OHT jewelry has already been tied to daring concept queens and expressive performers, particularly through high‑impact editorial shoots and special stage looks. The label’s sharp silhouettes and symbolic charms—dice, stars, crosses, and industrial chains—align naturally with the kind of universe‑building that groups like CLASS:y are now expected to deliver as they evolve beyond rookie narratives.

The appointment of CLASS:y as OHT’s new global ambassadors marks the next step in that synergy: a youthful group with an established fandom, CLIKE:y, ready to interpret jewelry not as accessory but as narrative device. For OHT, it’s a chance to anchor their rebellious aesthetic to a rising girl group storyline; for CLASS:y, it’s an upgrade in visual power, pulling them deeper into the intersection of K‑pop and fashion.

He♡rt Heist: Stealing the Spotlight

Hints of this new chapter surfaced with OHT’s Valentine’s‑season tease of the “He♡rt Heist” collection, promoted as the beginning of a new chapter and “soon to be seen on our new ambassador.” The framing was cinematic from the start: a heist narrative wrapped in romance, pressure, and shine—exactly the kind of mini‑movie that K‑pop fans know how to decode frame by frame.

“He♡rt Heist” is more than a seasonal drop; it’s a thesis statement. By linking the collection’s launch to their new ambassador, OHT effectively turned CLASS:y into protagonists of a Valentine’s day story about love, risk, and self‑possession, with each piece of jewelry doubling as a symbolic artifact of that plot.

“With OHT, every chain, ring, and charm becomes a line of dialogue in CLASS:y’s ongoing coming‑of‑age story.”

In the hands of an expressive girl group, a piece from “He♡rt Heist” isn’t just a heart motif; it’s a stolen glance on stage, a secret confession in a music video, a moment of courage captured in a concept photo. The right styling can turn a choker into a boundary, a stacked ring set into a promise, a single earring into a “choose me” signal to fans watching through their screens.

Styling as Storytelling

CLASS:y’s visual journey has always walked the line between classroom rebellion and future‑facing fantasy. Early fits leaned into uniform references—pleated skirts, ties, varsity details—offset by bolder beauty and accessories that hinted at the world beyond graduation. As their concept matured, so did their styling: edgier silhouettes, metallic textures, and playful asymmetry began to appear, giving each member a more distinct on‑stage persona.

OHT’s aesthetic gives their styling team an expanded vocabulary. Instead of simply “cute” or “girl crush,” CLASS:y can now move into more nuanced visual territories—punk‑romantic, cyber‑schoolgirl, neo‑fairytale—where jewelry becomes the connective tissue between concepts, eras, and even languages as they move between Korean and Japanese promotions.

“From survival screens to global shine, CLASS:y’s glow-up is now etched in OHT’s fearless metal.”

On stage, the impact is immediate: a high‑energy choreography sequence looks sharper with reflective metal catching the light on every turn, while close‑up shots in music videos gain new layers of meaning when an OHT ring or pendant anchors the frame. For teasers, posters, and social campaigns, those same pieces serve as visual Easter eggs, letting fans theorize about “eras” not just in terms of hair color and sets, but in terms of specific chains, ear cuffs, and motifs.

Fandom, Screens, and the New Luxury

CLIKE:y, like most 5th‑gen fandoms, is fluent in both fashion and symbolism. They know which brands appear in which era, which necklace signals a darker concept shift, and how a single bracelet can become a fandom in‑joke once it appears in behind‑the‑scenes content or a TikTok challenge.

Jewelry, especially from a cult‑favorite label like OHT, also offers a more accessible entry point to “luxury” fandom life than haute couture ready‑to‑wear. Fans can save for a ring, a bracelet, or a pair of earrings that mirror CLASS:y’s styling, turning their own daily fits into small extensions of the group’s universe. In a post‑pandemic era where parasocial connection is mediated through screens, that physical, wearable link to an idol’s aesthetic feels more intimate than a poster on a wall.

“OHT isn’t accessory for CLASS:y—it’s the armor of their next evolution.”

At the same time, OHT gains an active, creative street team: fans styling their pieces in outfit posts, unboxings, and concert OOTDs, tagging both the group and the brand. The result is a feedback loop where CLASS:y’s looks inspire fans, fans’ interpretations inspire new routes of styling, and OHT sits at the center as the shared visual language that ties it all together.

Global Trajectory, Visual First

From debut, CLASS:y’s ambitions have been outward‑facing—Japanese promotions, international stages, and a clear desire to one day touch global charts like Billboard. In this landscape, jewelry ambassadorship isn’t just about shine; it’s about creating instantly recognizable visual signatures that translate cross‑culturally in a single swipe.

K‑pop’s global visual economy—from TikTok edits to Pinterest boards—is built on screenshots and still frames. An OHT‑laden look becomes a shorthand image: “the He♡rt Heist era,” “the chain‑heavy stage outfits,” “the asymmetric earring comeback.” For international media, classifying CLASS:y in the same sentence as a buzzy, globally visible jewelry brand makes them easier to introduce to new audiences who may not yet know their survival show roots but recognize the aesthetic language.

“In K-pop’s visual arms race, CLASS:y just armed themselves with OHT’s edge.”

In that sense, the ambassadorship is both visual and strategic—another step in positioning CLASS:y as a group whose story is written not only in discography, but also in silhouettes, textures, metals, and the way light clings to them under the stage rig.

Music, Identity, and the Next Chapter

As CLASS:y continue to build out their musical identity—balancing high‑octane dance tracks with more emotionally textured b‑sides—the OHT partnership acts as a framing device for whatever comes next. Imagine a future comeback where the concept film opens on a close‑up of a “He♡rt Heist” pendant spinning like a clock, or a choreography highlight where a ring becomes the focal point of a hand gesture that fans will later replicate in fancams and dance covers.

The group’s slogan—“We customize our own”—feels newly literal in this context. Customization isn’t just about music and performance anymore; it’s about how CLASS:y build an integrated identity where their voices, movements, and jewelry all tell the same story. In a 5th‑gen landscape obsessed with lore, CLASS:y and OHT are effectively co‑authoring a shared universe where every bracelet can be a plot twist and every earring a clue.

“CLIKE:y don’t just stan; they wear the era, one heart-heist chain at a time.”

For fans, this era offers a new way to feel close to the group—not only by streaming songs and cheering at showcases, but by wearing a little piece of their narrative against their own skin. And for CLASS:y, stepping into the role of global ambassadors doesn’t just confirm their relevance; it crystallizes the kind of artists they’re becoming: multidimensional, visually articulate, and unafraid to let their shine show under pressure.

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