BLACKPINK’s Jennie once again proved that a stage can be more than a performance it can be a statement of identity. Appearing at the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA 2025) for the first time in seven years, Jennie drew attention not only for her historic wins, but for a stage wardrobe that reinterpreted Korean heritage with striking clarity.
On December 20, Jennie attended MMA 2025 and swept three major awards with her first full-length solo album ‘Ruby’, including the grand prize Record of the Year.
A Stage Draped in Language and History
Performing ‘Seoul City’, Jennie appeared wearing a dramatic veil measuring nearly 15 meters in length. Etched across the fabric were verses from ‘Cheonggu Yeongeon’, the earliest known collection of song lyrics written entirely in Hangul. The moment the veil filled the stage, it reframed the performance as an act of cultural storytelling rather than spectacle.
Beneath the veil, Jennie wore a robe inspired by the Bangasayusang (Pensive Bodhisattva), paired with handcrafted norigae featuring traditional chick-knot detailing creating an image that felt restrained, grounded, and deliberate. The design label behind the look explained that the veil was not meant to conceal, but to represent confrontation with one’s origins. The Hangul revealed beneath symbolized “the first language that called Jennie’s name,” and the clearest marker of where she comes from.
Tradition Reimagined Through Structure
Jennie continued this visual narrative in performances of ‘Zen’ and ‘Like Jennie’, blending traditional Korean garment elements such as dongjeong and goreum with Western corset structures. The result was a tense, sculptural silhouette that balanced softness with control. For her Record of the Year acceptance, Jennie wore a white dress featuring a bold central cutout shaped after the Bulguksa Seokgatap stone pagoda subtly transforming an ancient monument into a contemporary design motif.
More Than Fashion
Online reactions praised the symbolism behind the looks, noting how Korean history, language, and craft were woven into a global awards stage without explanation only confidence. As Seoul’s honorary tourism ambassador and a global artist in her own right, Jennie continues to show that Korean beauty doesn’t need translation. Sometimes, it only needs to be worn.