Style Spotlight: All Major Fashion Moments At 2017 MAMA

K-pop has undoubtedly made an unprecedented stride all over the world, proving that language is not a barrier to music, dance, and entertainment. This year, Mnet recognized this huge phenomenon by staging three award shows in different countries: November 25 in Vietnam, November 29 in Japan, and December 1 in Hong Kong. In each country, there were slight differences when it came to the trends and overall looks of the Korean and local stars who graced the events.

Now that 2017 MAMA is over, let’s look back at the memorable fashion moments by celebrities both on the red carpet and on the stage!

Glam in Vietnam

In Vietnam, the pervading theme was local pride, as most of the Vietnamese stars wore outfits made by designers who hail from their home country. Wanna One and SEVENTEEN, on the other hand, took the classic route with safe yet red carpet-worthy looks.

Wanna One

Wanna One is having a great 2017! Not only have they topped music charts and popularity polls in Korea this year, they also captured the hearts of many Asian fans who voted for them for the Best of Next Award. On the red carpet, the boys wore classic dapper matching suits and ties, looking all sleek and mature.

SEVENTEEN

What made SEVENTEEN’s style different was that some of them wore standout suits like pin-stripes, printed, gray, and navy to break the monotony of black hues.

Agnez Mo

Indonesian singer and actress Agnez Mo was the queen of the night with her sexy, street style look in a long orange shirt dress paired with silk, navy thigh high boots. Her hair, makeup, and accessories were on point, and she backed it up with amazing confidence to boot!

Hoa Minzy, Duc Phuc, and Erik

The dynamic trio wore fiery red for their performance onstage, matching Erik’s hair perfectly.

Samuel Kim

Talented singer Samuel Kim also made a dapper appearance on the red carpet and made his suit just a little more edgy with tousled hair and a side earring.

Lula

Best Asian Artist Lula wore soft florals on the red carpet and onstage when she received the award, and she looked totally cute in both outfits!

Angela Phuong Trinh

Popular Vietnamese actress Angela Phuong Trinh took her red carpet look a notch higher and had a Cinderella moment, wearing a floor-length princess ball gown with a winged-sleeve detail and sporting beehive hair. The asymmetry of this dress is absolutely stunning.

Tóc Tiên

Tóc Tiên, one of Vietnam’s most iconic pop stars, brought the glitz and glam to the night with her multiple outfit changes that were mind blowing one after the other. She wore a sequined mini suit on the red carpet, and a gold puffed-sleeved number in her ballad performance, which she later changed into a sexy red outfit. At the event, she wore a winning gold outfit to receive the Best Vietnam Artist Award.

Actress Thanh Hang

They say great minds think alike, or in this case, fashionistas know what looks are stylish, as the presenter of her award, actress Than Hang, also wore a similar look! The outfits were recently debuted in Vietnam International Fashion Week 2017 F/W collection by Cong Tri (who is also the same designer as Tóc Tiên’s red carpet attire). Their image has since become viral, likening their looks to the Petronas Tower in Malaysia and an iconic temple.

Japan: Simple and understated

In Japan, the looks were a bit conservative and classy as there were no over-the-top outfits. Minimalism and understated glam were the key themes.

Natural beauty

L-R: Fujii Mina, Lee Sun Bin, Kim So Hyun, and Ishida Nicole wore lace and chiffon gowns that looked sweet and simple.

Choo Sung Hoon and Yano Shiho looked stunning in a red, floral lace gown.

Sleek and smooth

L-R: Seo Kang Joon, Harada Ryuuji, Im Joo Hwan, and Park Bo Gum all looked handsome in their classic-trimmed penguin suits, with Im Joo Hwan opting for a matching velvet look.

Upper: MONSTA X, Lower: Wanna One and EXO-CBX. Speaking of velvet, it was definitely a material of choice that night as several boy groups incorporated it in their overall looks.

Lee Ho Jung joined the power women in suits category.

Block B’s Zico was on a league of his own. Props to him for always bravely pushing the envelope when it comes to his fashion choices.

Girl power

Chungha just might be the next fiercest solo act. She pulled off and a sheer dress over a matching black pantsuit, which looked similar to Lee Sun Bin’s look at Seoul Fashion Week last October. 

BoA is and will always be the queen of K-pop.

Upper L-R: Fromis9, former girl group I.O.I. Lower L-R: TWICE, PRISTIN. It was the reign of girl groups and the school girl outfits.

Upper: PRISTIN, lower: Weki Meki all in varying black and white outfits.

TWICE wore some touches of orange in their black looks. Mina and Sana both stood out, but they all looked equally pretty.

AKB48 dressed in their signature cute cosplay costumes. The precise detail and the exact similar cut and length of each dress was amazing! It was also considered as an epic moment that AKB48, undoubtedly one of Japan’s most popular groups, joined I.O.I on one stage for a collaboration celebrating friendship between the two countries and the same groundbreaking idol-producing system that made them into stars.

Check out the next page for the outfits featured in Hong Kong!

Sleek and sophisticated in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, we saw a lot of couture looks and impeccably tailored suits that are more classic and dressy.

Dapper Kings and Queens

L-R: Kim Jae Wook, Lee Je Hoon, Jisoo, Nam Jae Hyuk. These four actors looked like the perfect gentlemen in suits that have subtle statements and fit them like a glove.

Ahn Jae Hyun’s inner model aura can be seen as he escorted Park Joo Mi on the red carpet.

Song Joong Ki wore a gray jacket over an all-black outfit, which is okay but he could have chosen a better suit jacket (with better fit and style) if he was going for a semi-formal look. Nevertheless, he can make anything look great with his irresistible charm and gleaming smile.

Taemin wore two long coats at the same time, which looked a tad too heavy for the red carpet.

Speaking of suits, Soyou’s menswear-inspired suit dress was a great and exciting deviant choice that stood out in the sea of dresses and gowns. Though it would have been a bit better if it was cinched more to show her curves and paired with an edgier shoe choice, she still looked effortlessly sexy and classy.

Heize once again proved that she’s a real cool cat. Just like Soyou, she ditched the dresses and chose to wear a sleek all-white suit and changed into a plaid red coat onstage. Her hair and makeup were on point as always.

Sophisticated stars

L-R: Kim Yoo Jung, Kim Sae Ron, and Honey Lee wore nude and neutral colors that made their natural beauty stand out.

Lee Young Ae, Lee Chung Ah, and Karen Mok wore long black dresses but with different twists. Lee Young Ae never ages! She looked incredibly stunning with a one-side cape sleeve, while Lee Chung Ah looked gorgeous in a dress with sparkly fringes and a side slit. Karen Mok was the more adventurous of the two with her see-through Dior outfit.

Later in the night Karen changed into a flowy, dreamy white gown onstage.

Jo Bo Ah and Sunmi were the standout women in red. Jo Bo Ah accessorized her off-shouldered gown with elegant jewelry while Sunmi wore red hoop earrings that added more fun to her look.

Song Ji Hyo was not nominated in any category as she’s an actress, but she was definitely a winner from head to toe! We’re used to seeing her with a more casual look and sneakers in “Running Man” but she upped the ante with a figure hugging dress that had peek-a-boo details.

Stylish and well-coordinated group looks

Major props to BTS’s stylist for putting them in suits that each have unique details like sequins, ruffles, and embellishments that showed off their individual personalities. Of course, the boys pulled them off effortlessly. The coconut tree detail on Jungkook is by far the coolest!

EXO is another example of cohesive, well-coordinated suits. Each suit jacket is cut differently and accessorized with either lapel pins, ribbon ties, or a statement shirt. All of them looked handsome with their hairstyles.

Wanna One had slight variations in their suits.

NCT 127 showed off their fun and youthful looks with different patterned suit jackets that maintained their black and white aesthetic.

Super Junior went as a group with different styles, with Kim Heechul standing out in a matching red suit. Not too sure about Shindong’s Burberry print polo but it did kind of match with the other members that had one “point” item.

GOT7 was another example that a group can still look like they belong in one team even while wearing different styles. They looked so charismatic with their stage outfits!

Red Velvet in touches of red and velvet! The girls wore two of the biggest trends this winter: velvet and sequins.

Hey Soompiers! Which 2017 MAMA event or style star was your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!

DP_Kim is an English magazine and online writer and former stylist based in South Korea. Follow her Korean adventures at instagram.com/dianne_panda.