MUSE Volume 3: The Look Book by MUSE Magazine

THE LOOK BOOK

ISABEL MARANT SPRING/ SUMMER 2025: THIS SEASON IS FOR THE WOMEN

PARK SEONGHWA

...and His Very Big Year

MUSE

Editor

NICOLE MARIE SELMAN

All images in this feature edited by NIKI SELMAN for NICOLE MARIE SELMAN STUDIOS**

Copy Editor NIKI SELMAN

Graphic Design/Ad Visuals

NICOLE MARIE SELMAN STUDIOS

Cover Design

NIKI SELMAN

**Base images are property of KQ Entertainment/Park Seonghwa/박성화

This is an independent fan project and each image was edited with full understanding that they belong to the original photographer.

Images featuring the Isabel Marant ss2025 runway collection are obtained with permission. Not for download, reuse or sale.

CONTRIBUTORS

Korean Translation and proofreading

Susanne Cornitzius

French Translation and proofreading Auriane Cano

Additional Fashion/Costume/Makeup contribution

thanks to stylists and ATEEZ RUNWAY

Thank you to Seonghwa World and Model Hwa Pics admin for your continued support of the project, and your undying support for Seonghwa.

Special thanks to ARGEN and Coco&Ami for being a part of the project, for your stylish contributions to Ateez and Seonghwa’s wardrobe (and for trusting me to create your respective advertisements.)

ON THE COVER:

Makeup by SEO HA for Cheongdam Contigo; hair by Da Young, also for Cheongdam Contigo; Seonghwa wears Steam Punk Tie Shirt by PUNK RAVE

Letter from the Editor

Well? Here we are again. Volume Three of what has so far been a delightful and amazing project to work on. I thought the first would be my last, but to be honest, I’ve been planning this one from the day Volume One dropped. Truly, what began as a simple fan project has now evolved in to a full blown publication. It went futher than I realized it could, and I’ve learned SO much along the way.

So I gotta say thank you. My heart is full, and the supporters of this project have been absolutely incredible. You guys are stellar. Incendiary. You all have been a light in so many different and beautiful ways. I’m grateful more than I can show or say with words.

And Seonghwa. What else is there for me to say? There aren’t words in any language that can speak on the ways I wish to see you catch the stars. It was the point of all this, after all.

I hope you get everything you work for. We all do.

Please enjoy my humble offering to the cause, friends. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Very Best,

(made in Japan.)

THE NEW LOOK

Isabel Marant x Park Seonghwa

Seonghwa wears

Jaelis Roll Neck

Sweater; Irvana Wool

Blend Hooded Coat; Sierra Suede Leather

Messenger Bag

Seonghwa wears Jovana Coat; Jelica Jumpsuit; Sierra Suede Leather Bag

Seonghwa wears Cashlin Jacket; pants by stylist

Park Seonghwa, South Korean pop star, and surprise darling of Paris Fashion Week, shows the world what it looks like to gracefully navigate fame.

Counting Stars

“2024

is going to be our biggest year yet.”

All 8 members of powerhouse Korean music group Ateez, in the tangle of private chats and personalized live experiences, made a point of saying this often. And it was a big year. When the renowned Coachella lineup was announced, Ateez appeared on the roster so quietly, fans at first weren’t sure if it was real. Shortly after, the desert festival kicked off with a spectacular, two night performance by Ateez, who took the stage to a sway of fans at the ready. The set was backed by a live band and the costumes both nights were supplied by couturiers Valentino, and Dolce & Gabbana. It would go down in the group’s memory as one of its most important performances of their career.

But for Park Seonghwa, the eldest member of the group, it was not just another concert; it represented years of growth, evolution, and hard work. This became evident on night two, in an unforgettable moment that will go down in music history, as Park took the stage for his famous sword wielding Wonderland performance. Photographers captured him from every angle, crying out at the top of his lungs with a sword raised above his head. In a moment that can only be defined as iconic, the set ended with Seonghwa and a single, eyeliner stained tear, a look that has now been immortalized by Ateez’ notoriously dedicated fanbase of artists.

Immediately after the show, however, Seonghwa, visibly exhausted and still in costume, went to meet his fans via the Ateez fanclub app,TokToq, for a live video chat.

“Why did I scream? I don’t know,” Seonghwa responded. “I just wanted to let everything out. I didn’t have much in the way of strength [or stamina,] and the sword was getting heavy so I just went for it. I needed to make it work.”

Later in that same chat, despite waning fast from exhaustion, he would go on to shower his fans with a tearful and sincere thanks. Even later still, and well into the night, he would be awake sending photos through Fromm, an interactive fan-to-artist chat experience.

Park Seonghwa photographed in October in Paris France Seonghwa wears Odelle Sweater, Namoro Pants, and Skano Belt Bag, all by Isabel Marant.

But it’s important to know that this is who Seonghwa is. It’s what he does. Whether it be via the cultural respect of a low bow, or saying thank you in as many languages as he can, these are the things that make him so good at what he does. Not just his job, by the way. Far beyond the expectation of the average idol. And it’s important to him that this be conveyed by any means necessary. He is vulnerable with his fans, and maintains transparency often with playful metaphor, but sometimes through raw emotion. Regardless of the nuance, they almost always understand when he needs their attention or patience.

The first time I met Park, it was early 2022; the second time the following year and truly, not much had changed. I can still recall being struck by his disarming eye contact. In that conversation at some point the topic of work came up, to which he responded, “This is not what I consider work. The singing, the dancing, that’s all work. But this is me. I want to be here, talking to you.”

As cynical as I am, I’d say he was lying if I didn’t see it time and time again with my own eyes.

But he always speaks directly and smiles–simple gestures of well practiced but genuine interaction. It is a reflection of the sincerity that pinpoints his heartfelt attentive nature. This quality continues to resonate with fans as he shares his experiences, and theirs too. Fans simply can’t help but feel seen and loved by him.

In the larger-than-life world of K-pop, where stardom so often blurs the lines of reality, few artists have managed to balance the demands of fame vs. real life as openly as Seonghwa has. This year has been big, and has marked a significant chapter in his journey–as he maneuvered the rollercoaster effects of stardom through not only Coachella, but a North American tour, concerts and fan events throughout Korea and Japan, and most recently as an invited guest at Paris Fashion Week.

the promise of performance opportunities. In spite of all this, throughout his journey Seonghwa has maintained a loyalty to fans, and they likewise. They refer to him as friend and family, and are always ready to shower him with encouragement and praise.

This was never more prevalent than in October 2024, and the aniticpation of Paris Fashion Week. From the beginning of his career, Seonghwa has been open with fans about his love of all fashion; in the spirit of true glam culture and his personal desire to wear what he loves, Seonghwa does exactly that. His tenacious loyalty to clothing brands he likes can be seen in his showcase of such brands as Saint Laurent, Courreges, and Isabel Marant, a designer known for womenswear. He caught the eye of Marant’s creative director, Dutch fashion designer Kim Bekker, after attending a dinner celebrating the brand’s reentry on to the Hollywood scene. Ms. Bekker has since actively promoted Park and his loyalty to the brand. Bekker was very happy to have him on board, as he “... wears the brand very well.”

In the advent of Fashion Week, colleagues and fans of Seonghwa collectively rose to the call, all but ensuring that he would attend. Seonghwa met the occasion as a personal guest of Kim Bekker and Isabel Marant; he appeared in full Marant, in a modified dress and leather leggings from her womenswear line, coupled with the brand’s iconic kitten heeled leather boots. He transformed his appearance into an expression of his artistic identity; the garments became a canvas for his personal style. It is in these ways Park bridges the gap between idol, and man.

“There isn’t much I can’t wear,” he says.“Fashion is no different than dancing or singing: it is art; the key is to be free of prejudice.”

In fact, 2024 has been filled with a spectrum of career firsts; for Park, however, it also brought significant personal challenges. Seonghwa has faced the emotional toll of this, battling the loss of not one, but two close family members in a single year. While the mourning process is never linear, it is even less so under the spotlight of fame; yet Seonghwa has managed to navigate this turbulence with grace and surprising vulnerability. In the midst of this emotional landscape, he has found solace in his members and

With rumors of a comeback on the horizon, Seonghwa is still on the rollercoaster, and continues to evolve; he stands out as a shining example of tenacity and connection, and his ability to navigate the challenges of fame while still clinging to the best parts of humanity serve as an inspiration for his fans and members.

In Korean, his name translates literally as “torch”. But it is also defined by something far more profound. “It means, ‘to be a star,” he offers, with very little irony.

However you translate, the meaning is always the same: Seonghwa is a light, and he is meant to be seen.

Seonghwa wears Isabel Marant for Paris Fashion Week; Park attended as a guest of the brand.

Seonghwa wears Couture by Valentino

Seonghwa wears Cassandre Tank in Jersey

by Saint Laurent

Seonghwa wears Burberry Check Sweater and Scarf by Burberry; Hat by Coco&Ami

Seonghwa wears Courreges Wool Taoilred top; Opposite Page: Courreges Jacket; Pants and Boots by Surgery

Seonghwa wears Thom

Browne Classic Cable

Cardigan; Mid-Calf 4 Bar

Socks; Alexander Mc-

Queen Embellished Eyelet

Chunky Loafers

MUSE in PARIS

Isabel Marant takes her brand to an absolute high at Paris Fashion Week for the SS 2025 season; it’s Amazonian warrior and leggy Bohemian glow with a collection that aims to put women right where they belong: at the top.