Less than two weeks after the release of BTS’ latest album “Be,” footwear giant Fila tapped the K-pop sensation to launch its new military-inspired Project 7 collection.
Modeled by the globally loved Korean boy band, the limited-edition capsule features four footwear styles: Project 7 Iteration Light, Project 7 Court Ace P7, Project 7 Wavelet Alpha and Project 7 Curvelet. The apparel side of the collection, a mix of cold-weather wear and layer pieces, ranges from tees, hoodies and cargo pants, to fleece zip-ups, parkas and quilted jackets. Accessories include backpacks, shoulder bags, belt bags, socks and hats. Prices range from $17 for accessories to $220 for outerwear.
Among Project 7’s military influences are camouflage prints, utility-inspired outerwear and neutral hues like black, grey, beige and green, the Seoul-based athletic fashion firm company said. Both Fila and “Project 7” branding embellish a selection of styles throughout the line.
In March—a month after BTS released its “Map of the Soul: 7” album—Fila picked the band to model its special-edition “Voyager Collection.” The 20-piece capsule consisted of apparel, accessories and footwear, ranging from graphic tees and hoodies, to slides, bucket hats and backpacks. Designs featured a series of galaxy-inspired motifs, such as the star signs and constellations like the Big Dipper.
Since Fila named BTS its new global brand ambassadors in October last year, the Korean supergroup has continued to cement itself not just as a pop-culture institution—its most recent record debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200, making the K-pop sensation the fastest group since The Beatles to earn five chart-topping albums—but also as fashion icons.
Just weeks ago, BTS leader Kim Namjoon (also known as RM) nabbed the No. 3 spot on Lyst’s “Year in Fashion 2020” report. Following the band’s performance at the 2020 MTV VMAs dressed in full Gucci looks, the fashion search platform said searches for Gucci ties rose 28 percent and three-piece suits increased 12 percent within 24 hours. Namjoon’s choice of a white turtleneck and white jacket in February led to a 67 percent spike in searches for similar men’s wear pieces, Lyst also noted.
In August, BTS released its first entirely-English song, “Dynamite,” which became the first video to achieve 100 million views in one day on YouTube. Following the colorful and nostalgic music video’s debut, Lyst reported searches for ’90s-style Kangol hats worn throughout the video spiked 128 percent.