Karina in Harper’s BAZAAR steps forward as a bold icon blending music, fashion, and artistry. Her striking cover and intimate interview illuminate new dimensions of creativity and identity. The global project and shifting Korean community reactions underline her growing cultural significance.
Karina in Harper’s BAZAAR Marks a Defining Moment
Karina of aespa stunned audiences with breathtaking visuals in a striking photoshoot for Harper’s BAZAAR. Her feature stood alongside international icons like Dua Lipa, Kate Moss, and Adèle Exarchopoulos, marking her as a cultural force within the magazine’s twenty-one global editions.
Redefining the Concept of an Icon
The Harper’s BAZAAR Icons project highlights individuals who resist conventional expectations of leadership, creativity, and expression. These figures refuse predictable paths and instead reveal themselves with striking honesty. Rather than flawless surfaces, they embody complexity, dimension, and bold risk-taking. Their journeys allow audiences to witness growth in real time, creating space for connection and empathy. Through this raw authenticity, they broaden and redefine what it truly means to become an icon.
Harper’s BAZAAR Features Karina as the Super Star Ideal
For the September cover of Harper’s BAZAAR Korea, Karina was chosen under the title The Super Star. She represents the fourth generation of female idols and continues to write new chapters in K-pop history. The photoshoot captured aespa’s unique charm, often described as “metallic flavor.” Staff praised Karina’s unreal beauty, noting how the raw monitor images differed little from the final edits. Her natural perfection, impossible even for AI to replicate, proved instantly why she deserves recognition as The Super Star.
Harper’s BAZAAR Highlights Honest Reflections from Karina
Following the shoot, Karina gave an interview filled with candor. Asked about her vision five years ahead, she responded thoughtfully. “Many things will inevitably change, but I hope some remain constant. Working happily with my members and good people would be enough.” When asked how she copes with tension, she admitted with a smile, “Before every stage, I feel like I cannot handle it, like I should run away. My body even trembles uncontrollably. Yet that nervousness reminds me I am alive. Emotions make me realize I still embrace new experiences.”
Global Expansion of the Bazaar Icons Project
The 2025 Bazaar Icons Project is reaching readers across all twenty-one international editions. Karina’s photoshoot and full interview appear in the September issue of Harper’s BAZAAR Korea, as well as on harpersbazaar.co.kr. Fans worldwide can also explore diverse portraits of other selected icons through the dedicated hashtag #BAZAARICONS, ensuring the project resonates on both print and digital platforms.
Community Response Marks a Turning Point
Reactions to Karina’s feature spread quickly across Korean community site theqoo. Users praised her dazzling beauty and called the interview video deeply moving. Some described her appearance as breathtaking, expressing admiration with awe. This response was especially significant because the forum once criticized her heavily after a political controversy, drawing over two thousand harsh comments. Now, that negativity has largely faded. The current atmosphere embraces admiration, reflecting a shift from criticism toward genuine appreciation of her artistry and growth.
Karina appears in Harper’s BAZAAR Korea September issue and online, joining the 2025 Bazaar Icons Project across twenty-one international editions as a cultural figure in music and fashion.
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It’s kind of surprising that Karina still gets nervous on stage. But she always overcomes that and gives the best performance. I’ll always be here to cheer for her on!