Blackpink's Rose and former 2NE1 member CL make history with Met Gala debut

Rose (left) walked the red carpet in a black dress with a white bow while CL had on a long denim coat over white knickers. Photos: AFP

K-pop stars have been breaking barriers and setting new milestones in pop culture in recent years.

On Monday (Sept 13), Blackpink's Rose and former 2NE1 rapper CL were the latest to make their mark in history. The two became the first ever K-pop female artistes to walk down the red carpet on fashion's biggest night, the Met Gala in New York City.

Prior to this, it was Choi Si-won from boy band Super Junior and PSY who became the first ever K-pop stars to be invited to the popular event back in 2013.

It seemed only fitting for CL, who gained popularity with her girl group back in 2009, to finally receive an invite. With Blackpink dominating the music scene, it came as no surprise that Rose also scored a ticket.

The annual fundraiser organised by Anna Wintour, the chief content officer for Conde Nast and former Vogue editor-in-chief, was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its annual aim is to raise funds for New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

CL attended the fashion event in a long denim coat by US designer Alexander Wang worn over white knickers. Fans praised CL for incorporating Korean culture into her outfit as the knot on her coat looked similar to that of a traditional Korean hanbok.

Rose took to Instagram to share her gratitude, saying it was "absolutely a dream come true" to attend the Met Gala. She also thanked Yves Saint Laurent's creative director Anthony Vaccarello for inviting her to the event as his plus one. "Definitely a night I'll never forget," the 24-year-old went on to say.

Rose, who is a global ambassador for YSL, walked the red carpet alongside Vaccarello in a black dress with a white bow from the label's 2021 winter collection.