Aespa’s Karina steps it up with Converse
Last weekend, Aespa shut down Chicago with their debut performance at Lollapalooza. But the shows don’t stop there – the South Korean four-piece girl band are booked and busy. Today (August 7), they embark on their world tour, starting in Seoul and ending in Paris next February.
One member, Karina, has had an even busier week. Yesterday, it was announced that the 26-year-old star is the latest face of Converse. To celebrate the moment, Karina models two of the brand’s most distinct styles, the Chuck 70 X and the Run Star Crush, reimagined from her own perspective. “Both on stage and off, I love breaking the mould and exploring my individuality through style, and Converse is a natural canvas for that,” she says. “I’m excited to join the Converse family and inspire others to celebrate their creativity and express themselves boldly.”
Miraculously, she also made time to chat to us here at Dazed earlier in the week. We caught up with Aespa backstage at Lollapalooza, which you can watch here. As for everything else you missed in the world of fashion news, here’s what you need to catch up on…
Fashion’s favourite bookseller IDEA has teamed up with Reebok to rework the classic Club C 85 trainer. Accompanying the shoe, the brands have released a short film, celebrating the style’s glow-in-the-dark quality. They’re available exclusively at Dover Street Market Tokyo, New York, LA and London – get them while you can!
To celebrate the talent incubator’s ongoing partnership with Nike, Fashion East threw a party in the park for friends, family and alumni. The fashion crowd took over an adventure playground, where Primo and Brent’s steel pan drums soundtracked the evening with renditions of Sean Paul. There was even a giant football piñata, for attendees to take their World Cup frustration out on. “We loved bringing everyone together outdoors and spotlighting these rare spaces which are vital for inner city kids,” said Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy.
Earlier this week, London label 16Arlington dropped its Winter 2026 collection. Featuring the brand’s signature feathered hems, silks and sumptuous eveningwear, the collection is all about amplifying powerful women. “A leopard doesn’t change its spots – it grows into them, spurred by innate power and poise,” read the release. “The same goes for the 16Arlington woman. Here, she becomes her most complete self with assured confidence, comfort and instinctive ease.”
Now Havaianas will take you straight from the beach to the club. The Brazilian flip-flop brand just launched its first-ever kitten heel, as debuted during Copenhagen Fashion Week at the Studio Constance SS27 show. The distinctive toe-cap separates the heels from its competitors, adding a sprinkling of Scandi style to the shoe.
Earlier this week, Bella Hadid became the face of LA lifestyle brand ALO. Beloved by yoga-going fitness enthusiasts (as well as those who simply like to lounge in comfy athleisure), the It girls are big fans – and Bella is no exception. “Blessed to be the face of a brand I’ve been lovin, livin, and styling my looks with for over ten years now,” the model wrote on Instagram.
Today (August 7), Asics launches its latest style, a revamped version of the Asics Gel-NYC, the Asics Gel-NYC 2.0. The new design blends archival design with advanced performance technology, developed with the Asics Institute of Sport Science. The style arrives in two colourways: all grey, and black with blue accents.
Last week, Nike took over cult Dalston store LN-CC to launch the First Sight Shadow – a new silhouette in the brand’s First Sight collection. Inspired by basketball, the space was transformed into ‘The Arena’, an immersive experience brought to life through sound, movement and light.
