Apink star's rise to face of Adidas
Son Na-eun. Photo from Naver blog
By Ko Dong-hwan
Glamorous Apink singer and Adidas ambassador Son Na-eun has mesmerized fans on K-pop stages since her debut with the group in 2011.
Their passion is extraordinary and was most likely boosted by landmark footage that went viral.
When
of Son wearing black Adidas leggings and practicing group choreography surfaced in 2014, fans started seeing the German sporting brand differently, even though she then had no public affinity with the company.
But the Son-Adidas link strengthened, with the singer signing on as a brand model in September 2017.
On Mar. 22, at the War Memorial of Korea, the Plan A Entertainment star, 25, appeared at the Adidas joint collection showcase with contemporary unisex fashion tag FREIKNOCK.
The outdoor event in Seoul's Yongsan-gu district, held under the theme a “more peaceful world,” was joined by Son wearing black short leggings, black jacket and grey-pink sneakers. Together with other female celebrities, including models, actresses and singers, she was in the spotlight at the photo-wall with the word “peace” in Korean printed on her top.
Son Na-eun at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Mar. 22. News1
Vendors on Korea's biggest online portal Naver selling Adidas clothes, including “Son Na-eun leggings,” abound. Many bloggers have posted pictures of themselves in the leggings, expressing satisfaction at appearing just like the six-piece band's member.
Some bloggers, with “#Son Na-eun leggings” or “#Adidas leggings,” shared sizes and measurements of the product now on shelves.
It is easy to understand Son's love of the brand
, where she has 550 photos and videos and over 2.1 million followers. According to a Feb. 7 post, Son, wearing an Adidas crop-top and navy blue shorts, thanked the brand for sending her flowers and a cake to mark her birthday. A fan noticed from the photos that her waist was so tiny that she had pinned the shorts' waistband to hold them up.
Even before signing with Adidas, Son's passion for the brand was well known and drove many to believe she was its face. Fans had often spotted her shopping at Adidas retailers when she was overseas. She also wore her signature leggings when throwing the game-opening ball for the LG Twins and KIA Tigers match in 2016.