The past few months have been pretty eventful for xikers, KQ Entertainment's rookie act. A little under a month shy of their first official anniversary on March 30, xikers put out their third mini-album, HOUSE OF TRICKY: Trial And Error, comprising six new songs. One might assume the group would spend months holed up trying to finish the album, but that couldn't be further from the truth for xikers.
For the majority of the last part of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, xikers have been gallivanting across the world with their Tricky House: First Encounter tour. The tour kicked off in Japan with two stops in Tokyo and Osaka, respectively, before moving on to the United States, with shows dotted everywhere from New York to Chicago. To kick off 2024, they took the show on the road and jetted off to Europe, stopping in major cities like Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Madrid, where they met up with Teen Vogue to snap some behind-the-scenes pictures of their getting-ready process. Our journey with xikers started much earlier, though: In the heart of New York City, at the iconic Apollo Theater, when they were just about to play the first show of the U.S. leg of the tour.
Amidst the anticipation of the show, xikers sat down with Teen Vogue and unwrapped all their style secrets a couple of days ahead of playing in front of their first 2000-person crowd outside of Asia. From bold maximalists to fans of clean simplicity, each member offers a glimpse into the vibrant patchwork of their personal fashion choices and gives us a glimpse into how it all comes together before they hit the stage.
Before their official debut, the group garnered a pretty hefty fan following when they were presented as KQ Fellaz 2, trainees who were about to debut under KQ Entertainment, the label that also houses K-Pop heavyweights ATEEZ.
Fans were given an inner glimpse at xikers in Ready To One, a reality series that follows the journey of the ten members. The members may be young by age, ranging from 18 to 20, and by experience, but they already seem quite sure of themselves, even as rookies, on stage and off.
The members of xikers are full of eager energy. They value the ever-evolving landscape that is style, especially within the K-Pop space, and their excitement to talk about it is palpable as they exclaim "ooh" and "aah" at each other's remarks, sometimes erupting in soft applause at responses when each member is asked to describe their own personal style.
There's Minjae, the leader and also the eldest member of the group, who values being an experimental trendsetter. Hunter, who hails from warm and sunny Thailand, describes his style in one word as "street" adding that as the temperatures begin to drop, he loves to be in black or denim jackets, but he also loves to incorporate a pop of color at times. "Sometimes I'll go with a super bright color, maybe yellow or pink," he shares.
Seeun agrees with this love of street style and always keeps up with the latest trends. Yechan, who is also equally a trend aficionado, loves a hip-hop-inspired wardrobe that can have flashy and stand-out items.
Sumin loves the maximalist look and attempts to add bold accessories whenever possible. He calls his style "the opposite of minimalism," citing himself as being completely different from some of the other members.
Experimentation isn't easy for all the members, though. Some of them prefer to play it safe. Yujun, who prefers clean and simple looks, really loves to focus on the pants he wears; sometimes jeans, sometimes joggers, but always simple. One of his favorite items of clothing is baggy jeans. The entire group chuckles a bit when he inadvertently references NCT U's hit song.
Junmin prefers a neater, cleaner aesthetic when it comes to how he dresses. He loves baggy pants but would pair them with a tighter and maybe cropped top. Jinsik also agrees with being a bit more on the tame side, and says he prefers more of a natural look that includes knitwear and neutral colors.
Hyunwoo, the member with the buttery smooth vocals, seeks comfort and sticks to thick, black clothing, ensuring warmth since he gets cold quite easily. And finally, is Junghoon, who was missing from this tour and not present for this interview to share his personal thoughts, but an important part of the group and their dynamic. Even though he wasn't present in NYC or Madrid, a noticeable amount of fans were cosplayed as the beloved member, who is currently recovering from knee surgery and taking rest for the tour's duration.
With such a diverse range of preferences, it may be difficult to keep each of their personal authenticity intact when it comes to a group ensemble, but xikers somehow hit the nail on the head.
They seem very coordinated when you look at them from afar; the accent colors they wear are similar, and the comfort and movability of every outfit are there, making it clear that the members are about to engage in some heavy-lifting choreographies, but when you zoom in, there's more than meets the eye. Each person's ensemble reveals a unique touch, mirroring the diverse personalities within the group.
"Hip-hop does kind of align with our style and our looks because it's sort of what's trendy at the moment, but at the same time aligns with our energy," shares Yechan.
Hip-hop style has the movability and comfort that is necessary with the types of choreographies that xikers is doing on stage. Not only are the members performing their own hit songs from their repertoire, which includes HOUSE OF TRICKY: How to Play, but there's an entire portion of the show where subunits take the stage to do dance covers in a game show-style segment.
Sandwiched between two vocal-heavy performance portions of their show, the boys change their outfits into a simple white and denim ensemble and dance their hearts out in front of the audience. Among these covers are hits like ATEEZ's "Bouncy," BLACKPINK's "Kill This Love," SEVENTEEN's "Super," and BTS's "Dynamite." Each song makes the crowd explode into cheers more than the last. The dance cover portion of the two-hour show adds an extra layer of dynamism to their performances, each move a testament to their collective talent and youthful energy.
There's a structure to everything when it comes to getting ready to create this well-balanced spectacle. "We usually start with makeup because of our many members. And then we start with styling our hair, and at the end of the preparation, we check our outfits," shares Minjae. It's methodical; first, they must come in and eat, and then, they take turns efficiently going through the actual getting ready.
When asked about their favorite part of the process, the consensus is clear – outfits take the lead. Each member expresses the importance of outfits in building their onstage persona, allowing them to explore different characters and styles. Jinsik, however, loves it when he gets his hair done. "Once they finish the hair, it's the complete look, and I'm able to look at myself," he admits. The final ensemble right before going on stage is special to him. Hyunwoo agrees, "The outfit is more important as well because when you wear a well-fitting outfit, you're able to kind of apply yourself better on stage."
For a performance like this, there are skeletons of specific looks that are set by stylists for the members, but when it comes to personalization, a wide array of accessories can be added. Another way members can add details is through their hair. For the Apollo Theater show, Hunter's hair was crimped into a bouncier, lighter texture, giving a different life to his movements on stage, whereas he wore it bouncy and silky in Madrid.
Sumin, Yechan, and Yujun had colored hair in the U.S., which were dyed an entirely different shade when they rolled up to Europe. This openness to drastic change is what makes xikers so exciting stylistically. Some of the other members are quick to say they are keen to change and experiment with theirs as well. "Junmin might actually match the color gray for his hair," says Seeun, which leads Yujun to share that he thinks Minjae might suit a platinum-white look. (Spoiler alert: by the time the Madrid show rolled around, Minjae was indeed rocking platinum-white and rocking it well, so his beliefs were proven right). The possibilities are endless, and the members want to try them all.
From their street-inspired fashion to their love for trendy, unique items, everyone in xikers seems to have their own approach toward fashion. As the group navigates the fast-paced world of K-pop, their fashion evolution becomes a journey of self-discovery and exploration.
The members admit that they still have a lot to learn, and they want to continue trying different outfits and styles and carving out a unique identity that also aligns with their evolving musical persona. Seeun envisions the groups setting trends as they spend more time in the spotlight, he shares. "Nowadays, everybody's trying to follow certain trends, but we would like to set the trend that people would like to follow."
