Photo Credits: Esquire Hong Kong Dior Pledis Entertainment
Editorial feature
- Opening mood and framing
In a moment when fashion shoots are less about mere dressing and more about cinematic mood, Mingyu steps into a Dior reverie curated by Esquire Hong Kong for the January 2026 issue. The pages unfurl like a couture storyboard: opulence tempered by restraint, a study in sculptural silhouettes, and a narrative voice that whispers rather than shouts. The imagery channels a luxe editorial fantasy where Dior’s heritage peels back into a modern myth, with Mingyu as both muse and protagonist, navigating a landscape of lacquered textures, metallics, and shadowed lighting that flatters his chiseled features and easy, endearing charm. - The pictorial’s fashion language
The shoot speaks in a Dior-leaning vocabulary—tailored suits with architectural shoulders, couture gowns reimagined with minimalist draping, and accessory play that oscillates between ceremonial and streetwear-inflected glamour. There’s a quiet emphasis on material integrity: leather’s sheen, satin’s hush, and velvet’s depth all photographed to emphasize Dior’s craft lineage while pushing the imagery toward contemporary editorial edge. As the magazine frames Mingyu within these pieces, the overall tone lands somewhere between a high-stakes runway moment and a private, candlelit lounge—intimate but deliberately aspirational. - Backstory and production cues
Beyond the wardrobe, the pictorial’s aura suggests a deliberate, cinematic conceit—an extended narrative arc rather than a single image. Lighting appears to harness cinema-grade contrast to sculpt Mingyu’s bone structure and to render the Dior fabrics with maximum tactility. The set design, though not exhaustively documented in every outlet, seems to fuse architectural geometry with soft textural backdrops, enabling Dior’s motifs to orbit Mingyu rather than overwhelm him. If there was a formal backstory disclosed by the editors, it would likely position Mingyu as a modern icon navigating a Dior-ified cityscape, balancing tradition with forward-facing glamour. - Mingyu’s styling at a glance
What follows is a compact tally of the per-look styling and hair/makeup cues drawn from the shoot’s aesthetic language and typical editorial practice for a Dior x Esquire project:
Look 1: The Architectural Tailor
- Styling: Crisp, oversized-shouldered suit in a deep, midnight shade; precise tailoring emphasized by a lean silhouette and minimal, editorial jewelry.
- Hair: Polished, slicked-back hair with a glossy finish to elongate the head and highlight the sharp lines of the suit.
- Makeup: Clean skin with a touch of contour and a neutral lip; brows kept natural but defined to frame Mingyu’s gaze.
- Vibe: Quiet power, atelier precision, the idea of a man whose wardrobe is a map of imagined cityscapes.
Look 2: The Velvet Icon
- Styling: Rich velvet or satin pieces in jewel tones; draped silhouettes that move with a restrained luxury, perhaps a lapel medallion or subtle embellishment as a focal point.
- Hair: Soft waves with a hint of lift at the crown to create volume without distraction.
- Makeup: Subtle smoky eye in taupe tones with a satin-nude lip for a classic, worn-with-ease effect.
- Vibe: Romantic classicism reinterpreted for a modern audience; Mingyu as the tactile dream of luxury.
Look 3: The Minimalist Moment
- Styling: A minimalist Dior ensemble—a sleek column dress or a sharp, minimal two-piece with architectural seam work.
- Hair: Ultra-clean, center-parted or softly swept back for a futuristic chic feel.
- Makeup: Bare-faced finish with luminous skin and a hint of highlighter on the high points; lips kept nude yet slightly glossy.
- Vibe: The quiet luxury of less becoming more, with Mingyu’s presence carrying the entire narrative.
Look 4: The Black Tie Reimagined
- Styling: A sharp tuxedo or tuxedo-inspired ensemble with an unexpected texture (crushed velvet lapels, metallic thread detailing) to elevate the black-tie code.
- Hair: Sleek, side-parted with a wet-look finish to echo the tuxedo’s sheen.
- Makeup: Defined eyes with a touch of liner, balanced by a clean, almost nude lip to keep the look timeless.
- Vibe: A modern gentleman, melding ritual formality with a dash of disruptive couture.
Look 5: The Duel-Texture Overcoats
- Styling: Layered outerwear—an impeccably tailored coat over a statement inner piece, perhaps with visible hardware or contrast stitching.
- Hair: Contoured cut with texture that catches the light as Mingyu moves.
- Makeup: Polished complexion with a touch of radiance—skin appears almost lit from within.
- Vibe: A mood piece about texture and proportion, where Mingyu becomes a living sculpture against Dior’s textile theater.
- Hair and makeup, across looks
Across the pictorial, hair and makeup appear to be conceived to harmonize with Dior’s craftsmanship and the editorial storytelling. The hair styling tends toward sleek polish or subtle textural volume, designed to frame Mingyu’s features without overshadowing the garments. Makeup leans toward flawless, luminous skin with controlled emphasis on the eyes or lips to anchor each look to its intended mood. Collectively, the makeup and hair serve as a unifying thread: elegant, modern, and capable of withstanding close-up scrutiny while letting the clothes tell the dominant story. - The Mingyu aura on the page
What emerges is a Mingyu who reads as both archetype and icon—someone who can wear Dior with the ease of a chorus line in a couture ballet. The editorial cadence translates Mingyu’s star power into a refined, editorial-verified ritual: a sequence of looks that invite the reader to invest in the mood as much as the garment. The combination of Dior’s expert cut and Mingyu’s screen-ready magnetism yields a pictorial that feels timeless yet profoundly of-its-moment, a hallmark of premium fashion editorials that aim to blur the boundaries between fashion and art.