Photo Credits: Marie Claire Korea + Tom Ford Beauty + Starship Entertainment
Opening Frame: The Light Finds Her
There’s a rare kind of clarity when the camera finds An Yujin — not just in how she moves, but in how she listens to silence. On the March 2026 cover of Marie Claire Korea, in collaboration with Tom Ford Beauty, Yujin stands in sculpted light: confident, deliberate, and quietly breathtaking. It’s a portrait of a woman who has learned to command stillness as power.
Behind that calm is velocity — the heartbeat of IVE, one of K-pop’s most captivating acts, and Yujin’s evolution from prodigious leader to global muse. This pictorial doesn’t just capture fashion; it captures a mood.
“Yujin doesn’t just wear the look — she becomes the story.”
Beyond the Lens: What the Cover Means
The Marie Claire Korea x Tom Ford collaboration paints Yujin as both muse and architect. In a landscape where K-pop idols often oscillate between dual roles of performer and influencer, Yujin transcends the frame. The tonal palette — sleek blacks, mirrored surfaces, and gilded moonlight — evokes a cinematic minimalism that feels distinctly Tom Ford: sharp, sensual, and timeless.
More than glamour, Yujin’s presence embodies a quiet revolt against predictability. Each pose hints at movement restrained; a dance paused mid-step. She owns the space between impact and intention.
“What makes IVE different isn’t just style or sound. It’s conviction dressed as art.”
The Leader’s Gaze: From IVE to Icon
When IVE debuted under Starship Entertainment in December 2021, An Yujin’s leadership was already evident. But across albums from After LIKE to I AM and Either Way, her artistry matured like a story unfolding in chapters — complex, emotionally fearless, and visually immaculate.
Yujin’s strength lies not just in choreography or idol charisma but in the invisible narrative she brings to every project. Each comeback expands IVE’s cinematic world — blending opulent fashion, subtle rebellion, and self-defined femininity.
There’s a particular alchemy in how IVE fuses grandeur with intimacy. At the center of that alchemy? Yujin — interpreting confidence as grace, power as empathy.
The Language of Fashion
In this Marie Claire spread, Yujin’s wardrobing speaks like a short film. Tom Ford’s couture tailoring — precision-cut blazers, silk with shadow play, and bold metallic finishes — complements her natural sophistication. There’s a nod to Hollywood glamour, yes, but filtered through something uniquely Korean: emotional poise as aesthetic language.
Fashion for Yujin isn’t costume; it’s translation. It gives emotion physical form. Her looks walk the line between vulnerability and command, reminding us that style isn’t about decoration — it’s self-definition.
As Korean fashion expands its international influence, Yujin stands at that intersection: part luxury ambassador, part cultural narrator. She represents a generation of idols fluent in both couture and creativity.
The Visual Storyteller
Each photoshoot or MV becomes a visual essay on identity. From the surreal choreography of “Baddie” to the elegance of “Either Way,” IVE’s visual identity threads through minimalist futurism, subversive romanticism, and a refusal to be boxed in.
Yujin often describes creativity as a form of honesty — an instinct she brings into her direction choices. Her poses, expressions, and presence hint at narrative: autonomy, aspiration, and evolution.
This pictorial — lit like molten gold through crystal glass — carries that same language. The Tom Ford aesthetic mirrors IVE’s visual lexicon: sleek yet evocative, commanding attention without shouting.
IVE and the New Grammar of Stardom
IVE’s ascent mirrors a shift in the K-pop generation. Where earlier eras defined idols through perfection, IVE represents precision with personality. They embody refinement, but it’s rooted in authenticity — luxury repurposed with attitude.
Under Yujin’s leadership, IVE crafts music videos that feel like fashion campaigns and performances that unfold like art installations. Their global resonance — from Paris Fashion Week to Billboard charts — stems from that rare balance of aesthetic cohesion and emotional accessibility.
International fans describe their style as chic without compromise. In Yujin, they see something both aspirational and relatable: a woman navigating power without losing warmth.
The Mirror and the Stage
The act of posing — of performing to the camera — always involves reflection. For Yujin, that mirror has never been static. From her early days as IZ*ONE’s fresh-faced prodigy to IVE’s luminous frontwoman, she’s learned to negotiate identity in public.
The difference in 2026? She’s not negotiating anymore. She’s defining.
In Marie Claire Korea’s lens, her aura feels cinematic yet disarmingly real. You can sense the artistry of direction, the precision of lighting, but above all, you sense Yujin — unfiltered, born ready for the next light cue.
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“Confidence is quiet when it’s real.”
Global Resonance: The World Watches IVE
IVE’s impact now spans continents — sold-out arenas in Tokyo and Los Angeles, countless fashion partnerships, and chart-topping dominance across Asia. Their music translates spectacle into sincerity, channeling universal emotions through sophisticated production and choreography that’s both precise and passionate.
And Yujin? She’s become the unofficial spokesperson for a generation of idols embracing career multidimensionality — equally fluent in performance, brand work, and advocacy. Her collaborations with global beauty and fashion houses underline a truth K-pop has long known: artistry is the real luxury.
The Emotion of Stillness
What might strike fans most about this Marie Claire x Tom Ford cover isn’t its extravagance but its restraint. Yujin sits against a dark, reflective surface — all calm geometry and cinematic shadows. She doesn’t smile for approval; she breathes in confidence.
That composure carries through IVE’s artistry. Even their most energetic performances hold a kind of internal discipline. Beauty, in their world, is the byproduct of clarity — and in Yujin’s case, self-knowledge.
It’s the quiet strength of knowing how far you’ve come.
“She doesn’t chase the spotlight — she learns its rhythm.”
Echoes of the Future
As the camera shutters close, one can imagine Yujin pivoting effortlessly from set to stage. The line between fashion and music blurs. The artistry remains.
2026 will likely see IVE expand their creative universe again — perhaps into cinematic narratives or deeper brand storytelling. Whatever comes next, Yujin stands ready, luminous and exacting, her vision already years ahead.
Her Marie Claire feature may be titled as a special edition, but emotionally, it feels like a preview — of the next chapter in how global pop tells its stories, one frame, one verse, one look at a time.
The Production Team
Beauty Editor 김경주, 현정환
Film Director 조준구
Celebrity Visual Director 최유진
Stylist 이윤미
Hair Stylist 장혜연
Makeup Artist 서옥
Nailist 최지숙
Prop Styling 전수인
Assistant 박주영
Beauty Editor Kim Kyung-joo, Hyun Jung-hwan
Film Director Jo Joon-goo
Celebrity Visual Director Yoo Jin Choi
Stylist Lee Yoon-mi
Hair Stylist Jang Hye-yeon
Makeup Artist Summit
Nailist Choi Ji-suk
Prop Styling Jun Soo-in
Assistant Park Joo-young
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