Extravagance In Kpop: Enormous Cost Behind Visual Music and Spectacular Stage

We listen to music with our ears. But when appropriate visuals are added, the experience becomes that much more improved. To that end, artists go on stage with custom-made outfits that are incredibly unique and gorgeous. But for the exact reason that make the clothes special-their uniqueness-they often cannot be worn again by the same artist.

So what exactly happens to all the clothes after stage lights turn off and performances come to an end? To make long story short, most of them are thrown out. Stage outfits, due to their necessary extravagance, are largely inappropriate for everyday wear. They are seldom recycled because of their sheer uselessness in functionality.

Some artists put them up on auction or keep them as memorabilia. Others reform them and put them on their dance crew. But that is a small minority.

Most of the time, each outfit which ranges from $500 to $100 to design and manufacture gets thrown out after its 5 minutes of fame and glory. Sometimes, in the cases of one-hit wonder idol groups, the fate of the outfits is eerily akin to that of the artists who put them on during their short-lived popularity.