Big Ocean Makes Waves as the first K-Pop Group to Debut a NYFW Collection: Inside Scoop with the Group and Andy Yu [Photos]

Big Ocean, the first hard-of-hearing K-pop group, has joined forces with fashion designer Andy Yu on a revolutionary endeavour. On September 10th, the team unveiled a one-of-a-kind collection blending American denim, K-pop fluidity, and cutting-edge sustainability. The “Big Ocean x Andy Yu” debut showcase marks a historic milestone—the first time a K-pop group has launched its own collection at New York Fashion Week. As a group known for breaking boundaries, this bold move perfectly fits Big Ocean’s habit of making waves.

Vogue called the Big Ocean x Andy Yu collaboration the “most intriguing of the presentations”—and for good reason. The collection plunges into an abyss of unique fabrics, glimmering details, and classic American denim with a flamboyant twist. Each look varied in its high-powered approach, featuring militant jackets, flower embellishments, and flowing elements. Featuring 10 looks for men, along with several unisex designs, the collection reimagines fashion and music through meaningful cultural references and genuine dialogue between East and West.

Sustainability is also at the heart of this collection. One of the signature fabrics is made from pineapple leaf fiber (official U.S. partner for VIEVON-PALF™), a biodegradable material created from agricultural waste that is often discarded. By incorporating innovative textiles, Big Ocean and Andy Yu hope to demonstrate that great design can also have a positive impact on the environment.

Members PJ, Jiseok, and Chanyeon appeared before the NYFW audience in sleek denim attire, performing their latest single, “Love Sign,” with ten models serving as their stunning backdrop. As the group signed each romantic lyric, onlookers were captivated not just by the beautiful clothes, but by their ability to convey meaning with their hands.

The group appeared earlier this year on K-ALL, hosted by Angel, V13 Media’s managing editor of K-Pop, for a special pre-recorded interview broadcast to Stony Brook University students at the Charles B. Wang Center during an exclusive taping of the podcast. In fact, their first appearance on the show received an honourable mention in NPR’s “College Podcast Challenge” list.

The group met up with Angel again at NYFW to discuss their connection to the collection. Read the full interview below and enjoy a V13 and K-ALL exclusive photo gallery from the showcase. To dive deeper into the making of this collection, Andy Yu discusses his historic collaboration with Big Ocean below.

You are debuting a new collection with designer Andy Yu that blends classic American denim with K-pop aesthetics and sustainable fabrics like pineapple leaf fiber. How did this fashion collaboration come about, and how does style allow you to express your identity on and off the stage?

PJ: “We first met Andy during our U.S. tour in April, and we became close pretty quickly. We sometimes call him our cool uncle now.

He was really interested in our story, and in the way we communicate visually, so we started talking about how that could also be expressed through fashion. Later, during the Shanghai process, those conversations started becoming actual designs.

There are details in the collection that feel very connected to us, especially the buttons inspired by hands in sign language. We also thought it was really interesting to work with materials like pineapple leaf fiber. I honestly didn’t know pineapple leaves could become fabric before this.”

CHANYEON: “And for us, fashion is another visual way of expressing ourselves. Even off stage, the three of us have pretty different styles, so what we’re wearing usually says something about our personality before we even say anything.”

How does it feel to have become the first K-pop group to present their own collection at New York Fashion Week?

JISEOK: “We’re still getting used to hearing that.

We’ve attended fashion events before, but usually as guests. This time we actually brought something of our own, so that felt very different.
We’re musicians, so we’re used to expressing ourselves through music, performance and sign language. With this collection, we’re showing another side of Big Ocean through clothes.

And honestly, before the presentation, I think we were mostly just nervous. Good nervous, but still nervous.”

PJ, I know you traveled to Shanghai to become more hands-on in the fashion process. Can you share more details about your trip, what it was like working with Andy behind the scenes, and your most precious moment while there?

PJ: “Shanghai was probably when I really understood how much goes into making a collection.

I got to visit both Andy’s office and the factory, so I could see the process from the ideas and designs to how the clothes are actually made. Andy and I also spent time developing ideas together and talking through details—how we could bring something from Big Ocean into the clothes.

I also did fittings on myself while I was there. That was really interesting because something can look one way as a sketch, but once you actually put it on, you start noticing the silhouette, the proportions, where a detail should sit… all those little things. I’m really thankful to Andy for bringing us into the process and letting me experience fashion and design in such a hands-on way.”

How would each of you describe the collection, and which elements felt the most authentic to you as a group?

JISEOK: “My style is probably more dandy. I like clean lines and things that look sharp, but I don’t necessarily want everything to stand out.”

PJ: “I’m a little different. I usually need one strong point in an outfit. It can be the shape or one detail, but I like having something that catches your eye.”

CHANYEON: “I like details a lot—pockets, straps, buckles, hardware, things like that.
So we’re actually pretty different when it comes to clothes, and I think that made the collection more interesting. It didn’t try to make all three of us look the same.”

JISEOK: “And the sign-language details probably feel the most naturally connected to Big Ocean. They’re there, but they’re not too literal.
Denim also made sense for us because it’s very familiar. Almost everyone already has some kind of denim in their closet, so it’s easy to connect with.”

What inspired you to partner with Big Ocean for NYFW Men’s Day, and how did their message of accessibility and cross-cultural unity influence the ten looks in this collection?

Andy Yu: “What inspired me about Big Ocean was never just the music. They represent something much bigger. As the world’s first Deaf K-pop boy band, they are breaking barriers and showing that talent and creativity don’t need to fit into one definition.

“For the ten looks, I wanted to do the same thing with fashion. I didn’t want to design around limitations. I wanted the collection to feel inclusive, confident and wearable by different people. It became a conversation between American fashion, Korean pop culture, sustainability and accessibility. For me, that is what modern fashion should be—bringing different worlds together.”

Denim is deeply rooted in classic American menswear. How did you recontextualize denim to create a dialogue between Western fashion and East Asian/K-pop influences?

Andy Yu: “I have always loved American denim because it has so much history. It represents workwear, youth culture and classic American style. But I didn’t want to simply make another denim collection.

“I took that American heritage and looked at it through the energy of K-pop—the proportions, layering, styling and the confidence of performance clothes. Some pieces feel familiar at first, but then you see something unexpected in the silhouette or details. It’s really East meets West, but through my own personal taste.”

You integrated VIEVON-PALF™ pineapple leaf fibre into this collection. What were the technical challenges or rewards of working with this biodegradable textile, and how do you see sustainable materials shaping the future of fashion-music collaborations?

Andy Yu: “Pineapple leaf fibre was exciting because sustainability should not just be something we talk about—it should actually become part of the design.

“Working with a newer material means you have to understand how it behaves differently from traditional fabrics. We experimented with where it made sense rather than forcing it into every piece. We also incorporated deadstock fabrics and leftover trims throughout the collection.

“I think collaborations between fashion and music have a huge opportunity here. Artists have an incredible platform. If we can make sustainable materials desirable and exciting through music and culture, then sustainability becomes part of what people actually want to wear, not just a message.”

What was it like bringing PJ with you to Shanghai to explore the factory firsthand and work on the collection together?

Andy Yu: “I really wanted PJ to see where fashion actually happens. Not just the finished clothes or the fashion show, but the factory, the people, the materials and all the work behind one garment.

“Going to Shanghai together made the collaboration much more personal. We could touch fabrics, look at techniques, discuss ideas and make decisions together. I think when an artist understands how something is made, there is a completely different appreciation for the final piece. It wasn’t just me designing something for Big Ocean. We were building something together.”

What are some of your favourite looks from the collection? What inspired you to curate several unisex variations?

Andy Yu: “It is difficult for me to choose because every look has a different personality. I love the pieces where you immediately recognize classic American denim, but then something about the proportion, styling, or detail makes you look again.

“The unisex pieces were very intentional. I don’t think this collection needs to tell someone, ‘This is menswear, so only a man can wear it.’ Good design should give people freedom. I wanted someone to see a piece and simply think, ‘I want to wear that.’”

How did Big Ocean’s performances and artistic identity influence the collection?

Andy Yu: “Big Ocean has a very physical way of communicating. Their music, movement, sign language and performance all work together, so I thought a lot about clothes in motion.

“The clothes needed to have presence on stage, but they also needed to feel authentic to who they are. I didn’t want to put them in costumes. I wanted to elevate their identity.

“In many ways, this collection is my love letter to Big Ocean. It combines American denim, K-pop, sustainability, and their message of breaking barriers. But it also became bigger than just Big Ocean and me. So many people contributed to bringing it to life. The collection belongs to that whole community we are trying to build.”