PH-exclusive merch thrills Armys at BTS pop-up
What does it take to secure something you really want? For one Army (BTS fandom name), it meant hiring someone to camp out at the Mall of Asia for two days to ensure she was first in line at the BTS pop-up.
BPO worker Karen, who declined to give her full name, said the person she hired stayed in place to hold her spot.
“The person was compensated, of course. I couldn’t do it myself because I had to work,” she explained. The item she went to great lengths to secure was the Philippine-exclusive handmade barong at the BTS Popup: Space of BTS.
The cropped barong was designed by RJ Santos of Randolf Clothing. It features embroidered drawings made by the members of BTS: Jin’s piano, Suga’s microphone, J-hope’s vinyl record, RM’s cassette player, Jimin’s headphones, V’s trumpet and Jungkook’s sound wave lines. All these doodles can be found on one of the walls of the pop-up store, located on the third floor of the North Main Mall.
At P30,000 per piece, it is the most expensive item in the store and also the most limited. Only 15 pieces were made, and they sold out within the first hour of the opening. The barong came in two sizes, small and extra large. Each included two tags: one certifying it’s from Randolf Clothing, and the other bearing its edition number.
Agno Almario of Apop Collection, which brought the pop-up here, did not say whether there will be a second run for this piece. He said, however, that other Philippine-exclusive merchandise would be restocked continuously until the pop-up ends on Dec. 31.
Specific purple shade
R2R’s bags were also popular among first-day shoppers who trooped to the mall on Nov. 1. There are four designs: micro bags named Buslo and Pusô, inspired by rice cooked inside woven leaves, and two charm bags named Wonton and Sobre. The bags come with a zipper tab featuring the BTS logo. Each piece includes a tag signed by the R2R artisan who made it.
Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, R2R president, told Lifestyle that the biggest challenge in creating the woven pieces was sourcing a specific shade of purple. The materials are sustainably sourced.
“It’s still scrap fabric. It’s sourced, made and delivered with love. The design elements, even though they’re our base designs, are actually our bestsellers, reimagined for Army,” Fernandez-Ruiz said. She added that customers might notice slight differences in the fabric because it’s recycled, which makes each bag unique.
Fernandez-Ruiz, who is an Army herself, said they were inspired by the music and the values the group stands for.
“Personally, our hearts flutter, but as professionals, we thought, wow, these values align with ours. Many R2R advocates are similar to Armys as well,” Ruiz added. The collection also sold out.
There are two types of t-shirts available for purchase. The white one features the members’ names on the back, while the purple one features song titles with a jeepney element. The purple T-shirt was sold out by 1 p.m.
Flasks and more
Flasks by Sunnies Studios in three colorways—purple, gray and holographic combinations—are also available. Almario said the holographic version is exclusive to the pop-up and will not be sold at Sunnies Studios.
The flasks bear the BTS logo and come with a photo card holder that can be attached to the flask’s loop. The loop where charms can be attached is also exclusive to the store. Each flask can be personalized through laser engraving with up to 15 characters at any Sunnies store for free.
The packaging for the Philippine-exclusive merchandise, including keychains and socks, features a silver hologram sticker indicating it is an official collaboration merchandise. In comparison, artist-designed items come with a gold hologram.
The pop-up store offers many items that are sold out on Weverse, such as artist-picked products like Jungkook’s mood lamp and Jin’s pajamas. A number of products are from the Monochrome and Butter collections and from their collaboration with McDonald’s. Even visitors who come just to browse can find photo spots, including a dressing room.
There’s a reason many fans stock up on Philippine exclusive merch. It’s rare to have official K-pop products that feature local elements. The closest fans often get are “Manila” or “Bulacan” listed on tour shirts sold on concert days.
These exclusive pieces are important for a fandom as big as Army. It’s like saying, “We’re here, we exist, and we borahae (BTS and Army’s expression of trust and love).”
