In recent weeks it has been rumored that SHINee's Taemin is set to start his very own clothing brand. We delve into whether these rumors are true and what critics had to say!
Taemin has been in the news recently and I have also written an article about his upcoming works. The artist recently held his solo comeback exhibit "Taemin The Vth Album 'Eternal' Exhibition",
In line with his new entertainment ventures, it has also been rumored that the K-pop star is likely to launch his own clothing brand. Of course, he would not be the first pop star to do this, previously US sensation Rihanna, UK's Lily Allen also launched their own clothing brands and as a result became very successful in making additional revenue on the side.
Taemin during his recent launch, on his site had exclusive items for sale, and of course this is where the label and Taemin himself are able to cash in on the extra revenue streams. On the site fans were able to purchase exclusive items that included a QR code, this special QR code lead to a website for TAEM.
This site was an online shopping mall featuring many clothes items such as tops, dresses, bottoms, and accessories all with the proclaimed TAEM or "Eternal" logo which many fans desire to have. Of course for me I am not fussed with brands and I feel that many of these items which are for sale on the official site will also be sold on other sites at a much lower price.
With the new clothing adventure, critics have complained about the crazy expensive prices of the merchandise as a single t-shirt allegedly sold for 160,000 won ($119.60 USD). However, it was later revealed the items were given away to some lucky fans at his exhibition, and website, including social media, were created to make it look like a realistic brand, although I see nothing special about and would see it at a local H&M or SPAO.
However, Taemin has personally spoken up to dispel the rumors. He wrote, "I'm not opening a clothing company! I didn't have any intention to sell them in the first place, and only made them to give to people I was thankful to! I'm sorry for causing a misunderstanding. I will always show you guys a humble and hardworking side of me! Thank you for always cheering me on."
I view this as a bit of a "cop out", as I think the star wanted to make additional money and rightfully so, as most of the time stars do not make much money from solely tickets as there are heaps of outgoing's that need to be accounted for. That said, a clothing store is a bit different than just selling merchandise on his main site. I do feel that if the star was to start a clothing brand that is an entirely different market and venture which would need a lot of capital. Would you buy Taemins brand on a regular basis if he was to open a new clothing store?
Let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments below.
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