Androgynous Fashion and the Appeal of Mark Tuan

Korean pop (K-pop) is far from a stranger to androgyny. Androgyny is highly characteristic of the industry—the idols’ androgynous fashion is often touted alongside their highly polished visuals. In contrast to a more conventional Western beauty standard, Korean visuals embrace makeup and fashion-forward trends that best deliver their music. By playing with masculinity and femininity, K-pop stars open up fashion possibilities and make experimental fashion more acceptable for men and women both.

Enter Tuan Yien. An American Born Chinese, Tuan Yien, who often goes by his English name Mark, is no doubt one of the prettiest boys I’ve ever seen. As a rapper and visual—the member of a group thought of as the most attractive—in the boy group GOT7, Mark’s modeling career outside of usual group promotion stands out.

Of course, being based in South Korea definitely influences his specific shade of androgyny.

“Soft masculinity” is popular in Korea, in contrast to the rugged aesthetic popular in the West. “Compared to the 80s and 90s, now there are a lot more soft masculinities—pretty boy images and gentle male images—represented in media, and consumers welcome and widely consume them,” author of “Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption” Dr. Sun Jung said. “I think the phenomenon should rather be explained through the notion of hybrid or versatile masculinity—soft yet manly at the same time—which is different from effeminised.” But whereas male idols often abide in this sphere of versatile masculinity, Mark diverges into the sphere of true androgyny with a mix of traditionally male and female visuals.

I delved into the subject of Korean androgyny because of Mark’s cover and page spread shoot for JSTYLE’s September 2018 publication. In it, Mark sports a comfy pink sweater fitted over a classic turtleneck and plaid skirt. The effect is incredibly charming. He looks good. The apparent traditional femininity associated with the skirt isn’t downplayed and is only incorporated with his strong visuals—natural eye makeup, strong brows, a defined jawline, and subtle red lipstick. The skirt is particularly interesting considering that even within K-pop, very few male idols are comfortable in articles of clothing that are more feminine than androgynous.

Mark’s spread in a February 2019 issue of THE STAR, another one of my favorites from his modeling career, highlights two more iconic looks. In one, Mark wears a bright neon pink low v-neck muscle tee, under a transparent cropped mock puffer jacket and sports sequin short shorts that show off his bare legs. It’s kind of risque, but all the more attractive.

In the other outfit, he’s dressed in a chiffon coral sequined cowl neck, tucked into some bright pink sequin pants that mimic classic Levi’s. His makeup makes him appear delicate, yet powerful.

While this does not downplay his own manliness, Mark doesn’t agree with statements describing him as particularly manly. “When other people say my personality is like this [manly] or that [a real man], I don’t know what to say. It doesn’t seem right to say ‘thank you for viewing me like that’ but then again, explaining my personality is difficult,” said Mark in his July 2017 interview with Ceci. So, it’s not to say he has a preference for looking particularly masculine or feminine, but that he doesn’t care about how he’s perceived based on his appearance. I view Mark as a blend, instead epitomizing a more fluid interpretation of what it means to be beautiful.

When it comes to his own everyday style, Mark often says he feels the most comfortable in a street style: simple and classic without lacking in small details such as jewelry. He’s also expressed interest in starting his own brand, having already tested the waters with two Represent x Mark Tuan collaborations in the past. Unlike his magazine photoshoots, his collaborations have been minimal, monochrome, and versatile unisex collections, embracing a form of androgynous streetwear that has been popular in both Korean and American youth cultures. While these collections only comprise of the basic fitness streetwear—hoodies, sweatpants, pocket tees, and accessories—I’d like to see them expanded upon to contain more experimental pieces.

“I think [my own line] can express my own [style] things with a bit of a vintage feel should be more popular,” said Mark in a September 2018 interview with Stream. “If I were to design a brand or clothes, I want to have some small highlights, and at the same time the clothes should make people feel comfortable, not especially exaggerated or luxurious.”

He continues the thought in a Q&A with SHIN YOUTH. “My thinking is to design clothes that everyone can wear, regardless of whether you are a guy or a girl, whether you are young or old. If I have such an opportunity in the future, I want to continue trying. Of course, if I can have my own fashion brand in the future, I’ll be very willing to do it,” Mark said.

In K-pop, group images are often carefully thought out and planned to market to a gendered demographic (boy groups target women and girl groups target men). The industry’s apparent androgyny is more of a byproduct of its use as fanservice—such as crossdressing—used in marketing than a purely organic trend. Mark’s use of androgyny is an exception to its general use in pleasing target fan bases. His use is of his own desire to delve into a sphere of fashion where gender isn’t the main thing to consider—looking good and being comfortable are. “A lot of people can’t wear high fashion so if I were to do that, I think I would have regrets,” Mark said.

As for my own interest in Mark’s modeling career, I would like to see him in some more experimental fashion. As often as he expresses his want for comfort, it would be interesting to see Mark in a wardrobe that comprises more of chunky heels and long skirts. However, I think the outfits he wore to Milan Fashion week—mostly oversized and layered—also serve as a good pointer to where his modeling career is going. As his fellow group member Kunpimook Bhuwakal said, “You know what, these days the world of fashion is so open. People can wear whatever they desire. You don’t have to care about brands or what [one] should or shouldn’t wear anymore. There’s no such thing and people can be carefree about their own style.”