On November 12, new information allegedly from Belift Lab’s debut plan for ILLIT was revealed, showing the agency’s inspirations and thought process while forming the group.
This includes a mood board showing inspirations for ILLIT, with 2 photos in the mood board taken directly from BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s Instagram account. Both photos show Jennie casually dressed in street-like clothes, looking like the fashion icon that she is.
It seems that Jennie’s influence in the Korean entertainment industry and the fashion world are remarkable enough for rival companies to take inspiration from her while planning new artists.
The inclusion of Jennie in ILLIT’s debut plan has sparked significant interest across the net, with many netizens mocking Belift Lab, as it previously said that ILLIT’s inspiration was “not BLACKPINK”. On the other hand, some expressed doubt, claiming that the images included in the mood board doesn’t resemble the current ILLIT at all.
Below are some comments from netizens regarding this topic:
- Is this an early plan? Isn’t it the exact opposite of the ILLIT that I know?
- Didn’t they say “Not BLACKPINK”? Why is Jennie included here?
- It could be because it’s a reference, but it’s strange that it’s completely different from the group’s concept now.
- And yet they said “Not BLACKPINK”
- Jennie is iconic so it’s understandable that she’d be used as inspiration. However, this mood board looks more NewJeans than ILLIT with its hip street feel
Meanwhile, ILLIT’s debut plan was previously accused of being a “complete plagiarism from NewJeans”.