KATSEYE may currently be down two members, but apparently nobody told their wardrobe department to turn the volume down with them.
Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae brought the group's 'WILD' era to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as a quartet. Performing their latest single 'Animal' in a coordinated jungle-core wardrobe, KATSEYE took the song's title rather literally.
Leopard spots, tiger stripes, corsets, fringe, and thigh-high stockings collided across four different looks, turning the stage into a hybrid of a high-fashion safari and the fiercest corner of the jungle.
Despite being inspired by the wild, the styling was certainly not interested in camouflage.
KATSEYE Takes 'Animal' Dressing Literally
Rather than dressing the members identically, KATSEYE's stage looks played within the same animal-print universe while giving each member her own variation of the animal kingdom.
One look mixed a structured black corset with spotted tights and leopard-print boots, finished with gold hardware around the hips. Another opted for darker leopard print and thigh-highs, while tiger stripes and metallic fringe brought another corner of the animal kingdom into the mix.
Even against the show's fiery red set, the prints did plenty of roaring of their own.
The outfits also worked neatly with the choreography. Fringe moved with every step, fitted silhouettes kept the members visible through the group's sharp formations, and those towering boots somehow survived a performance more athletic than most people's Friday workouts.
Dressing like the big cats of the wild is a trend that has been coming and going from the vintage 1930s to its Y2K comeback through pop icons like Shania Twain, the Spice Girls, and Destiny's Child. Now, KATSEYE is the latest girl group to take jungle-core back to the stage.
'The Stylist ATE'
Eyekons wasted no time reviewing the wardrobe.
'Outfits ate 💋💋🦁,' one Instagram user declared, while another took the all caps route: 'The outfits are INSANE😍😍😍 LOVE IT'.
A third handed the victory directly to the person behind the wardrobe, writing, 'These looks are everything the stylist ATE!!!'
Despite the compliments for the performance outfits, not everyone was ready to join the safari.
One viewer questioned the ongoing bleached-eyebrow trend, while another took the performance styling in a somewhat more adult direction, joking, 'Oh, all they're missing is a dance table and a pole'.
Well. Nobody can accuse the WILD era of inspiring lukewarm opinions.
KATSEYE Performs With Four Members
The appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was also notable for those who were absent from the stage.
KATSEYE ordinarily consists of six members, but Sophia Laforteza and Manon Bannerman are currently on hiatus. That leaves Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae to carry the latest musical release as a four-piece.
Their absence inevitably drew attention online, with comments ranging from a disappointed 'from 6 to 4 ☹️' to fans urging others not to direct their frustration towards the four members continuing with scheduled promotions.
KATSEYE addressed Sophia and Manon during their appearance, thanking the fandom (Eyekons) for continuing to support both the absent members and the quartet currently promoting.
The unusual configuration comes at an especially busy moment. 'Animal', co-written by Ed Sheeran, leads into KATSEYE's new EP 'WILD', released on 14 August, while the group's sold-out Wildworld Tour is set to begin in Dublin on 1 September.
KATSEYE: The Fiercest 'Kats' in the Animal Kingdom
During their conversation with Jimmy Fallon, Lara described this chapter of KATSEYE as one reflecting 'maturity' and 'growing up'. Visually, the group certainly seems even more ready to leave subtlety behind.
The four members managed to turn an already aptly titled song into a complete fashion brief, right down to the last leopard spot and tiger stripe. Whether the internet calls it jungle-core, animal print overload, or something requiring the addition of a pole is up for debate.
One thing is rather harder to argue: KATSEYE arrived four-strong, but their fashion still came with all six claws out.
