Aegyo! Omona! Shingihan!  If you heard your child say words like these, then the symptoms are clear: They have caught the K-Pop fever.
With its eclectic looks and high-energy rhythms, K-pop (Korean pop) has taken the world by storm. The music genre exploded from Korea’s booming creative culture, creating a scintillating 360-degree experience for its fans throughout Asia. It has evolved into its own subculture, serving as an inspiration to visual art, film and most especially fashion.
SM Department Store is among those riding the hallyu (K-pop wave) with the recent launch of its K-pop-inspired SM Toon Fest children’s apparel collection coupled with what is claimed to be the first kids’ K-pop singing contest in the land: K-Pop Rising Star.
“Kids today are a lot more conscious of what’s ‘in’ and get fashion ideas from their idols. These days, they draw inspiration from K-Pop stars and want to dress just like them,” enthused Jo Dy Juanco, vice president for SM’s children’s fashion.
From a rock-inspired collection in 2010, Dy Juanco said they introduced sports-themed clothes last year, in the hopes that today’s tech-savvy kids would get more into the active lifestyle. From being the first in the world to offer the licensed cartoon characters in black and white, SM aims to set another milestone with K-Pop Rising Star.
Does your maknae (baby) got K? If she can speak the K language, then maybe she can also sing K her way to P100,000. The song, dance and lip-synch competition invites boys, girls and groups with members aged two to 14 to let their inner 2NE1, Big Bang or Jay Park out for a shot to become the next hallyu star.
To join, an aspirant must have P800 minimum single receipt purchase exclusive from SM Department Store’s participating character ganji (Korean fashion): Barbie, Betty Boop, Cars, Disney Fairies, Disney Princess, Dora, Garfield, Hello Kitty, Marvel, Mickey, Robby Rabbit, Sesame Street, Snoopy and Winnie the Pooh.
“Our prices range from P200 to P999.75 but they are all original,” Dy Junco assured, proudly sharing that these brands exclusive to SM are all Filipino-made.
Mom and TV personality Issa Litton, who hosted the launch, believes these 15 licensed labels channel the dynamic K-pop culture in their electrifying colors and wild patterns.
“Whatever character or style your kid wants, there is surely something for him or her,” she noted.

Visit www.risingstars.ph/smtoonfest for more on mechanics and deadlines. Aja! Aja!