ATEEZ’s eldest members Hongjoong and Seonghwa aka Matz.

ATEEZ

Hongjoong and Seonghwa made their debut in boy group ATEEZ on October 24, 2018. Hongjoong joined KQ Entertainment in 2016 as a junior of his idols Block B. He remained the only trainee for six months until Yunho joined the company. Seonghwa and the other members joined over the next year, and came together to create ATEEZ. Hongjoong and Seonghwa formed a unique relationship being the only members born in 1998. As the eldest members, they are commonly referred to as the mom and dad of ATEEZ. They are known together as Matz, stylized in korean as 친구 맏즈 (chingu matju), which stands for eldest.

THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL

The eighth track on ATEEZ’s latest album THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL is the unit song “MATZ (HONGJOONG, SEONGHWA).” The song, which both members took part in writing, is filled with passion and energy. The lyrics characterize the members as powerful artists who are “on fire” as they light up the stage and the industry. The song speaks to their experience as artists who came from a small company and rose to fame despite their restraints. ATEEZ has taken the world by storm with their unique style and intricate concepts that are crafted by the members themselves. As the song says, they will continue to be authentic and create art that they enjoy, despite criticism and hate that they get.

Fashion

It is known by fans and non-fans alike that Hongjoong and Seonghwa are no strangers to fashion. Both known for their unique styles, the members often take on gender neutral styling, breaking norms around them.

Hongjoong shares his personal fashion with the public, posting photos of creations he made himself, such as painted jackets, gloves, and shoes. Hongjoong is known as “The Balmain Prince'' being personally invited to Balmain events by fashion designer Olivier Rousteing, a figure that Hongjoong admires. ATEEZ’s captain frequently expresses his desire to create his own brand one day where he can design a genderless and inclusive clothing line.

On an episode of Buzzfeed Celeb, Seonghwa described his fashion style as “Genderless, slender, sleek.” Seonghwa often catches everyone's attention for the confidence he exudes in photoshoots wearing gender neutral clothing, such as the recent Elle Singapore photoshoot, where he is seen sporting a lavish dress-like sequined Saint Laurent long turtleneck sweater.

Edited by Lacey Diluvio