Written by Mel (Mel-Bell (@Th3MelThatFell) / X)

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We use fashion in many ways to convey to the world a message: what we want the world to know about us and what matters most to us. Between the polished image we evoke in professional settings to rebellion in the forms of fashion subcultures like punk, artistic representations of Avant Garde styles, or simply getting the job done with more utilitarian influences of the grunge and rocker looks, we showcase ourselves in a very curated manner when we wear or are styled in clothing. It is a reflection of life for those wearing it, and can even be used by artists to tell a story. And I believe this is even the case for the latest ATEEZ comeback and the looks that they are donning for each of the concepts.

In preparation for Golden Hour : Part.2’s release on November 15, KQ released the concept photos for each of the three versions of the album that will be released. Each series varies in the aesthetic and composition of the members, from the soft, white and floral framing of the To version to the cold, metallic fantasy pieces present in the For version and then finally the classic, dramatic all-black pieces in the Diary version. Each brings forth a very feeling that I think holds at least some significance to the story they are continuing to tell with each new album.

The first of the concept drops came from the To version that was released on November 3. Overall, each of the pictures portrayed a lot of beauty, life, and levity. The composition of the shots where each of them are surrounded and, in some cases, adorned with flowers manages to convey a softer, almost innocence with the fabrics. Each of the fabrics appear to be breathable in some capacity, between the mesh knit sweater Seonghwa is wearing to the cottony button-up San sports.

In addition to the colors being off-white, leaning towards cool tones, the fabric is generally sheer or allows some illusion of either transparency or otherwise a known material that breathes easily. From color and fabric alone, it comes across as a sense of honesty and like a breath of fresh air. The colors seem to convey innocence, but also a bit of a coldness within the tone. Pairing it with the abundance of flowers gives the idea of both beauty and growth, but also the idea of having reached the pinnacle of potential and the realization that there’s nothing more to come after. While completely stunning in visual composition, I personally couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic, almost as if mourning innocence following great growth and accomplishment.

A single day afterwards, the photos for the For version were released, offering a stark change from the prior portraits. Instead of soft, comfortable fabrics, we were blessed with experimental, metallic stylings amongst all eight members, including the incredibly striking and jaw-dropping pieces of armor from Tomoya Nakagawa, who we’ve gotten to learn about through a wonderfully informative article written earlier this week.

The turn towards a fantasy genre for their tailored outfits in addition to the cold, gray backdrop gives the idea of them returning to the fray, combating a new threat to the multiverses in their lore. Whether that’s an internal threat or something more conceptual, it’s hard to say before new information drops next week. However, the black and white color palette used for the outfits lends itself to the idea of stigma or polarization to two extremes, while the armor, jewelry, and general individuality of each member still shines through, making a case that it’s a call to action to break against expectations within our world.

And most recently, we were graced with the Diary version concept photos, featuring ATEEZ decked out in all-black suits, almost harkening back to the stylings of the black pirates themselves, HALATEEZ. However, they lack the distinguishing fedoras and masks of the pirates, giving more credence to the idea that this is actually ATEEZ themselves rather than their World Z counterparts. The rigidity of not only the fabric shape, but also in the posing of the group shot, which feels institutional or even akin to militaristic.

However, rather than focusing on the uniformity of the suit pieces, each suit has something unique to it. Hongjoong has a more rectangular neckline in addition to the captain band; Seonghwa has several cut-outs arms and ribs; the shoulders on Yunho’s jacket are semi-detached and structured to maintain a broader silhouette; Yeosang’s includes fabric around the neck; San’s peaked, satiny lapel; the waist cutouts in Mingi’s jacket; how the lapel of Wooyoung’s jacket widens out into a hood (plus that lip ring, which I’m a huge fan of on him); and the double-layer lapel on Jongho’s jacket all create individuality within uniformity, uniting them while highlighting their differences. With the combination of prior lore and the recent song preview for Golden Hour : Part.2, it seems at least plausible that it may link between HALATEEZ and ATEEZ again in some new form of vigilantism in order to escape the drift that each of them began to feel following the lore of Golden Hour : Part.1.

While all of this is purely speculation from visuals alone, it does seem that ATEEZ are using all aspects of themselves as pieces of art in the tapestry they continue to weave for us. However, there are still so many unanswered questions, but the largest one is what are we all in for? All I know is that I’ll be waiting excitedly for November 15, ready to do a new deep dive into the new story they have to tell.