K-pop idol Hongjoong says fashion plays such a big role in his music he uses it to create a performing alter-ego.

The 24-year-old rapper, who’s part of the South-Korean octet Ateez, revealed when he's on stage he synergises music with fashion – creating a new character with every performance that he says combines elegance and power.

He told WWD: “When on the stage, I fall into that character every time. With my outfit too, if the song is really hard or tough, I want to make my character hard and tough. So that’s why I wear dark clothes and a lot of jewellery.

“But also I put my own opinion in there; it’s not only tough, there is some elegance.”

Earlier this year French designer Olivier Rousteing named Hongjong an inspiration after the pair met during a Blamain show in April.

He said: “When I met Olivier, we talked a lot about our style and his mindset.

“These days I think about that when I make music or when I write lyrics: how to make it my own way.

“First I think about what I want to say, and then how to make that message cooler to our audience or fans.”

Riding the K-pop wave into the US, Ateez recently wrapped up their ‘The Fellowship: Break the Wall’ world tour - which kicked off in Seoul last year and ended in South America.