What’s Special About The SAMO ONDOH Bag Every Idol Is Wearing?

SAMO ONDOH, the bag brand that caught the eye of many Korean artists has ignited a massive craze in the fashion scene. The brand was established in 2012 by Korean duo HyunJin Sa and SueYon Kang. According to their website, the name stands for “We are the same temperature” — SAMO meaning “same” while ONDOH meaning “temperature”. Both designers intended to transcend this meaning into their pieces to be shared with many others.

SAMO ONDOH is known for its contemporary take on bags such that they are functional yet stylish for everyone to use. Hence, it is no surprise that their signature look would be a utility-like bag. You wouldn’t have to worry about holding a million things as a distinct feature of their design is the multiple pockets. Another pro is the long and adjustable strap handles, providing users a comfortable wear without the worry of the bag falling off the shoulder.

Their Tokiyom backpack is a statement piece with the cute bunny as the highlight. It’s more commonly seen in music video shoots, giving their concepts a kitsch twist. Examples would be AKMU’s Lee SuHyun ‘Love Lee’ music video. For jacket shoots, NCT’s Mark hugs the adorable bag for their “ISTJ” album while aespa’s Karina poses like she’s caught the bunny by the ear for their “Hot Mess” single. Although often in the music video scene, some K-idols have spiced up their outfits by using the bag such as Kim MinJu.

The cross utility bag, one of their bestsellers, can be seen worn by Yoon Bomi on her Instagram with her chosen cheetah print design and a medium sized version.

ITZY’s YeJi can also be seen striking a pose with an orange sunset and her SAMO ONDOH pocket utility bag showcasing the versatility of the bag ranging from a day or night wear.

A crowd favorite would be the pocket mug bag that displays a stylish silhouette as compared to the previous models. The bag is featured in multiple K-idol’s Instagram accounts such as IVE’s GaEul who often posts carrying varying styles from the brand may it be on IVE’s official page or her personal one. Other idols include (G)I-DLE’s SoYeon and MAMAMOO’s MoonByul who also matched the bag with a more casual take.

Now, what’s a bag without a cute keychain hanging to give it personality? To accompany the unique style of their bags, the iconic accessories were made in various colors and textures ranging from fluffy textures to sleek leather looks. Red Velvet’s SeulGi introduced her SAMO ONDOH bag with a matching Tokiyom bunny in her recent closet tour. Other versions of their keychains can be spotted in multiple airport fashion outfits of K-idols such as aespa’s Winter, BLACKPINK’s Jennie, BamBam, and LE SSERAFIM’s Kim ChaeWon.

The influence of all these K-idols and their take on styling the bag left an impact on the public making it no surprise for the brand to earn global recognition. Their representation of modern Korean style leaves many in amazement of the brand’s creativity. They don’t just stop with functionality but dabble on multiple creative aspects for their designs.

With the power of social media, the bag brand has reached multiple social media platforms most especially TikTok. Videos such as bag unboxing, styling tips, what’s in my bag videos also catapulted the popularity of the brand.

Whether it is to recreate their favorite idol’s looks or simply a preference, the brand has definitely made its mark in the fashion scene.