Over the last several years, Korean pop music has become increasingly popular stateside, topping the Billboard charts and launching several successful world tours. But despite the groundswell of international interest, the opportunity to see Korean artists in the United States has largely been limited to top boy groups, with women artists far less frequently offered the opportunity to take the international stage despite the devotion of their American fans.

Enter Red Velvet, one of several Korean girl groups who plan to tour the United States this year. Red Velvet has five members: Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri. Their discography ranges from last year’s sultry R&B hit, " Bad Boy ," to hyper bubblegum pop like their recent single, " Power Up "; last November, they released their fifth mini-album, . But whether embodying an enigmatic or energetic concept, Red Velvet are known for their challenging choreography and sophisticated, trendy style, which fans track on dedicated Instagram accounts.

As the group prepares for their first American concert tour , they spoke through a translator with ELLE.com about managing the physical toll of touring, the tricks they use in styling themselves for different countries, and which Korean fashion brands they think their American fans might appreciate.

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How do you stay healthy throughout preparations for something as big as an overseas tour?

Seulgi: It depends on the members, really, but everyone tries to stay in physically healthy shape. Some of us work out or take extra vitamins to keep our energy up, because it’s difficult when we go overseas and there’s a lot of traveling involved between shows.

What does your schedule for a day of tour rehearsals look like?

Seulgi: We wake up, we arrive at the venue, and we eat first. That’s the most important thing: fuel. We eat and maybe stretch to warm up our bodies before rehearsal. Once we go into rehearsal, with every song that we practice, we’re able to kind of plan out in our heads what it will look like in the performance. And then right after rehearsal we have to start getting ready to go onstage, so we spend time getting glammed up.

SM Entertainment

In the last year, you released several comebacks—promotional cycles—in Korea, two singles in Japan, and now you’re about to have an American tour. Are there aspects of your style that you emphasize differently depending on the place you’re performing in?

Joy: When we go overseas, I try to go shopping for accessories that are only sold in that country to give a twist to whatever outfit I’m wearing, even sometimes onstage. In that way, we try to switch up our style a bit and try to show more of that region’s fashion.

Your style mixes Korean and international designers. Who are some of the Korean designers you‘ve worn onstage that you’d like to see American fans get excited about?

Wendy: There are many Korean designers that are creative, innovative, and practical, and each of our members tries to collaborate with designers who represent some of the most promising talent in the Korean fashion industry right now. For Joy, she works with WNDERKAMMER . Yeri works with Hidden Forest Market . Irene, LIE . Seulgi, Nohant . And for me, Sewing Boundaries .

[Note: For New York–based fans who are interested in seeing the work of these designers in person, these brands will be included in an upcoming pop-up shop in SoHo, called “ The Selects .”]

Some of your best and most memorable looks have come when you’re traveling . How much do you prepare when you’re about to travel? Do you work with stylists for that, or do you plan those outfits personally?

Joy: Sometimes we do discuss what we’re going to wear with our stylists, but sometimes we pick our own things to wear. It’s cool to have a platform where we get to express our own sense of style.

SM Entertainment

Boy groups like BTS and Big Bang have become extremely popular in the states over the last several years, but it remains rare for Korean girl groups to tour in the United States. What do you hope this tour can accomplish for women in your industry?

Joy: I was really surprised, along with the other members, that our North American tour happened so fast. We didn’t really expect it to happen this way. Obviously it’s thanks to all the fans in America, and even in Canada. What I’d hope is that it would give a platform for other girl groups to do the same.

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What do you think it is about your group that has connected with international audiences?

Yeri: I think the appeal might be our variety, because we put out a lot of different kinds of concepts in all the music we release. But also, I was on YouTube recently, and I see a lot of short videos our fans make of the members behind the scenes acting like sisters , and being like a family. And I think that appeals to a wider audience, because people feel close to us as a group.

Red Velvet's Redmare Tour begins February 7.

Teo Bugbee Teo Bugbee loves kpop, movies, unions, and (occasionally) writing.

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