ERL is using K-pop to preview its next Western chapter.
In anticipation of the brand’s Rancher collection, due Jan. 16, Eli Russell Linnetz created a set of custom looks for Enhypen, worn by the group in the video for “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” the lead single from its upcoming seventh album, “The Sin: Vanish.”
Built on American Western motifs, the capsule was conceived and handcrafted in ERL’s Venice Beach atelier. The members — Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki — wear ERL head to toe, including the label’s new Vamp boots in natural and black and Western accessories pulled from Linnetz’s archive. Fringe, studs, leather trims, feathers and antique pins tie the styling back to the group’s Wild West album narrative, with Linnetz also shooting an exclusive image series of the looks. Individual looks range from shearling long coats and suede trucker jackets to aged denim and patchworked chinos, echoing the pieces worn by the members in the “Big Girls Don’t Cry” video.
Enhypen for ERL
Eli Russell Linnetz/ERL
The project lands after a shift in tone for ERL’s ready-to-wear. For men’s spring 2026, WWD’s Miles Socha noted that Linnetz paused the brand’s “wave motif and groovy pastels” in favor of a “more mature vibe with its subdued colors and a continuing exploration of tailoring.” The Venice Beach label is still rooted in casual California staples, but recent collections have leaned into sharper shirting, boxy suiting and a more restrained palette.
Footwear has become another big focus. Over the last year, ERL has rolled out Vamp mules, shearling-lined Vamp boots and an exaggerated flip-flop, each pushing proportion and comfort-forward construction. The Rancher collection extends that category with the Vamp boots seen on Enhypen, reinforcing Linnetz’s interest in slip-on silhouettes that sit somewhere between sneakers, mules and boots.
Enhypen for ERL
Eli Russell Linnetz/ERL
South Korea has been a particularly strong market for the brand. Linnetz has previously pointed to K-pop visibility — including the “I Did What Last Night?” ringer T-shirt — as helping ERL’s business “really take off” in the country. Rancher will debut exclusively at Boon the Shop in South Korea the week of Jan. 12, giving fans first access to the Western-inspired pieces before a wider rollout.
For Enhypen, the tie-up adds another fashion chapter to a busy run that’s included a world tour, a Coachella debut and ongoing luxury partnerships. The group, which debuted in 2020 and now counts more than 20 million Instagram followers, has already tried cowboy-coded styling through custom Prada looks onstage. ERL’s Rancher collaboration layers a Venice Beach take onto that storyline as the band moves into its next album cycle.
