BTS’ RM is opening up about the powerful effect art and fashion can have on him.
During a recent appearance on “Fashion Neurosis,” the rapper reflected on experiencing Stendhal syndrome, a term used to describe intense physical and emotional reactions to art, including dizziness and a racing heartbeat.
RM recalled feeling that way after walking into a Rick Owens store in Seoul around 2014 or 2015, not too long after BTS’ debut.
“I didn’t have any money, so I couldn’t afford a single piece,” he said. “But I still remember the first time I walked into the store.”
RM said he was immediately struck by the designer’s world, from a sculpture on display to the dramatic clothing surrounding him.
“There was a sculpture of him, of course, and all those black waves, the darkness of his world and the silhouettes,” he said. “They were really elegant.”
Namjoon on experiencing Stendhal syndrome
“I still remember when I first looked at clothes of Rick Owens…there was a store in Seoul….but I remember like in 2014 or 2015 , I got no money I couldn’t afford any piece of Rick but I still remember when I first entered the store”… pic.twitter.com/q6Gzf68uWr
— kat (@kookyun) July 22, 2026
Looking back, RM said the experience marked the first time fashion had affected him so deeply.
“I think that was the first time I experienced something like Stendhal syndrome because of clothes,” he shared.
RM talking about the first book he read that made him feel Stendhal Syndrome: Demian
The book that inspired one of BTS’s most iconic album eras: WINGS pic.twitter.com/jkQUZGZMxC
— Sandy ⁷⁼¹ 13TS ⊙⊝⊜ (@sandarmy23) July 22, 2026
After the interview, fans began discussing the condition online, with many ARMYs sharing explanations for those who had never heard of it before.
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