What happened at the Saint Laurent show?
On September 30, BLACKPINK’s Rosé attended the Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2026 collection show in Paris as the brand’s global ambassador. She rubbed shoulders with music artist Charli XCX, supermodel Hailey Bieber, and actress Zoë Kravitz. Sounds like an A-list dream team, right?
But when ELLE UK posted a group shot from the event on Instagram, fans noticed something strange—Rosé was missing. The photo featured Charli, Hailey, and Zoë, but Rosé was cropped out entirely. Naturally, BLINKs (BLACKPINK’s fandom) weren’t having it.
“Intentional or not—it’s unacceptable”
The backlash was swift. Fans flooded the comments, asking: “Why was the brand ambassador excluded?” and calling out ELLE UK for what many perceived as racial bias.
To make things worse, Charli XCX’s own upload of the same group photo appeared to have Rosé shadowed out—literally. The lighting or edit left Rosé nearly unrecognizable, fanning the flames of controversy even more.
Damage control… too little, too late?
While ELLE UK never directly addressed the cropping incident or offered an apology, it seemed aware of the uproar. On October 1, the outlet posted several solo shots of Rosé from the runway event, showcasing her look and praising her style. But fans weren’t convinced. Many saw it as a PR patch rather than real accountability.
“Posting her the next day doesn’t erase what you did yesterday,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “If this happened to someone else, there would be outrage.”
Rosé’s silence, fans’ loud support
So far, Rosé hasn’t commented on the issue—no surprise considering she’s always kept things classy. Still, her fans are making sure the conversation continues. Amid the controversy, many are also celebrating her recent career wins: her solo track “On The Ground” passed 2 billion streams, and her estimated yearly income is drawing headlines across Korea and beyond.
In an industry—and world—that claims to celebrate diversity, fans are asking a simple question: doesn’t Rosé deserve to be fully in the frame?
