[Diary Point | Reporter Park Bo-young] Actor Lee Jong-suk said he looked to singer Lim Young-woong’s concert outfits while preparing the wardrobe for Prince Heinrey in Disney+’s ‘The Remarried Empress.’ He shared the behind-the-scenes story on the YouTube talk show ‘Salon Drip,’ released Nov. 3, linking the two through stage costumes reimagined for a prince in a drama.
Lee said that while watching one of Lim’s concerts, he thought the stage looks could work if adapted to suit the drama’s atmosphere. He searched Pinterest for visual references, looked into costume workshops and then took part in the making of the outfits himself.
The connection between the two was an idea drawn from elaborate stagewear, rather than a personal friendship. Lim makes a statement with his concert costumes, while Lee adapted those elements for Heinrey’s style in the fantasy romance. Jang Do-yeon’s quip calling Lim the “prince of trot” — a popular Korean music genre — added a laugh to the conversation.
From jewelry to wardrobe, Lee got hands-on with the prince’s look
Lee said he grew used to accessories that initially felt over the top as filming went on. He recalled wearing two necklaces and three earrings in one scene, describing how he came to see the clothes and jewelry as part of building the character.
‘The Remarried Empress’ is a romantic fantasy about Empress Navier, who asks for permission to remarry after Emperor Sovieshu tells her he wants a divorce, and begins a new relationship with Heinrey, a prince of the Western Kingdom. Shin Min-a plays Navier, Ju Ji-hoon plays Sovieshu, Lee Jong-suk plays Heinrey and Lee Se-young plays Rashta. Disney+’s official title page lists the series as rated 15+.
The release had initially been announced for Nov. 4, but Disney said it moved up the premiere by a day, releasing the first four episodes on Nov. 3. As of Nov. 4, those episodes are available on Disney+. The remaining episodes are set to arrive two at a time every Wednesday from Nov. 11, with the finale on Nov. 25.
The behind-the-scenes story highlights both the influence of Lim Young-woong’s concert costumes on the drama’s wardrobe and Lee’s involvement from visual research through production. The ‘Salon Drip’ episode is available on the TEO YouTube channel, and ‘The Remarried Empress’ is streaming on Disney+.