Who is Katseye? The Gnarly Girl Group Behind the Viral Gap Ad
Who is Katseye? The Gnarly Girl Group Behind the Viral Gap Ad
By Emily Smith — October 23, 2025
Katseye is one of the hottest and most talked-about girl groups right now. The iconic newcomers are taking the music and fashion industries by storm.
Katseye got their start on the Netflix show “Popstar Academy: KATSEYE.” 20 girls were chosen from over 100,000 applicants to participate in intensive training and a 12-week competition. The prize? A place in a girl group under HYBE, the South Korean entertainment company known for BTS, SEVENTEEN, New Jeans, and more.
With a combination of public voting and industry judging, six of the contestants were selected as permanent members at the end of the competition. With the popularity of the docuseries, it came as no surprise when the newly formed pop group rapidly rose to fame.
Although the group is under HYBE entertainment and often travels to promote their music in South Korea, they are based in Los Angeles and consider themselves a global group, not K-pop. This has allowed them to easily collaborate with artists and brands based in the United States. After their jaw-dropping advertisement for Gap, Katseye’s popularity only skyrocketed. In Gap’s campaign titled “Better In Denim,” Katseye showcased diversity in a time of great division following Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle advertisement.
But the question remains—who are the six young women from Katseye?
It’s only fitting to begin with the group’s leader, Sophia Laforteza. At just 22 years old, Laforteza brings her powerful voice and grounded leadership skills to the group all the way from the Philippines. As the daughter of a famous Filipino musical theater actress, Laforteza’s love of music started early in life. She ranked first overall at the end of the competition show and was the first to be chosen for the group.
The eldest member of Katseye is none other than Manon Bannerman. She is 23 years old and of Swiss, Italian, and Ghanaian heritage. In a cover profile with Billboard Philippines, she told interviewers that all her life she “wanted to see someone like [her] on screen.” Now, she performs loud and proud for all the girls like her around the globe.
Daniela Avanzini is 21 years old, hails from Atlanta, and is the most experienced dancer of the group. At nine years old, Avanzini became a top 10 finalist in season 13 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Raised in a Cuban and Venezuelan family, she’s always found dance to be a central part of her identity and culture. Her heritage appears in the Katseye song “Gabriela,” in which she sings a verse in Spanish.
Next, we have one of the strongest voices of the group: Lara Raj. 19-year-old Raj's vocals are impressive and captivating, and many consider her the main vocalist of the group. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she proudly represents both the Indian-American and queer communities. Raj changed the game by coming out as queer due to the topic being taboo among K-pop groups, idols, and companies. Since then, she has dedicated many interviews to discussing her relationship with pride and authenticity.
Even though she is one of the younger members of the group, 19-year-old Megan Skiendiel brings electrifying performances to Katseye. Skiendiel grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is of Singaporean-Chinese heritage. She’s all about a powerful stage presence and is unafraid to take risks with choreography.
Jeung Yoonchae is the youngest member of Katseye at 17 years old. She comes to the group from Seoul, South Korea. Jeung has opened up about her original struggle in the competition leading up to her eventual boost in confidence. However, now her soft voice and fierce stage presence make her a standout member, and one that many enjoy seeing on screen.
No matter if you’re a new fan or a seasoned veteran of their fandom, the EYEKON community, no one can deny that the young women in this group are stars who will only continue to shine brighter with time.
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