Just recently, Seoul has become one of the new fashionable places to go. There are dozens of Korean models being sent down runways in New York City, Paris, and Milan. Korea's designers definitely lean towards the unique and the styles are hard to find elsewhere in the world. Brands like 99%Is and Kim MeHee are putting Seoul onto the map. The mixture of modernizing traditional clothing and the growing hip-hop and edgy clothing scene strongly influences the Seoul runways.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have an interest in fashion. Since I was young, I've always enjoyed "making" my own clothes by fashioning blankets into skirts with a series of complicated knots or anything similar. I dreamed of learning to sew and someday hand making couture dresses that would be sent down the runway in New York City, Paris, and Milan. That dream never came true (though it's ever too late to try!), but I've still kept up a bit with the fashion world. It was always on my bucket list to attend a "fashion week" somewhere in the world. I was keen on Paris or London but thought that any of them would be fine. I managed to halfway cross that off my list by attending Seoul's Fashion Week held in March of 2016. (Yes, the fall designs are sent down the runway in March.)
When I say "attending", I don't mean I got to sit in the front row (or even general audience) of a runway show. That part of my bucket list is still up for completion. However, I did head on over to Dongdaemun Plaza, one of Seoul's famous art exhibit galleries. Seoul Fashion Week is generally held here with the runway shows taking place inside. Many of Korea's most attractive people strut around outside the Plaza either in hopes of to be spotted by a casting agent or to show off their stylish outfits and (perfectly practiced) model poses. Tourists go to spot popular Korean models and take pictures of the event and to possibly catch a glimpse of any celebrities attending the runway shows and hitting up the red carpet that leads into the building.
I ended up going one of the last days and didn't spot any Korean celebrities, although I did end up seeing a Japanese man with bubblegum pink hair who is apparently famous in some way or another in Japan. You can always tell who's who based on how many people ask for pictures with them. I noticed that a lot of the model-y looking people either congregated closely with one or a few other model-y looking people (networking, perhaps?) or avoided others so they could be photographed alone by the dozens of photographers that were present.
The photographers are literally everywhere, whether professional, contracted, or just amateurs hoping for a good photo. I was of the latter category. I brought my camera in hopes of getting shots of some great outfits and I wasn't disappointed. To me, Seoul Fashion Week's street style follows a particular trend. Edgier looks reign when compared to New York City, Paris, and Milan that lean more towards the more luxurious looks that are what-designer-are-you-wearing focused.
Of course, some of the people in the Seoul crowd are wearing clothes that most people can only hope to afford, but in general, the idea is more how well do you wear what you have on, not how expensive were your clothes. You can tell that the outfits are carefully planned and that no one wants to look "perfectly undone" which is a look that's often gone for in other cities. Seoul's street style stars curate their outfits in a "I threw this on" kind of way without looking like they did. That being said, the more popular models and social media stars could still wear something that's considered a very simple, basic outfit (in Korean standards) and still be the star of the show.
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| Camera crew waiting next to the red carpet waiting for the first star arrivals |
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| I think he's an entertainer of some kind? TV personality maybe? Not 100% sure, but he had a crowd following him all asking for photos, so... |
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| My friend being interviewed by a group of Korean students |
Many of Seoul's street style stars have Instagram followings of 10,000+. Just as in the US and Europe, you'll often see young people on social media who have are famous simply because of their attractive looks. In Korea, they're often known as "ulzzangs" or "best face/good-looking". There were a couple of these people that I recognized there even as someone who's not an avid follower. I was surprised how truly young a lot of them are too. I would say the general age range ran from about 17-25.
I never made it inside the actual building where all the exhibits are during my time in Korea, but it's still worth seeing, regardless of whether Fashion Week is going on or not. The structure was designed by Iraqi British architect Zaha Hadid and Korean studio Samoo. Construction began in 2009 and was inaugurated in 2014. The structure helped name Seoul as the World Design Capital in 2010.
I can honestly say that Seoul Fashion Week is definitely not for everyone. It's not for the person who gets bored by not having actual activities to do or events to attend. A lot of the time I was just standing around watching everyone else make their way to some event or into some runway show. However, I loved being able to be an anonymous face with the ability to just soak everything in. The energy was so great, and the people were so excited about everything. There was never a moment of quiet, which is something I loved. It's one reason I love big cities. The busy feeling makes everything feel alive for me. I really hope to be able to go again someday. Seoul Fashion Week S/S 2017, maybe?
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