In a joint statement, China and South Korea have declared an end to the discord surrounding the THAAD system. No, THAAD is not the initials of a new urban brand for millennials, but the name of an anti-missile system that has been in place near Seoul for almost a year. From October 16 to 21, Fashion Week was held in a strange atmosphere: nylon, trench coats and threats from Kim Jong-Un. Yet local designers were full of optimism: parade? Young Koreans are crying out for change and modernity: through fashion, through the renewal of the city. A cultural tsunami that blows away the missiles. A desire to embrace an international future: Korea is not just an island, or a chapter in the Cold War.
Being a creator in an age of terror
At full speed: making up for the time of indigence, erasing the traces of fear, thwarting chaos by producing ever more, ever faster. A race in which young creators are running out of steam. If, since the early 2000s, the expression Hallyu has been illustrating South Korea’s cultural impact on other countries (particularly China), this wave can soon give way to drowning. Get out of the country and take the time to create: that’s the wish of a new generation of creators. Bajowoo for 99% is, Myoungsin Lee for Low Classic, or Blindness and Kiok. Their travels can be seen in the prints, cuts and fabrics.
At 99% is, London’s punk vibes take center stage. For Low classic, Parisian minimalism inspires. Myoun Gsin Lee recounts having fun with European folklore about Asia. At Blindness, improbable costume clothing recalls Westwood collections, while Charm‘s revives the Working Girl.
99%is
Sequin-covered jogging suits, bombers and anoraks: reborn after the monsoon season.
Low Classic
Beige palette, long pants and airy dress: Phoebe Philo at Chloé.
Blindness
Neo-armor in tulle, to fight tradition. At the crossroads of eras and genres: theatrical fashion.
Charm’s
Pencil skirt hybridized by collaboration with Kappa. Sportswear: a global phenomenon replayed to K-PoP tunes.
Seoul Year Zero
Breaking with the frameworks of the old society: difficult when the threat of North Korea looms and forces young boys to undergo a minimum of three years’ military training. For Shin Kyu Youg ( Blindness), it takes up to seven. In response to these years: androgynous, urban silhouettes. Fear is part of Korean life, but it doesn’t rule it. Former U.S. military bases are rife with drag queens and gay bars. A Zeitgeist reminiscent of Cabaret‘s Berlin. The dynamism of the younger generation is pushing Korea forward. If the aesthetic is sometimes abrupt, the collections make us reflect on the relative stagnation of certain contemporary European designers.
Teddy Boy Mad in Korea
Blindness
The geopolitics of Fashion Week
Chanel /Seoul. Source : Dazed and Confused
Donald Trump begins a tour of Asia: one of the longest in 25 years. The focus will be on diplomacy, trade agreements and, above all, North Korea. A crisis that has caused a 40% drop in the number of Chinese tourists since January. Surprisingly, trade between China and Korea continues to grow: $953 million was spent by Chinese in Korea between January and June 2017, according to Business Of Fashion. The fourth-largest and one of the fastest-growing luxury industries, cosmetics are all the rage. As a result, major luxury conglomerates are giving Made In Korea a helping hand: L. Catterton, partner of LVMH, is investing in Clio beauty products and the Gentle Monster brand. “ Fashion goes on with or without the threat of Kim Young-Un”, Wooyougmi designer tells BoF.
During his trip, Donald may be able to place Ivanka’s mark somewhere. After the “inappropriate skirt” scandal in Tokyo, the diplomatic gamble seems leveled.
Ivanka: the scandal skirt
Non-geolocatable fashion. Promising collections, especially for designers fortunate enough to have gone abroad. If the invitation to travel is a recurrent theme in fashion, here it takes on its full meaning and depth. More than an idle leisure pursued in the company of LV-stamped trunks: a necessity for inspiration and radiance. We can only hope for a stronger communion between the countries of Asia to allow the optimism of their designers to explode.
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