Seoul Fashion Week ready to turn buzz into business
Apart from runway shows, SFW will feature a photography display, seminars, collaborations and free movie days
Top Korean designers will be unveiling their 2018 autumn and winter collections at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul from March 19 to 24, beginning with a hanbok show to herald the overall concept – Korean beauty.
The HERA Seoul Fashion Week will feature 37 designer brands, and two companies are expected to participate, and the Generation Next Seoul, a trade show started two years ago, will present 13 shows and 90 rising designer brands, according to organiser Seoul Design Foundation.
Hanbok designer Kim Hye-soon will grace the stage with her authentic collection in the opening ceremony on the first day. This will be the first time for the Korean costume designer to open the trade show.
“I hope this will be an opportunity to introduce our traditional costumes to the world out there,” says Jung Ku-ho, executive director of Seoul Fashion Week.
The show will be a reinterpretation of hanbok in a “modern” way, adding fun elements, Jung says.
He says he has always been interested in and has appreciated traditional values and beauty, shown by participating in historical film productions and showcasing traditional furniture collections.
Fashion Week is not just a festival where people enjoy pretty clothes on runways. After all, it is a business.
Along with such initiatives, the organiser has been discussing ways to support rising designers and collaborate with established organisations, including the British Fashion Council, during the event, Jung says.
“In addition to [Seoul Fashion Week], we are planning on supporting designers to enter overseas markets such as London shows.”