Milan Design Week to showcase Korean crafts

Korean sophistication, artistry and craftsmanship will be exhibited during Milan Design Week, one of the world’s largest showcases for design and craftworks.A total of 192 craftworks by Korean artisans will go on display under the title, “Constancy and Change,” at the Triennale Design Museum from April 14-19. It is the third straight year that Korea is holding the exhibition during the Milan Design Week, which brings together innovative designs from around the world.  Red dry lacquered bowl by K

April 7, 2015

[Herald Interview] Managing director of COS stresses timeless design, functionality

In the era of fast fashion, the life cycle of clothing is becoming shorter. People consume clothes as if they are disposable goods, driven by the supply of low-cost, trendy clothes offered by fashion giants such as Zara and H&M. However, the philosophy of COS goes against this fashion trend ― it believes fashion and longevity should go hand-in-hand, said Marie Honda, managing director of the company, a sister brand of H&M. “We have an approach to design that is timeless and permanent. Garments s

March 29, 2015

Social influence on fashion

Menswear at Seoul Fashion Week has never been so diverse in styles and ideas as in the 2015 fall and winter collections. Designers presented an interesting mix of styles from streetwear and traditional tailoring to avant-garde while exploring the relationship between social and political issues and fashion during the two-day menswear show on Friday and Saturday. In contrast to previous collections for the chilly season, many collections featured diverse colors that delighted the eyes of fashion

March 22, 2015

[Weekender] ‘For new look, think outside the box’

 For many people, the coming of spring brings an urge to renew their home interiors. But decorating can be a daunting challenge for those who have not kept up with the latest trends. Revamping one’s home doesn’t necessarily cost a fortune or require much knowledge about what’s in vogue, according to veteran interior designer Kwon Soon-bok. A new look can start with a simple change. One just needs to think outside the box, she suggests. “Don’t buy furniture first. Use your own furniture first. It

March 20, 2015

[Weekender] Inside Korea’s DIY home decor craze

It may come as a surprise how many young people in Korea know their way around a power drill. One example is Kim Ji-eun, a 33-year-old woman who was carefully drilling a small oval into a rectangular piece of wood at Intro M Wood Shop in Dobong-gu, Seoul. “I’m making a cellphone dock. The hole is for the charger,” she explained as she flipped the switch to get the drill going again. As she blew the wood shavings off the finished block, she said she had been coming here for about a year. At Intro

March 20, 2015

Design meets humans

The oversized, domineering gate of rusty steel topped by the nameplate Devil’s Door is never meant to make guests feel at ease. Inside, an awe-inspiring interior of the top-flying brewpub in southern Seoul welcomes beer lovers longing for new tastes, choice and experience. The 10-meter-high ceilings, retro benches and chairs, brick wall art and a web of vintage metal pipe lamps combine to create the feel of a cottage brewery that has breathed a new life into an old abandoned factory in Brooklyn,

March 20, 2015

Calligrapher to fashion world’s inviting hand

PARIS (AFP) ― His hand is steady and sure as it delicately traces the contours of the biggest names in the world of style: the celebrities, the magazine editors, the clients. Nicolas Ouchenir is a calligrapher, a member of a rarified profession whose ink appears on the must-have invitations of Europe’s fashion shows.He may not personally meet all the VIPs attending the catwalk parades. But his personalized flourish to them, deliberately evoking the elegance of times past is carried close in thei

Jan. 21, 2015

Style (re)solutions: 6 steps to up your fashion, beauty game

Where there’s a resolution, chances are there’s a style solution to help conquer it.Before you let winter doldrums and self-defeat drown your goals for the new year, check out some of these simple beauty and fashion tips for looking and feeling your best in 2015.If you want to ...Get in shape: Weight loss tops the list of most-common resolutions each year and often is among the most commonly broken ones, too. What you wear ― and how you wear it ― can help you look more slim and trim. Opt for tai

Jan. 21, 2015

Gucci salutes France in first post-Giannini show

MILAN (AP) ― The fashion curtain call is part of the ritual of the runway show, with each designer’s personality reflected in that final bow.Some, like Miuccia Prada, appear in the doorway for a nanosecond. Donatella Versace walks a good 10 meters out to salute the crowd, while Giorgio Armani stands perfectly lit in the darkened stage entrance. Monday was to be Frida Giannini’s last bow as creative director at Gucci’s menswear after a decade at the Florentine house ― but that was not to be. The

Jan. 20, 2015

Milan Fashion designers celebrate normality

MILAN (AP) ― Tactile fashion set the trend on Sunday, the second day of Milan Fashion Week previews for next autumn and winter menswear. Designers are luxuriating in mohair, cashmere and heavy knits, enveloping men in rich, luxurious knitwear, including oversized scarves, chunky sweaters and slumping caps. Dark shades dominate, with some flashes of pink, purple and red offering contrast and whimsy. Here are some highlights: Gender interplay Miuccia Prada’s mostly black-on-black collection create

Jan. 19, 2015

Cook up some color for a kitchen that pops

Some like it hot, but when it comes to kitchen design, most of us don’t dare to boldly go where no one has gone before. A little edgy with backsplashes, maybe. A lime spatula or even a KitchenAid mixer in raspberry, why not? But an aqua fridge? Or a radiant orchid range? Seriously? Radiant Orchid may not suit your decor, but BlueStar ranges come in more than 750 color and finish choices. (BlueStar)Seriously. This is not for the design timid. This is about the anti-white kitchen, that classic tha

Jan. 14, 2015

[Weekender] Art and fashion make perfect duo

Riding the popularity of K-pop, the new Korean fashion brand Nonagon has landed in major multi-fashion stores in Asia and the fashion hub of Milan within six months of its launch in September last year.The huge early success is the result of a collaboration between YG Entertainment, which represents major K-pop stars including Big Bang and 2NE1, and the textile company Cheil Industries, an affiliate of Samsung Group. The two joined hands to create a line of bomber jackets, sweatshirts, minidress

Jan. 9, 2015

Ask a Designer: Improving the kitchen in small (or big) ways

Another holiday season has passed, and with it the marathon cooking and baking sessions. The hours spent using every kitchen appliance and inch of counter space had a potential benefit more lasting than a good meal: When we really use our kitchens, we discover what does and doesn’t work in this very important room.Remodeling a kitchen can be expensive and challenging, but you can make substantial cosmetic changes with just the help of a painter and electrician, says interior designer Betsy Burnh

Jan. 7, 2015

Baby, it’s gold inside

PHILADELPHIA ― Gold has moved beyond deck-the-halls festive into the glitzy realm of must-have fashion.It’s the season for gleaming flecks to sparkle on fluttering eyelids and glisten on mistletoe-ready lips. A bronzy link chain, instead of a ribbon, on tuxedo-style trousers is happy-hour sultry. And shimmering, silky pantsuits are both retro and relevant.Once civilization’s most sought-after metal, gold shines brightest this year in classic yellow. But copper and rose blends, especially on sequ

Dec. 29, 2014

A force to reckon with

Three out of all American luxury handbags that hang on women’s arms today are made by Simone, a Korean company.When Kenny Park started the company in 1987, naming it after a nickname he had given his wife, luxury handbags made in Asia were unheard of. “It was an unspoken rule that for bags over $1,000, customers wanted a ‘Made in Italy,’” Park said at his corner office, filled with rocks, flowers and handbags, on Dec. 16. Yet, armed with seven years of experience and a proven track record at a b

Dec. 26, 2014

[Herald Interview] Aedas chairman: Problems with Lotte World Tower ‘unusual’

Koreans seem to be keener than ever on safety issues after witnessing a series of accidents this year, including the Sewol ferry disaster that killed more than 300 passengers and the deadly collapse of a ventilation grate at a concert venue.Adding to the safety concerns recently have been the geological problems and construction flaws affecting the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, which is expected to be the sixth-tallest building in the world when completed in 2016. Keith Griffiths, the chairman of

Dec. 15, 2014

Warmth, comfort of handmade crafts

A hand-carved ceramic vessel, an origami-inspired molded ceramic bowl and a tree-shaped vertical wooden clothes rack. The craftwork to be showcased at the ninth edition of the Craft Trend Fair on Thursday at Coex attempts to bring elegance and warmth to functional modern lifestyles. It is the biggest showcase of craftwork in Korea, and its 2014 exhibition is dealing with a theme entitled “Temperature of Craft at 36.5 degrees Celsius” to highlight the heartwarming humanism of handmade craftwork.“

Dec. 14, 2014

[Weekender] ‘Where we live defines us’

A box-shaped apartment complex has been a dominant housing option for Koreans for decades. The government has encouraged the development of such complexes, considering them as the most efficient type of housing to accommodate a large number of people in the country given its limited land. The popularity of apartments has was the most profitable investment tool in Korea until the housing market bubble bust, hit by the global economic downturn in 2008.Against this backdrop, with the demand for a b

Dec. 12, 2014

[Weekender] ‘HOUSHOW’ brings dream houses to life

The Association of Young Architects launched the HOUSHOW initiative, a dream house-building project, in 2012. For the first project, it selected six candidates among 80 applicants and then met with them in person to discuss the design of their dream house. As a gift, the project offered them a floor plan, a perspective drawing and a model so that they could build the actual house one day. Below is the brief introduction of four such houses.01. Raon HausA couple in their early 40s with two young

Dec. 12, 2014