[Weekender] Eco-goods carve out niche

In line with global efforts to curb their ecological footprints, a growing number of businesses at home and overseas have been introducing products designed to last longer and reduce waste. Some toothbrushes naturally break down on their own, while a rocking chair powers a smartphone or lamp. Used coffee grounds, which would otherwise go in the trash, are transformed into mushroom compost, mugs and even lamp shades; old banners and car seat belts become stylish yet strong clothes and purses. Wha

Feb. 28, 2014

Jessica Alba’s main street is high fashion

PARIS (AP) ― The first full day of Paris’ frenzied ready-to-wear shows mixed up iconic fashion veterans like Dries Van Noten with a whole new sort of fashion player: H&M. It may be a tricky ride ahead for the main street shop, which is now attempting to walk the snooty high fashion runway. Yet the company, which has still not been allowed on the official Fashion Week calendar, put on a buzzy show-spectacle replete with strobe lights, plasma screens and Jessica Alba which may go some way in shutt

Feb. 27, 2014

Sicilian fairy tale, nomadic spirit infuse Milan Fashion Week

MILAN (AP) ― Hilary Swank, Eva Herzigova and Monica Bellucci gave Milan Fashion Week a burst of star power on Sunday, the fifth day of Milan Fashion Week, which featured womenswear previews for next fall and winter by Dolce&Gabbana, Missoni, Marni and Ferragamo. And one young designer found his pot of gold.Enchanted Sicily Romance flourishes in Dolce&Gabbana’s Sicilian fairy tale, inhabited, according to the designers’ fanciful notes, by elves, fireflies, fairies and knights. Never has little Re

Feb. 24, 2014

Femme fatale Nikita inspires Emporio Armani looks

MILAN (AP) ― Giorgio Armani sees the irony. The female models ― all belonging to the target audience for his younger line Emporio Armani ― arrive in leather leggings and he fits them in wide-legged trousers that evoke ankle-length skirts.The 79-year-old designer is not bothered in the least by “this divergence” at his fall/winter womenswear preview Friday on the third day of Milan Fashion Week. Armani said his wide pants recall a long skirt, which younger women today don’t want “because it is pa

Feb. 23, 2014

Korean lovers say it with matching socks

In a country where public displays of affection are still frowned on, young South Korean couples often advertise their relationship by wearing matching outfits, whether socks, shirts, jackets or, more privately, underwear.It’s especially popular with newlyweds, making South Koreans honeymooning on the beaches of Southeast Asia easy to spot in their twinned T-shirts or shorts, complete with “couple flip-flops.” The fashion can also be seen among young people in China and Japan, but South Koreans

Feb. 19, 2014

In New York, fall runway fashions are cozy, luxurious

NEW YORK ― With nearly a foot of snow on the ground in the Big Apple, next fall and winter were probably the last things many New Yorkers wanted to think about.But those seasons were in the spotlight as designers from across the globe gathered last week to preview their collections for fall-winter 2014 at venues throughout the city during New York Fashion Week.The eight days of runway shows and presentations attracted industry elite and media as well as celebrity-studded crowds that included fas

Feb. 19, 2014

[Photo News] 4Minute's Hyuna shows off natural look

4Minute’s Hyuna flaunts her curves in photos taken for the March edition of the magazine Cosmopolitan. In the spring-themed photo shoot, the rising sex symbol shows off her natural look in various outfits. 

Feb. 19, 2014

[Weekender] Woo Young-mi seeks homegrown fashion in Paris

What makes luxury goods stand out among fashionable items? What makes a luxury a luxury?Chinese fashion columnist Wang Er Song says in his book “Luxury Attitude” that it is the buyers’ respect for the goods. “What makes a luxury a luxury is the abundant value it contains and people’s respect for that value, the stories behind it,” he writes.  WOOYOUNGMI, a Korea-based menswear brand, fulfills these conditions perfectly. Having started with a small boutique brand, Solid Homme, in 1988, designer W

Feb. 14, 2014

[Weekender] Conglomerates foster own luxury brands

Korean conglomerates are gearing up to nurture the future Louis Vuitton or Chanel, which will not only secure them with profits but also a luxurious corporate image and high social status. Hoping to become the next Bernard Arnault of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy or Francois Pinault of Kering, business tycoons and their heirs are vigorously buying up designer brands or nurturing future star designers. LVMH owns Louis Vuitton, Dior, Saint Laurent, Donna Karan and Celine, among others, while Kering

Feb. 14, 2014

Korean designers appeal with diversity

 Korean designers have delivered vibrant appeals for Korean fashion with elegant tailoring, twists to classic looks and various mix-matched styles.Four designers showcased fall and winter collections for 2014 at Concept Korea on Tuesday, a show held for the ninth year to promote Korea’s design talent at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The major fashion event is being held from Feb. 6-13 at various venues throughout the city. The Concept Korea show for fall-winter 2014 collections was

Feb. 12, 2014

Pevonia opens spa at Ritz-Carlton in Seoul

Spa cosmetics brand Pevonia has opened its first Korean branch at The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul. The Pevonia Spa, launched in 1991 by family members of LVMH Moet Hennessy, is one of the world’s leading spa brands with skin care products provided at more than 10,000 spas of top hotels and resorts in more than 100 countries.The Pevonia skin care products are made from natural ingredients free of chemical materials such as parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, artificial colors and formaldehyde, and m

Feb. 12, 2014

Mulberry paper products showcased at Paperworld

Korean mulberry paper and everyday products that use it are on view at Paperworld, an international trade fair for paper and stationery, in Frankfurt, Germany. Forty-three kinds of Korean mulberry paper, hand-made by Korean artisans, are on display. Two products using the paper have been selected as the highlights of the trade fair’s Asia Design Excellence exhibition, organized by the German Design Council. Korean mulberry paper, called “hanji” in Korean, was widely used for brushwork calligraph

Jan. 26, 2014

Gaga at Versace, Kate Bosworth hits Dior

PARIS (AP) ― “I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time,” Lady Gaga once said. And the fashion-inspired singer reigned supreme at the opening of Paris’ luxuriant haute couture shows. Monday marked the first full day of the spring-summer 2014 displays in Paris, including collections from Christian Dior Couture, Giambattista Valli and Schiaparelli.Here are some key moments and tidbits from the day.Lady Gaga at VersaceShe may not yet have changed the world, but Lady Gaga almost upst

Jan. 22, 2014

Still got it: Kate Moss turns 40

LONDON (AFP) ― It’s been 26 years since the skinny girl from south London was spotted at JFK airport but Kate Moss, who celebrates her 40th birthday on Thursday, is still on top of her game.The British supermodel greeted the landmark birthday in typically rocking style by posing as a bunny girl for Playboy magazine in black stilettos and rabbit ears.She riled a few feminists but it was hard to deny that while the years may be rushing by, she’s still got it.Moss has recently fronted campaigns by

Jan. 16, 2014

Milan designers trumpet workmanship

MILAN (AP) ― Italian fashion trumpeted its roots during the third day of Milan Fashion Week on Monday. Milan designers emphasized what they do best, showing off tailored silhouettes, highlighting advanced textiles that elevate the looks and putting the spotlight on the artisanal work behind their exclusive wears.Etro, the Milan-based fashion house famed for its paisley prints, went one step further, parading out the men and women who create their garments at a factory in the southern region of A

Jan. 15, 2014

Exhibition shows men’s bags’ evolution from practical carryalls to style items

Men’s bags have become more than a practical means of carrying belongings. They are now much more like accessories, fashion statements or reflections of a man’s identity. In step with changing perceptions about the nature of men’s bags, the Simone Handbag Museum on the trendy Garosu-gil in Seoul recently opened a small exhibition to examine the relationships between men and bags. “Bags have become a style accessory, no longer a practical carrier. I think bags are one of the fashion items with wh

Jan. 12, 2014

Dongdaemun Design Plaza creates futuristic Seoul scape

Dongdaemun, one of the largest commercial districts in Korea, will have its new face revealed with the opening of the latest masterpiece by star architect Zaha Hadid, in an ambitious Seoul Metropolitan Government project to establish a design and cultural hub in the capital. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park will be unveiled in March amid anticipation that the new flashy building and its adjacent public park will attract citizens much like Korea’s first sports stadium originally located on th

Jan. 1, 2014