Growing trend for 2014: Orchid as top color

NEW YORK (AP) ― Orchid is growing on us: A version of the purple hue is Pantone Inc.’s color of the year for 2014.It follows this year’s pick of emerald green.Officially known as Radiant Orchid, the tropical shade is a color-wheel contrast to green, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, but it’s not the red that would have been a more obvious choice. “It’s a little different, it’s a little off the beaten path, and it’s not a primary color,’’ she explains. “It’

Dec. 11, 2013

Seamster to the stars

Hanbok designer Kim Young Seok has developed an emotional attachment to discarded old objects in his childhood home. In elementary school, he started taking out dust-covered household objects from storage and has picked up things on his trips to the provinces since he was in elementary school. “How many are there in my collection? I don’t know. I never tried to count. I know I have some 1,000 pillows,” said Kim in an interview with The Korea Herald at his hanbok shop in Seoul last week. “I have

Nov. 22, 2013

Eudon Choi stays outside comfort zone

Eudon Choi is one of the hot, emerging designers in the global fashion scene, successfully debuting at London Fashion Week last year and winning the Samsung Fashion Design Fund three years in a row. His latest win was announced on Tuesday along with his long-time friend and designer Heo Hwan of Heohwan Simulation.The course of his career in fashion has been an attempt to step outside of his comfort zone. He started working as a menswear designer in Korea, but ventured into womenswear, driven by

Nov. 19, 2013

Wool Modern exhibition to open in Seoul

A touring exhibition that promotes the use of wool opens in Seoul next week with a showcase of creative wool clothing and products by Korean designers. The 2013 Wool Modern exhibition, part of The Campaign for Wool of the Woolmark Company and supported by the Prince of Wales, seeks to raise awareness of the versatility of wool, its aesthetic qualities and environmental benefits. The exhibition started in England in 2011 and has been held in Germany, Australia and China. The use of wool peaked wi

Nov. 13, 2013

Joseon literati’s robe goes modern

Seeking to find a new fashion inspiration ― much like Japan’s kimono has inspired many global-leading designers ― a Korean cultural non-profit organization hopes to instill the Joseon literati’s outer robe as the next Oriental fashion inspiration. Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation presents a triennial exhibition shedding light on the outer robe of the Joseon literati and the spirit behind it. The exhibition, which runs from Thursday to Nov. 20, displays traditional robes in various colors and

Oct. 31, 2013

Gaultier sizzles in New York museum retrospective

NEW YORK (AFP) ― A dazzling retrospective featuring the masterpieces of couture superstar Jean Paul Gaultier opened in New York on Friday, sizzling with wit and oozing sex appeal.The Brooklyn Museum exhibition unites under one roof objects as diverse as the French designer’s childhood teddy bear, a picture of his grandmother and the conical bras he designed for Madonna.Brimming with infectious enthusiasm for life, fashion and the unique magic of New York, Gaultier says he is delighted and humble

Oct. 27, 2013

New layering ideas for spring looks

Korean womenswear designers presented new ideas for layering during the 2014 spring/summer Seoul Fashion Week as they incorporated lightweight fabrics as an add-on to their minimal, clean-cut looks.Designers created their own images of a city girl on the go that ranged from romantic, sporty, modern to classical. No matter what the image, the practical, comfortable looks should be added to the shopping list for the next season’s wardrobe. Organza, lace and shimmering fabrics were added on as the

Oct. 23, 2013

Sporty vibe dominates menswear at Seoul Fashion Week

Seoul fashion designers had sports enthusiasts in mind for next spring and summer, judging by the collections that hit the runway at Seoul Fashion Week on Friday. With sweatshirts and athletic shorts serving as staple pieces, menswear collections featured relaxed, sometimes elevated urban sporty looks that could appeal to trend-savvy men.Young designers in particular freed men from body-fitting suits, finding their inspiration in gym workouts, and engaging with philosophical concepts. Beyond Clo

Oct. 22, 2013

Sydney Opera House celebrates 40 years

SYDNEY (AFP) ― The Sydney Opera House, world heritage-listed as “one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity,” celebrated its 40th birthday Sunday with a flotilla of lifesavers, Aboriginal dancers and a gigantic cupcake.Huge crowds packed the steps for a distinctively Australian performance on the glittering harborfront, where three generations of Danish architect Jorn Utzon’s family were the guests of honor.It was a postcard-perfect day beneath the same cloudless blue skies that in

Oct. 21, 2013

Public design breathes new life into communities

This is the last installment in an eight-part series that examines the social role of design beyond its aesthetic aspect.  ― Ed.In Yeomni-dong of Mapo District in Seoul, near Ewha Womans University, is the 1.7-kilometer walking trail of “Sogeumgil (salt way).”Unlike its vibrant college area neighbor, Yeomni-dong is filled with crooked and narrow alleys, some too small to fit two people.The walking course is tough, with steep stairways and slopes. Large sign posts painted in yellow line the maze-

Oct. 17, 2013

‘Public design means democracy’

Design has long been seen largely as a matter of appearance, with public design being no exemption.The recent trend in public design, however, reflects a call for change among designers, says professor Ko Young-lan of Hansung University. “In a way, public design is an act of reflection by designers on what they have been doing. Instead of going top-down, asking the public to accept what we have designed, we are moving toward finding their needs and drawing out user-centered experiences,” said Ko

Oct. 17, 2013

International buyers eye Korean style

Attending the Fashion Kode 2013 event at Coex in Seoul on Thursday, Jessica Cheung, an operations manager at bauhaus, a select shop franchise based in Hong Kong, noted the trends in Korean fashion. “People in Hong Kong tend to dress conservatively. But here, I can feel that things are more diverse. The clothes are colorful and loose-fitting,” she said. Cheung, whose stores are located in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Germany, among other countries, said she came to the event for two purposes ― to observ

Oct. 17, 2013

Fashion Kode to give Korean fashion a trade platform

While Korean fashion has been on the international radar for quite some time, the lack of a proper fashion trade show has hindered overseas buyers from meeting local brands.Fashion Kode, envisioned as Asia’s fashion business hub, will be held Thursday through Saturday at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, gathering some 150 local fashion brands and designers and 20 foreign companies and buyers. The event will kick off with seminars and a market where designers and sellers can pitch their ite

Oct. 16, 2013

Charity auction attracts fans of Korea’s top celebrities

More than 30 items donated by Korea’s top celebrities went on the block at a charity auction held Thursday afternoon, on the fourth day of the Herald Design Week 2013. The auction was conducted as a silent auction in which participants submitted bids in writing. The bidding, held from 2-4 p.m., drew visitors looking for bargains and fans of some of Korea’s top celebrities on the lookout for items donated by their favorite stars.“I chose a coffee cup designed by fashion designer Lie Sang Bong. It

Oct. 10, 2013