Korean designers make a splash in Italy

Young Korean designers caught the eyes of fashion hunters at a prestigious Italian menswear trade show, receiving large orders and an offer of store space. Three menswear clothing brands ― Bastong, Westage and Instantology ― and eyewear brand grafik plastic showcased their designs to international buyers and press during Pitti Uomo, the world’s largest menswear trade show, from June 18-21 in Florence, Italy. The total amount of orders is expected to be $270,000, according to the Korea Creative C

June 25, 2013

Korean fast fashion advances in Asia

Korean fast fashion brands are expanding overseas, hoping that tailoring items for Asian consumers will be a winning strategy. Korean fashion retailer E.Land Group has taken an aggressive lead, opening Japanese and Chinese stores of its women’s apparel brand Mixxo in March and May, respectively. In China, Mixxo has stores in Super Brand Mall in Shanghai, a prime retail spot, directly competing with fast fashion brands such as Spain’s Zara, Sweden’s H&M and Japan’s Uniqlo. Riding on the back of K

June 4, 2013

Fashion world applauds de la Renta ― and Clinton

NEW YORK (AP) ― The big winners at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards on Monday night were Proenza Schouler for womenswear, Thom Browne for menswear and Phillip Lim for accessories, but the crowd seemed to have the most love for Hillary Rodham Clinton.Clinton received a standing ovation at the Lincoln Center ceremony before she presented the CFDA’s highest honor, its Founder’s Award, to Oscar de la Renta, whom she called “a dear friend.’’ She recounted first meeting him as first

June 4, 2013

[Photo News] Actress Hwang Jung-eum wows fans with fashion photos

Fashion magazine Bazaar recently released a series of photos featuring South Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum.Photos courtesy of Bazaar.    

May 28, 2013

Gold becomes a theme at glitzy Cannes amfAR gala

There’s always glitz and glamour at Cannes, France, during its annual film festival, and it’s no different this year. But there’s still a heavy infusion of gold to come this week at Thursday’s amfAR gala, which will treat its celebrity guests to 40 of the world’s top models in “The Ultimate Gold Collection Fashion Show,” curated by Carine Roitfeld.It’s the 20th edition of the gala, which raises money for AIDS research, and the “ultimate” show builds on a smaller one that launched last year. This

May 22, 2013

Designer honored by French order

Designer Moon Young Hee is a rare example in the Korean fashion scene: a designer with a unique perspective who has been presenting her signature style to the global audience every season at Paris Fashion Week since 1996. In recognition of her persistent efforts and fresh input to the Parisian fashion world, Moon received the National Order of Merit, one of the highest honors given by the French government, on Tuesday in Seoul. “Putting on shows for 18 years has been a difficult task. It’s reall

May 8, 2013

Korean designers to be showcased in Singapore

A group of Korean designers will present their collections at one of Asia’s biggest fashion showcases in Singapore this month. Twelve young designers and Lee Suktae will attend the Asia Fashion Exchange from May 13-19 in Singapore that will gather international and Asian designer brands from all over the world. Young designers’ brands such as J Apostrophe, J KOO, KYE, Leyii, Navy Scandal and One Choi will present their pre-spring collection for 2014 to international buyers and press at the Blue

May 1, 2013

10 Corso Como in limelight after appearance in Psy music video

With Psy’s “Gentleman” music video being watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world, some of the spots where the video was shot are receiving worldwide attention. The spots currently in the limelight include 10 Corso Como Seoul, a multi-brand branch store of Milan’s famous shopping and dining complex offering designer clothes, beauty products and design objects. In the earlier part of the music video, Psy is featured dancing in the Cheongdam-dong store, surrounded by other cast m

April 24, 2013

Portugal’s retro brands win new fans

LISBON (AFP) ― From vintage sardine tins and embroidered napkins to artisanal soaps, Portugal’s retro products are winning new fans as a handful of companies introduce their old-school aesthetic to the international market.“The Americans have McDonald’s ― we’ve got tinned fish,” jokes Tiago Cabral Ferreira at the Conserveira de Lisboa shop which has sold sardines, mackerel and other canned fish from the heart of Lisbon’s old town for the past 83 years. And it’s the retro-styled tins, with their

April 17, 2013

Sustainable living highlighted at Milan show

MILAN (AP) ― Bathrooms that beg indulgence. Tiles that reduce pollution. Lighting that mimics a rainbow. Extravagance, social consciousness and innovation were strange, but alluring, bedfellows at the Milan Furniture Show and the myriad side events dedicated to design that wrapped up Sunday, ending a weeklong celebration of domestic bliss in its many forms. The burgeoning event was originally conceived to promote Italian furniture making, which is withstanding the recession better than many indu

April 17, 2013

Young Korean designer attracts attention at Milan Furniture Fair

Milan Furniture Design is one of the most important design events, attracting the most innovative designs from around the world. It is also a great opportunity for young designers to introduce their work on a global stage and to test themselves out in the market. Korean designer Park Bomi and five other Korean designers were selected by the organizers to showcase their works at Salone Satellite, which gathers promising international designers under age 35.  A separate Korean group exhibition fea

April 10, 2013

South, North Korean architectural history to showcase at Venice Biennale

Korea will show 100 years of architecture in South and North Korea at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014, according to Cho Min-suk, commissioner for the Korean Pavilion of the world’s biggest architecture exhibition. “The Korean exhibition will focus on the history of Korean architecture, not contemporary architecture or architects, which corresponds with the central theme of the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale,” said Cho at a press conference on Tuesday to unveil the direction of the Ko

April 10, 2013

Koolhaas unites architecture, design and fashion

MILAN (AP) ― Shedding his “puritanical’’ attitude against architects designing objects, Rem Koolhaas has shifted scale to create 11 pieces of furniture for the U.S. industrial design house Knoll. The Dutch architect’s creations, which premiered Monday ahead of Milan Design Week, include a dynamic counter ― a stack of three horizontal beams that can be transformed from a screen-like unit to cantilevered shelves and benches that invite people to sit, climb and lean in. The end result is a social/i

April 9, 2013

Diggin’ in: It’s time for daffodils

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance...And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.(“Daffodils” by William Wordsworth)It’s been a rainy winter with early spring winds blowing away any remnants of fall leaves.Through it all, daffodils by the thousands emerge to remind you spring is here.Daffodils are easy, enjoyable and enchanting, looking like oversized cousins to the smaller buttercups that later fill meadows and open fields. Voles, squi

April 3, 2013

Traditional Korean crafts to go on display at Milan fair

South Korea will showcase its traditional crafts at one of the world’s largest international furniture fairs set to open in Milan, Italy, next week, the culture ministry said Monday.The government-led exhibit, “Constancy and Change in Korean Traditional Craft 2013,” will be part of the Milan International Furniture Fair on April 9-14, the ministry said, adding that it will be the first time Korean crafts will be on display at the trade fair.The annual fair, also known as “Milan Design Week,” is

April 1, 2013

What modern women want

In today’s fiercely competitive fashion world where fast fashion poses a formidable threat to emerging designers and local brands struggle against global brands, an understanding of what women really want might be just what smaller players need. Seoul’s position as a fashion capital may be weak, but Seoul Fashion Week for fall/winter 2013 seemed to have just that. How and What by Park Byung-kyu lived up to modern women’s wish to look powerful, confident and smart in sexy, bold looks. Park, the d

March 29, 2013