People pack forum in pursuit of creativity

Forum opens with over 1,000 participantsDesign lovers and enthusiasts packed the second annual Herald Design Forum on Thursday, eager to tune into what top international design gurus had to say during the two-day event.The forum, which invited prominent figures in the field of design as key speakers, kicked off its first day with an opening session attended by representatives from the local government, business and cultural sectors.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik and

Sept. 20, 2012

Korea’s top design forum opens

Herald Design Forum starts at COEX for two-day runThe second annual Herald Design Forum opened its doors to the public on Thursday, focusing on design that affects all areas of our everyday lives.Shedding light on a wide array of fields ― such as traditional and contemporary arts, industrial and construction design as well as design of movie concepts ― the event is expected to have those with creative mindsets flocking to Seoul.It will also touch on the topics of digital art and advertisement, w

Sept. 19, 2012

Top design event returns even bigger

The Herald Design Forum returns on a larger scale following its successful inauguration last year. The three-day forum, taking place from Wednesday to Friday this week, has attracted an eager audience looking for lively discussions and debates with world’s top designers. The design forum has positioned itself to serve as a major forum for discussing design in Korea, hosting leading designers and artists as speakers to share their design philosophies and ideas with local audiences. “Last year, we

Sept. 19, 2012

Good final touch makes big difference

From mega-hit flicks to best-selling cars, industrial designers prove power of designThe spectacular scenes in popular movies “Transformers 2,” “The Avengers” or “Wolverine 2” could not have been created without the final touches of Steve Jung, a concept artist and illustrator.Cutting-edge combat planes shoot through the sky with an earsplitting roar and gigantic heroes and villains decked in shiny metal armor stamp the earth. Jung created such tangible images and sounds by realizing the abstra

Sept. 19, 2012

Creative minds flock to Herald Design Forum

The second annual Herald Design Forum is bringing together the world’s most prominent designers and industry experts to Seoul as they get ready to take part in a three-day conference in southern Seoul.With design becoming the keyword in all fields of businesses, well-known names in the industry such as Ando Tadao, architecture professor at Tokyo University, MUJI’s art director Hara Kenya, ex-BMW chief designer Chris Bangle and Peter Schreyer, chief design officer at Kia Motors will join the even

Sept. 18, 2012

Westwood takes up climate cause at London Fashion Week

LONDON (AFP) ― British designer Vivienne Westwood called for a “climate revolution” as she presented a relatively tame but nonetheless punk-edged spring-summmer collection on day three of London Fashion Week.In the grandiose setting of Britain’s Foreign Office the flamboyant redhead took to the catwalk on Sunday as a climate change campaigner, sporting a moustache and a black circle painted round her eye.Wearing a sequined hat and wrapped in a banner proclaiming “climate revolution,” the 71-year

Sept. 17, 2012

‘Design is not an add on, but key component in business’

Brand designer Bruce Duckworth talks about roles of design in business and in peoples’ livesWhere there is an abundant choice of products, what differentiates one from the others is design. More companies are recognizing the importance of design and making it a key business strategy. “Successful business in the future will see design as a key component at the heart of business success, not as an add on,” said Bruce Duckworth, creative director of the world’s leading advertising agency Turner Duc

Sept. 17, 2012

Korean designs capture the eyes of the world

The following is the last in a series of articles on design prepared in anticipation of the Herald Design Forum which takes place Sept. 19-21. ― Ed.Korean design is breaking out on the world stage as more design products from the country receive attention at global fairs and a growing number of local designers receive international awards. At Maison et Objet, an international home decoration fair held in Paris from Sept. 7-11, 32 products made by Korean companies and individual designers selecte

Sept. 16, 2012

Images say more than words

Innovative ideas and good designs make powerful adsThe following is the eighth in a series of articles on design prepared in anticipation of the Herald Design Forum on Sept. 19-21. ― Ed.An armed soldier aims his gun at someone. The end of the muzzle, however, is headed right back toward him, pointing at the back of his head. Wrapped around poles and pillars in the streets of New York, the anti-war campaign posters delivered a clear message about the war against Iraq at the time, that “What goes

Sept. 13, 2012

Foreign cosmetic products sold at relatively high prices in Korea

Foreign-branded cosmetic products are more expensive in South Korea than other countries, a report showed Thursday, suggesting that a distorted distribution system here may be to blame.According to the report by the YWCA, which analyzed the average consumer prices of 18 types of foreign cosmetic products, they turned out to be sold in department stores here at relatively higher prices than the other seven countries it surveyed.The countries include the U.S., Japan, Italy, Germany and France, and

Sept. 13, 2012

Bringing colors to clothing

Pakistani women celebrate color, style and fashion as much as they do Eid, Muslims’ biggest festival.And Eid celebrations brought with them colorful clothes of all kinds, from the flow of chiffon dupattas (long scarf) to the elegance of silk kameezes (long shirt or tunic).As with fashion in Pakistan, there are trends that come and go yet some are timeless ― block printing is one such trend, and in recent years, screen printing too has become mainstream fashion.There are quite a few designers and

Sept. 10, 2012

The designer behind spectacular superhero scenes

‘Design should be realistic and make others believe in the world you created,’ says Steve JungThe futuristic yet realistic portraits of the fictional world in the superhero films “The Avengers” and “Transformers” captured the eyes of millions of international viewers. Behind the spectacular scenes was Steve Jung, a Korean-American concept designer. The Stark Tower and major scenes of the films made Jung a household name in the entertainment design field and raised awareness of entertainment desi

Sept. 10, 2012

What clothes? Skin is ever in at NY Fashion Week

 NEW YORK (AP) _ Bikini season may be over, but this is no time to tone down the workout. Many of the styles on the runway at New York Fashion Week flash a bit of skin here or there: bare midriffs, cutout backs, keyhole necklines. The silhouettes in spring previews that entered a fourth day Sunday aren't necessarily skin tight, but it's not a season of full-on floaty frocks, either. ``We've

Sept. 10, 2012

Showers at N.Y. Fashion Week, spring in their steps

NEW YORK (AP) ― A flurry of assistants rushed to protect racks of clothes at New York Fashion Week from Saturday’s sudden downpours ― perhaps as potent a reminder as any during these spring previews that seasons can be temperamental.Maybe that’s why leather is as common in these previews for spring and summer 2013 as the pops of color and chiffon you might expect.“You can wear those leather jackets all year long,” said stylist June Ambrose. “They’re sleek enough to go under a parka or a vest and

Sept. 9, 2012

Designs with messages touch more hearts

Products with moving goals and stories become best-sellThe following is the seventh in a series of articles on design prepared in anticipation of the Herald Design Forum on Sept. 19-21. ― Ed.I ♥ NY, the beloved image created by U.S. graphic designer Milton Glaser in the 1970s, became more popular than ever in the Big Apple after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. T-shirts and souvenirs bearing the logo, and also Glaser’s revamped version reading “I Love NY More Than Ever,” were frequently spotted in

Sept. 6, 2012

Colors of Korea to go on show in New York

Concept Korea presents a mix of veteran and fresh designers to global audienceGaining a foothold in the global fashion market is a formidable task, the industry already saturated with great talents from the traditional fashion powerhouses of Europe and the U.S.Frustrated by years of trying to get the attention of international buyers and press through Seoul Fashion Week, the government a few years ago hit upon the idea of showcasing Korea’s fashion designers at the world’s major fashion capitals

Sept. 5, 2012

Voices and images at Venice’s Palazzo Grassi exhibition

VENICE, Italy (AFP) ― Venetian canals transformed through a camera obscura, intimate snapshots of a prisoner’s life and a hall of whispers are among the installations on show at a new exhibition at Venice’s Palazzo Grassi.Around 30 works by 27 international artists, borrowed from French billionaire Francois Pinault’s private collection, explore how the medium of video has been used to capture and challenge sensory expression and perception.The hypnotic “For Beginners” videotape by contemporary A

Aug. 30, 2012

Design guru penetrates soul of design

Schreyer says designers need to stay ahead of customers’ expectationsWhen Kia Motors released its ambitious K-series, represented by the premium sedan K9 earlier this year, auto enthusiasts were more than thrilled. The vehicles were nothing like the ones Kia had shown before. The cars’ faade resembles that of a tiger and the interior is sleek like a panther. “A true era of the Kia sedan has opened,” a commentator said at the time of release. Behind the rejuvenation of the car maker was Peter Sch

Aug. 30, 2012