Fantasy photo shoots

Yumi’s Dress Room, located in Seoul’s Mangwon-dong in Mapo-gu, goes one step further. It offers a chance to turn one’s secret fantasy into reality -- becoming a fairy-tale princess, a Greek goddess or a girl group band member.

The shop has hundreds of dresses, high heels and bling that girls and grown women alike can try on.

Oh Yoo-mi, the 28-year-old owner of the shop, said she wanted to build a playground for women after noticing demand for creating unforgettable moments they can cherish for a long time with photos.

“While traveling around the globe, I found many fun places in foreign countries. I opened this store because Seoul lacks places for such fun,” she said.

She opened the dress shop in 2019 and Reverie Studio for professional photography last year.

“Women in their 20s and 30s account for over 95 percent of total customers. Sometimes people bring their mothers and grandmothers to create memories,” Oh said.

The shop offers one theme each month via its website and social media. The most successful so far was becoming a K-pop idol, Oh said.

For the concept, she designed and produced the costumes herself, which were rented out to real K-pop girl groups as stage outfits.

After the outfits were returned, the studio opened the K-pop theme project for ordinary clients, offering them the chance to realize their dreams of becoming a celebrity.

“People are not shy to reveal themselves anymore. They have fun while taking poses and seeing themselves in photos and videos,” Oh said.

August’s theme is the 12 zodiac signs, with 12 options for customers to choose from for their favorite look. Clients pose while perched on a large crescent-shaped object, donning a tiara in dreamy lighting.

For a Disney princess theme, dresses inspired by Disney characters such as Rapunzel in “Tangled,” Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin,” Snow White and Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” were offered.