Lights are on to dazzle visitors looking for glamour at Cheongdam Fashion Street, the traditional high-end luxury street between Cheongdam crossroads to Galleria’s Department Store in Gangnam District.

The 1.3 kilometer street, dotted with splendid stores of luxury brands and art galleries, is transformed into a street of lights in the winter, becoming the perfect place for seasonal outings for couples, families and tourists.

Despite the emergence of Garosu-gil and Dosan Park as new fashion streets, Cheongdam Fashion Street still boasts a variety of high-class brands from the traditional Louis Vuitton and Cartier to the rising Tory Burch and 3.1 Philip Lim and the multifunctional concept store 10 Corso Como.

The street is not just for fashion, though. It is also home to dozens of commercial art galleries that greet visitors with their own distinctive artwork.

“The commercial galleries here in Cheongdam sport higher quality than any other places in Seoul and has led the art culture of Cheongdam,” said Sung Min-hee, curator of Park Ryu Sook Gallery. 

About a dozen galleries are clustered in a single building named Nature Poem at Cheongdam crossroads, making a gallery trip easier without taking a long walk in a cold weather looking for different galleries.

From well-known international galleries such as Opera and Michael Shultz galleries to Park Ryu Sook Gallery and Gallery Mee, the building offers visitors with different tastes a chance to encounter a variety of art works.

On the first floor, bright-color paintings at Opera Gallery draw attention. Some of them are familiar even to the eyes of a novice as the gallery runs a special exhibition featuring well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Andy Warhol until the end of the year.

“The front window of Opera Gallery is always illuminated so that pedestrians and visitors can watch the artworks from outside any time,” said Sydney Kim, curator of Opera Gallery.

Some of them are displayed facing outside so that any passer-by can stop a moment to appreciate them. The gallery also provides docent service in Korean and English for visitors willing to see more inside.

Another international gallery Michael Schultz Gallery holds a special exhibition of pieces by foreign and Korean artists 10 times a year.

Its last exhibition of the year will feature the Chinese artist Zou Cao famous for fingerprint works.

Park Ryu Sook Gallery and Gallery Mee are two leading galleries focused on introducing the works of notable Korean artists to international stages as well as discovering young talents.

Cozy yet sophisticated restaurants and cafes on the way to Galleria Department Store provide a resting space behind the illuminated main street.

If you look for more charm, stop by SM Entertainment right before Galleria Department Store. If you are lucky, chances are you can run into members of the K-pop groups such as Girl’s Generation, TVXQ and SHINee, with fans and aspiring singers lined up in front of the building.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)