The virtual Seoul Fashion Week fall-winter 2021 wrapped up last week, bringing together unique designs from 43 fashion brands based in Seoul. Retro style and Korean traditional beauty stood out on the runway. 

Rookie design brand SETSETSET invited audiences into a “Sarang bang,” the guestroom in a hanok, a Korean traditional house. Its fall-winter collection featured baggy jeans as well as kitsch and lovely dresses in bright colors. The woman’s fashion brand was launched with a question of “how do we present Korean culture in a more stylish and modern way?” the line’s designer J wrote in the show‘s notes.

Lo Axual –- which means “for androgynous” -- is a fashion brand established by designer Seo Jun-hyuk. The label featured vintage looks reminiscent of the old days in its collection. The runway show, filmed along the Han River that bisects the capital, took on the theme of a woman’s recollection of her youthful days, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. A woman sitting on a rattan chair who appears at the end of the video wore a dark purple, velvety dress, evoking the mood of the new collection.

This season‘s collection from Oct31, the womenswear brand launched by designer Kim Sun-il, was inspired by the clothing style of the 1950s and the film “Carol.“ The brand, which values refined and classic designs, also showed its fall-winter collection along the Han River. 

Some fashion brands staged their runway shows at national museums –- the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea – to stress Korea’s traditional beauty. It was the first time that the two public museums opened for fashion runway shows. 

PartsParts – livestreamed as the event’s final runway show at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea – took place in front of the artwork “Land with Eastern Tiles” by Korean avant-garde artist Lee Seung-taek, which features black titled roofs called ‘giwa.’ Taking the theme of “samadhi of Prajna” -- which means “serenity of transcendent wisdom,”conveying the hope of returning to a tranquil, serene daily life – the collection was highlighted with Korean traditional designs. 

Doucan, a fashion brand designed by Choi Chung-hoon, showcased a unique collection with a combination of traditional looks and romantic fantasy. The runway took place at the National Museum of Korea. The fashion brand features exquisite handmade ornaments with unique illustration inspired by the nature, history, art and culture. 

Seoul Fashion Week fall-winter 2020 ran virtually from March 22 to March 28 . The runway shows from the 43 design brands can be seen on Seoul Fashion Week’s official website and YouTube channel.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)