By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Maiya Li from Kazakhstan
Photos = Maiya Li

The fashion show season for spring and summer 2019 has officially ended with Seoul Fashion Week (SFW), which is considered a major event in the East Asian fashion market.

The following is a summary of the main highlights.

Theme of "war and peace.” 2018 was marked by major changes in bilateral relations between South and North Korea. An agreement to formally end the war was negotiated and several inter-Korean summits on a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula were held. These historical events had an impact on all spheres of life, including fashion. This year's SFW opened with a show commemorating the 30th anniversary of the men's clothing brand Solid Homme, founded by Korean designer Woo Young Mi in 1988. Held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the event attracted an international audience of fashion critics, buyers, bloggers and fashionistas. The show was divided into two parts, one featuring the autumn-winter 2018 collection and the other the spring-summer 2019 collection.

The best Korean models walked on the sand-styled runaways of DDP in trendy military-style costumes and uniforms. Their handbags, with the laconic slogan "Peace," completed multi-layered and oversized outfits. Another Korean brand highly popular among foreign buyers who were interested in military themes was R. Shemiste, who called his show "War is over, get real, world." Models were dressed in contrasting prints, textures and colors, richly decorated with appliqués and patchwork as well as inscriptions like "Extra peace, real liberty."

Going green. An eco-friendly theme pervaded this year's SFW. Visitors to Korea have been surprised this year by the large absence of plastic straws and takeout coffee paper cups at numerous cafes nationwide. The youth brand Ti:baeg tried to promote global attention to wildlife preservation through its collection. The show began with a unique dance performed by a girl in a white dress that “fluttered” against the backdrop of raging waves until a little boy took her away. Then came models in light dresses decorated with floral prints and holding eco-bags with real plants.

Gender neutrality. No matter how progressive Korea might be, LGBTQ, sexuality and gender equality remain delicate subjects to talk openly about. This has not stopped designers, however, from using unisex style ideas in their collections. Long-haired male models catwalked in maxi skirts and dresses while girls with short boyish haircuts had almost zero or nude makeup.



Digitalization and K-pop. Thanks to K-pop stars and Korean dramas, far more people abroad know about Korea. Hallyu fans, on the other hand, want to know which beauty products and brands their favorite celebrities use every day. Thus the fashion industry seeks to collaborate with K-pop groups such as BTS, EXO, Winner and Wanna One. Thanks to growing global interest in Hallyu, Korean fashion is also undergoing a rebirth. The country's advanced information and communications technologies (ICT) helped reach as many people around the world as possible by constantly running live streaming from shows during SFW.

“The internet has opened the way for people to virtually attend all Hera Seoul Fashion Week shows in real time despite physical distances; in the same way, we can see global fashion shows on the other side of the world,” says Jung Ku-ho, executive director of Hera SFW. “I believe that for Korean designers, participation in SFW is enough to go global as public interest in our fashion week is constantly growing.”

Child models. A highlight of SFW this year was the glamorous child models accompanied by their mothers, who were often dressed in the same outfit. Camera clicks could be heard everywhere, with photographers trying to catch every single gesture and passing movement of the small models' professional and confident poses.

Global fashion seminar. The spring edition of SFW this year saw its first fashion seminar attended by globally known fashion critics, designers and buyers, attracting a considerable audience. The October SFW featured a second seminar with Anders Christian Madsen (Vogue UK), Isabella Burley (Dazed UK editor-in-chief, Mario Dell'Oglio (president of the Italian Chamber of Buyers) and Sarah Mower (chief fashion critic of Vogue US) as mentors. The event sought to help young Korean designers understand leading trends such as influencer marketing and new perspectives. In the era of digitalization and globalization, focus is needed on influencers like bloggers and vloggers, especially among millennials and centennials, to maintain relevance, not to mention cross-collaboration between brands with world celebrities and between government and non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations and NASA.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.