During Seoul Fashion Week, the world was introduced to several fresh, young Korean designers who might just be the ones to put Korean fashion on the global stage. That's what the Korean government will be hoping for anyway. One of its latest ambitions is to see Seoul counted among the top five world
fashion capitals, part of its general goal of elevating 'Brand
Korea' to a higher level. We asked three hot Korean designers -- Lee Juyoung, Yang Hee-deuk, and Doii Lee -- what it means to talk of 'internationalizing' Korean fashion, and how they defined global success themselves.
Lee Juyoung
Most prominent among the three was Lee Juyoung, who has
recently been thrust into the spotlight as a designer for Lady Gaga
and the Black-Eyed Peas, along with the likes of Marilyn Manson and
other luminaries. In terms of success, hers is a no-brainer. Anyone who is asked to design for the Black-Eyed Peas' two-year-long world
concert tour can rightly be said to have 'made it.' However, the beginning of this Parsons graduate's
overseas success was by no means straightforward.
Her big break came
not through well-placed connections, alumni networks, or powerful
patrons, but through pluckiness and determination. When Marilyn
Manson came to Korea, Lee had clothes specially designed for the
singer, despite having no official access to him. She sent the goody bag to Manson and 20 minutes
later Manson called her to see him.
The Lady Gaga coup was a similar story. Despite being promised access, they were not allowed near the singer. Rather than go home to sulk, Lee
and her publicist went directly to the red carpet event with their
signature red Resurrection brand bag in hand and, without
hesitation, called out to the rising superstar, "Gaga, you are fierce
as hell, honey!" The singer was so genuinely flattered at the
compliment and impressed with her own red Resurrection bag that she
playfully posed with it in front of the press corp for seven minutes, a veritable eternity in PR terms.
Still, the more recent coup
of being picked up by the Black-Eyed Peas as their main designer was down to simple quality of product. Korean designers are well known for working with high quality of materials. The stitching and detailing also makes Korean designs stand out. According to Lee, the mens' stylist for the music group says
that wherever they go, "people stop and ask, 'WHO are you WEARING?'"
Those in the know instantly pick up the difference in quality of Lee's
clothes, along with the style.
Yang Hee Deuk
If there were any Korean designer who deserved to be picked up for New York's Couture Fashion Week this past February, it
was Yang Hee Deuk. Yang says success overseas as a designer is not limited to simply being known. "Being internationally known
isn't everything. We've heard that despite being more prominently
known abroad, many such Korean designers are struggling financially."
For him, being able to design the clothing he wants, according to the
styles that define him not just as a designer but as an artist, all
while being financially viable, is the dream for which he
continues to strive. Yang is certainly at the beginning of this
journey. The moment of his own discovery overseas remains a mystery even to the designer himself. But whatever its origin, his name and his work is spreading. He has recently been
invited to participate in a design presentation and show at Harvard
University, much to his own surprise.
"They
must have somehow come across his clothes and simply noticed the
difference." Considering his use of interesting materials, color, and
quality detailing in his work, Yang's superior attention to detail
will surely continue to garner attention as much as his style does.
Doii Lee
Doii Lee says her success came from being in the right place at the right time right
after her very first collection, three years ago. "But more than that,
there was also having just the right design for what the market wanted
at the time." This was a feminine and sexy style that she sees certain parts of the market shifting towards.
Citing the example of her many new and returning Middle
Eastern customers, Lee says: "A lot of them are royalty and want to look
feminine and sexy, but in a way that is decidedly different from
popular and common trends." The barometer of future success for
her growing brand would be "turnover, and being a solid brand in a
variety of overseas markets."
Financially viable
Financial stability is certainly an aspect of life for these Korean designers that they cannot overlook. But for many, financial success is only one part of the larger success equation. An international designer needs to have the
brand respect and power that certain renowned Japanese designers have
managed to garner, says Lee. "It is more than being able to make money
for a few seasons, since conditions and the market change so quickly." For her, success would be most comfortably defined as having both the
brand and selling power to allow her retail shops to do well in a variety of markets around the world.
It sounds like a tough ask, but the fresh new
ideas being funneled through the talented hands of these
young designers should put the major Korean brands on the world stage before long. And these new entrants to the world fashion arena will hopefully be considered more than mere curiosities that disappear as quickly as they arrive. What these designers want is an acknowledgement of the quality of their work, that provides them with a permanent seat in the hall of famous designers.
Fahrenheit HOMME
jung hun jong
kim dong soon
kwang D
song hye-myeong
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