3 top Doota boutiques for the fashion-forward femme
Asian retail consultants flew their clients in to Korea to show them the new business platform of tiny low-priced non-brand wholesale and retail boutiques crammed into a high-rise building, with snack shops and small supermarkets on every corner.
But then, a year later, Doosan Tower, otherwise known as “Doota” opened next door and took all the limelight for doing the same thing, only better.
Run by the Doosan conglomerate, the eight-story shopping mall strived to set itself apart from all the subsequent copycat shopping malls with sophisticated advertisement campaigns and a sharply modern and cheerful interior décor.
Now, more than a decade later, more than 60,000 people visit the Doota building per day, bringing the annual number of visitors to 20 million.
Doosan Tower marketing team manager Kim Joon-chul says one of the big draws for the one-stop fashion hotspot is that it curates one-of-a-kind pieces while also supporting new and seasoned Korean designers.
Zone Dooche on the basement floor is set aside for budding designers while the Designer Gallery on the first floor houses more seasoned veterans.
While prices have certainly climbed in the past decade -- some of the boutiques are now downright expensive -- Doota still remains a prime destination for fashionistas with slim wallets and even less time on their hands, as one can pick up shoes, accessories, men and women’s clothing and cosmetics in one fell swoop.
But despite the hundreds of shops that sell products in other categories, womenswear remains Doota’s firm mainstay. Although the confusing maze-like structure of the massive mall may seem daunting for the most veteran of shoppers, here are three of the best women’s boutiques that merit the journey.
CRES. E DIM. -- Avant-garde for the independent-minded
“Project Runway Korea” Season One contestant Kim Hong-bum launched his brand CRES. E DIM. in 2009 a few months after the fashion reality show started airing.
Now, having just broken into the U.S. market, the 32-year old creative director exhibits a flair for innovative duds.
His khaki beige cape-vest affair, which can be worn as an edgy bouffant-backed jacket, sports strategically-placed snaps that can be undone to remove the outer and reveal a smart vest underneath.
“Our clothes are structural and fun,” said CRES. E DIM. designer Kim Hyun-hee, 23.
Leggings and T-shirts in practically every hue -- including addictive candy colors -- make for in-your-face accents in club wear. A light beige jacket with restrained black fringes and slick black lapels channels neo-Western for the office worker who wants to do business in style.
Black legging-style pants with white triangles on the thighs and a crisscross-cut ebony jacket showcases Kim Hong-bum’s more experimental streak.
T-shirts range around ₩28,000 to ₩54,000, leggings ₩15,000 to ₩28,000, pants around ₩85,000 to ₩158,000, coats and jackets around ₩198,000 to ₩400,000.
Designer Gallery, 1/F, Shop #33, +82 2 3398 5311, www.cresedim.com
