Seoul Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2016 P1

02:42 Lox 0 Comments

Day#1 attended-23^rd of March

An eye opening experience

I have to admit, this has been my second time witnessing a fashion event. The first time I got to experience it, it had been during London Fashion Week in 2014. I have felt overwhelmed there for multiple reasons. For one, it was my first time going to any event of such. I felt like a newborn baby trying to take everything in. All those clothes, colours and people that looked…simply good. There is no other way to describe it. London Fashion Week is glamorous in every single sense. It seems untouchable for the general public, probably because in the end, it is.

This week I got to experience my second Fashion Week. Two years later, and my heart was still beating out of its chest. Was it going to be the same? Was it going to be the exact glamour that I have seen in London? Would I feel as overwhelmed? Well the answer is yes and yes. It was the same, in multiple ways, it was fashion, colours, clothes, make up, beauty and glamour. I had started feeling overwhelmed even before Monday, so that is a good indicator as to how calm I have been.

However, I want to point out that even though I said it was the same, at the same time it wasn’t. Yes I saw fashion, yes I saw glamour, yes I saw colours. However, it is not 2014 anymore, and as we all know, fashion is volatile. It is not the same continent and not the same culture. Thus, no matter how many aspects London Fashion Week had in common with Seoul Fashion Week, the similarities end at fashion.

I have talked previously about Korean fashion, however, everything that I have talked about was street fashion. Imagine street fashion, twice as glamorous and as flashy. And then you’d have an inkling of what I mean when I say Seoul Fashion Week. The clothes I have seen showcased outside of the official shows have been just as amazing and eye grabbing as the ones that have been officially showcased as part of the shows.

Overwhelming

In the light of all that has happened, when I think back on it, I realise it did seem like I have watched a film. Instead of experiencing it myself. Every time I would leave to go back home, I thought this did not happen to me. It seems like that with everything that amazes me and excites me. Fashion is one of my passions, and being able to experience it firsthand made it all surreal.

What, how, when, where?

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza was the place the Fashion Week was held at is located in Dongdaemun, in the heart of the markets that are hustling and bustling with shops from low to high end. The area is a bit deceiving because it does not make you think it is a place where you can find high end brands, but you can. I am not talking Armani, Vuitton and the likes. I mean Korean high end fashion brands such as WHO AU, Beyond Closet, Tom&Rabbit, DEBB, kiok. The majority of the names I just listed have had their collections presented during Fashion Week. These are all designer clothing, with aspirations and very interesting concepts. The shows, which I did not get to attend myself, but I did stalk them wherever I could, mainly Instagram, were full of personality and depending on the designer brand presented, they each had something new and unique to bring to the table.

Fashion Week started on the 21^st and ended on the 26^th with shows being presented from 10am to 8pm each day. Unfortunately I could only attend on the 23^rd, 25^th and the last day of the event. I regret not being able to enjoy the week entirely, however, only these two days were enough to make an impression on me enough for me to squeeze some ideas into this post and the next few that will follow.

My mind could not keep up with my eyes in comprehending and taking in the ‘street’ fashion presented outside of the events. The street fashion has left more of an impression on me than the styles presented within the show. If I said I had not been blown away by the runway styles I would be lying. Street fashion though combines more individuality, and a bit of each wearer’s personality.

‘Street’ Style

In the previous post I talked about street style in Korea in somewhat of a detail. I talked about layering, etiquette, style, colours, style based on gender etc. Fashion Week has been the perfect opportunity for me to witness these all in one place. I have seen people wearing interesting things, colourful things, layers, culottes on males (and yes I have been impressed by that, found out I quite enjoy the style as well), currest season styles, last season styles (and I do not mean that in a derogative way). However, the colours that were most present were dark colours that are never out of style in my opinion, just…too easy to style and not inventive. And yes, I am guilty of doing the same. Pale colours are in this season though, and you could definitely see those present heavily amongst the fashion wearers.

Hold onto your jeans (no pun intended), because jean everything is back in the season. Different colours of jean pants/trousers and jackets, shirts were heavily present at the Fashion Week, combined with other jean articles of clothing or even added into the dressy outfits giving them the casual flare.

I could continue talking about the styles, but we all know that a visual representation is nicer, so why don’t you take a look for yourself.

(I will put the Instagram of the people in the photos below the pictures)