Seoul Fashion Week AW18 - Sitting Front Row At Major Fashion Weeks Across Two Continents, Street Style and More!

About a year ago, I decided I wanted to go to Seoul Fashion Week. I'd been attending London Fashion Week biannually for a while and, given my great love of Korean fashion, wanted to see what it was all like over there. It seemed like a distant dream - it would be too expensive, it was so far away and I'd likely have to go alone. And then my friend announced she and her boyfriend were going to Japan and I thought, "If they can do such a big trip, I can too!"

Organising it was difficult. The flight, hotel...all that stuff was easy but fashion week was hard. It's not as old or well-established as London and, as a result, the mechanisms in place don't run as smooth. I never actually did manage to properly register through the official event. Plus, I was doing it all through my limited understanding of the Korean language and contact with people who spoke limited English. Then, my Korean teacher saved the day and put me in contact with a designer friend of hers, Jimmy Tailor, and a designer I met at LFW pulled through for me with a hook-up. The amazing, jam-packed line-up of shows that I had envisioned didn't happen but these contacts saved the entire trip for me and I got to attend five shows and peep the incredible street style outside, as well. Plus, the fact that I didn't have a crazy schedule meant that I got to tourist in Seoul and have an actual holiday!

A.Bell

YCH

Seoul Fashion Week was lots of the things that I had imagined but also surprised me in many ways. I knew it was run by Hera, a big Korean beauty brand, but I hadn’t realised that it was originally a government-run affair. And, in going private, I was told privately that it has gone from an event that funded young designers and became a system that allowed big designers to get bigger and gave newbies little chance to grow. This is disheartening news, to say the least, but not at all surprising in such a cut-throat industry.

Also surprising was the street style situation. It was as colourful and fascinating as I had presumed - though a North Londoner who happened to walk past me described the aesthetic scathingly as, “the ugliest clothes you can find with a bucket hat on top” - but there was a note of desperation that was unique to Seoul. Not desperation in a pathetic way but in a way that was so enduringly hard-working and eager that it made me sad. The main walkway down to the show venues was constantly lined with street style star hopefuls, posing and waiting to be papped. The same people were there for hours and hours and worked it in a way that was impressively professional. Of course, these types of people are at every fashion week around the world but they were especially persistent at SFW. Furthermore, the sheer number of young men compared to women was startling and severe. In Seoul, the boys are just as serious about fashion.

Vanon Studio

Sown Garments & Brown Hat

When it came to the shows, I was super into the width and breadth of influences and styles. I had presumed that a very urban and contemporary look would reign supreme (as it did outside, on the kids waiting to be photographed) but, while it was present, it was not king. The first show I went to, A.Bell, was a refined and expertly restrained affair in sandy tones that would give Celine a run for its money. The next show, Vanon Studio, nodded to 1980s cybergoth and bondage. Largely made up of risqué menswear pieces, it featured  harnesses, cutouts and a traffic cone tied to a wrist as an accessory. Immediately after that came Sown Garments, with accessories by Brown Hat, which saw lots of neutral toned suiting directly from the early 20th century. Then was my favourite show, YCH, which was an ode to 40s and 50s trunk shows and boasted super-oversized hats, pearl details, headscarves, cheerful pops of colour, reimagined classic tailoring and romantic blouses. Finally, I had the Low Classic show that was all earthy palettes, draping, luxurious fabrics and boho tailoring.

My hook-up was pretty good and I ended up with lots of great seats - a couple of second rows and two front rows. However, for the YCH show, there was a fuck-up with the list. My name wasn't there and neither was the name of a Russian company director and the nine people who had come with her. She wasn't impressed and the show was about to begin. We were told to wait for one of the organisers to come meet us but she didn't show so the Russian lady dragged me along to the entrance to figure it out. We eventually found the woman in charge and she presented the Russian lady with two tickets. She laughed in shock and reminded the organiser that she had ten people in her group (who had since disappeared). Frustrated with the situation and sorry for me (who was next in the list of concerns and not yet considered), she simply handed me one of the tickets and said, "Go." I thanked her and ran inside. "Where do I go?" I asked several people (in Korean), as there was no number on the ticket. "That way" and a casual point in some direction. I asked two more people, the lights were going down, it was about to start. "Dear God" (or the Korean equivalent) said a more senior looking person and grabbed my wrist, brought me over to the front row, tugged a Matches Fashion buyer's name off of it, handed me the gift on the seat and pushed me into the chair. So, I ended up with a perfectly positioned seat, a cute present and a record of being front row at major shows, at major fashion weeks, across two continents. I might not be where I want to be in my career but that, alone, is pretty damn neat for an aspiring fashion journalist

It’s funny, my experience of SFW gave me a great deal of insight into its uglier sides and, yet, I still saw enough beauty and genius that I fell in love. And you know it’s true love if it still happens when you can see the flaws so clearly from the get-go. My friend, who is a local fashion insider, said he felt that Seoul is just "one designer copying another, though it’s not like European designers don’t do the same". Of course, he’s not wrong that the fashion industry, globally, sees a lot of people jumping on board the same trends. But I would argue that the lens through which Seoul sees and re-imagines things is special and addictive. And now that I’ve gotten a taste of it, I can’t wait to go back...

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5 Trends That Everyone Hates But That I'm Not Mad At

So, anyone who knows me well probably has seen me in items of clothing that they really don't like. I've had friends ask "what the hell are you wearing?" upon seeing me, even when being reunited after a very long time. I've had my little sister accuse me of dressing to embarrass her (when we were both teens and far angstier). I've had "goth", "emo" and "loser" shouted at me in the street. I've had boys in my class label a beloved pair of shoes "witch boots."

I take all of the above as compliments.

I don't care if you don't like something I'm wearing because I do. I'm the one wearing it, not you. Besides, as a pretentious asshole, I do enjoy the idea that people simply don't "get it". I'm sorry you're not as fashion as me. Too bad for you.

But seriously though, personal preferences are fine. We don't all have to like the same things. Yet, there are some things that I find myself defending on the reg because most people label things blindly as "ugly" and I simply don't think that the world is often that black and white. Sometimes, things are ugly-cute. So, here are five things that everyone else hates but I'm not mad at.

A post shared by The8 (@xuminghao_o) on Feb 21, 2018 at 6:10am PST

1. The Fashion Mullet.

I know. I hear the sharp intake of breath. I'm starting out strong with this one.

Tbh, if you asked me a year ago about mullets, I would have made a stank face but I've had reason to consider. The mullet has recently become popular again in Korea and has been rocked by actors and kpop idols and it made me realise that, if styled well, it ain't that bad. In fact, it can be quite cool. G-Dragon's mullet? Awesome. Seventeen's The 8's? Adorable. Nam Joo Hyuk's? Chic.

I'm no advocate for any Billy Rays or rat tails but a well-style mullet? I can get down with that.


2. Kitten Heels.

Look, you can bitch and whine all you want but if they were good enough for Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, they can't be all bad. Yes, there are ugly kitten heels but there are a hell of a lot of nasty-looking stilettos. Don't tar all kittens with the same brush.

@lespionneparisfemme

A post shared by VETEMENTS (@vetements_official) on Dec 9, 2017 at 5:35am PST

3. Crazy Oversized Clothes.

I like to dress comfortably but still with style and edge. The easiest way to achieve both is to have a statement piece among comfortable and practical items. So, a crazy oversized hoodie or coat or tee that has a cool design or bold colour is a life-saver as it can do all the talking for me, while I lounge around inside the garment. It's an ideal sitch. The key is proportion and balance. You don't want to swim in fabric or have your clothes wear you but, when done right, oversized garments are a super cool way of updating an existing wardrobe and look.

A post shared by Louis Vuitton Official (@louisvuitton) on Feb 23, 2018 at 8:34am PST

4. Dad Trainers.

Again, it's a comfort thing and a careful choice thing. There is a such thing as the right kind of ugly. Just like there are some faces that aren't conventionally attractive but still captivating or lovely or both, there are objects that are the right amount of wrong.

So, no, I won't be forking out for those Balenciaga beasts but I would consider something with a similar spirit and more refined feel - and just think about the arch support! Marvelous.


5. Bum bags.

I slagged my dad about his for years and now I'm eating my words...

Bum bags were once awful neon signs pointing out someone on holiday who didn't know how to dress themselves but they have been utterly reborn and I'm super into it. Simply wearing them differently changes everything. Moving them from the hips to across the chest or back or cinching in a waist of a sick blazer is an easy way of injecting a streetwear vibe into an outfit and making it cooler.


Well, I'm sure I've disgusted enough people at this point but my point in all of this is basically that I used to have a much more simplistic view on things - in life, in general, but also about fashion, in particular. However, time and other people's brilliance, great ideas and views have taught me that you can always be proven wrong about things you never though could work. You're welcome to like and dislike things but, remember, a little tweak can transform something entirely and make you see it with fresh eyes.

Let me know if you guys agree or disagree or if there is anything that you love but everyone else seems to deem ugly!

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London Fashion Week AW18: The Good, The Bad and the Spilling of the Tea

London Fashion Week is a weird place.

It is one of the few places in the modern, democratic world where hierarchy still weighs heavily on one's consciousness. It is a place where you can be treated like a princess at one venue and left pawing at the window, your breath fogging the pane, elsewhere (A/N: to clarify, this is an overwrought metaphor, I'm not quite an actual puppy that whines outside to be let in). The air is heavy with hopes and dreams and aspirations to the point of being stifling, at times. All said, it's an intense place. But it's also magical and leaves me happy and inspired for months in its wake.

This fashion week started rather bumpily for me.

I saw someone say that if you ever get too cocky about something, the universe has a way of bringing you back down to earth and fashion week taught me that. I'll preface this by saying that I don't go to be papped or be seen or sit front row. There is nothing wrong with those who do, we all have our own path in life and many people that others judge are only hustling and trying to make their lives happen. However, while I'm there for the shows, I have become accustomed to good seats and tickets. As my registration was messed up, I was sent noticeably fewer invites and less great seats this season and I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by that. It took the whole first day for me to get over my snobbiness and decide to just enjoy a more relaxed run at fashion week this time around. Once I did, I stopped being annoyed by everything and started having a good time, knowing I had more space in my schedule for meeting friends and exploring things around the city that I wanted to see.

Bora Aksu AW18

My first show was great, despite my grumpiness. It was a Bora Aksu presentation that was all sorts of up my alley, with Georgian inspiration and gothy tendencies. Eerie music choices played as creepy-cute girls that looked akin to Tim Burton characters floated down the runway. Lace, cameo details, certain fabric, pattern and colour choices and silhouettes all referenced the inspiration for the collection; a young Irish woman named Margaret Ann Bulkley, who was forced to pretend to be a man in order to study medicine in the 19th century. The play between suiting and gowns also tipped a hat to the duality of the pioneering woman's existence but demonstrated how we modern women don't have to make that same decisive choices about our being. (A/N: there's a mean cocktail inspired by Bulkley served in the Liquor Rooms in Dublin, where their cocktail menu is an ode to incredible women from Irish history)

After the show, I tipped into the designer showrooms, a space that displays the collections of some of those who are showing on the catwalk or in presentations and those who aren't, alike. Or should I say I tripped in? Literally. (I don't know what was going on but there was many an uneven surface this season and I fell over several times. It was a bit of a hazard tbh.) Once inside, I did a quick wander to get a lay of the land and scout brands for later inspection. As I did so, I spotted Susie Lau, a major idol of mine and for about the third time now, bitched out at the last minute and wasn't able to work up the courage to talk to her...maybe someday...

Xiao Li AW18

Lunch cheered me up a little and then I checked out Xiao Li's collection at the British Fashion Council's Discovery Space. While I liked the shapes and bright tones of the collection, I confess that I saw none of the 70s skate culture inspiration that the press release referenced. I was also sat in the second row, with a very bad line of vision and got kind of moody because of it. I know, I know, I'm a brat but it was super hard to get a good shot of the runway and when you're working fashion week, that's incredibly frustrating. So, I did what anyone should do in that case, I went and got cake. I headed to the very pretty Aubaine in Selfridge's where the nice seats were full and the lady next to me practically sat in my lap. The tart I ordered was delicious and I enjoyed wandering the store but the rude people next to me and the fact that I had no more shows for the day - two is the least I've ever had in a day - ruined any progress in my mood. The friend I was staying with was out with friends but I wasn't up for company so I went home alone and got in my jammies to read until I went to sleep.

Day two continued with a sour mood. My first show of the day was covering a great young Irish designer named Roseanne McNamee at the House of Ikons for the magazine I was with but I arrived too early and paid far too much for a terrible cup of tea in the hotel lobby as I waited. When I eventually went into the show, there had been confusion and my backstage pass hadn't been cleared. Then there were no attendants downstairs to clarify where I was meant to sit, so I stood. ((Pro-tip: if you're not sitting in the first row or second (at a push and depending on the venue), then you are better off standing at a fashion show if you want to get good photos)). Again, I was there to work, so I stood to get my photos but the people who were there for fun kept jostling me and one lady, who basically sat underneath me kept tapping my shoulder and asking me to move. I don't begrudge someone getting a taste of LFW at all but if you're there to work, I do think your needs should be respected and this lady did not give a shit. The whole process was incredibly frustrating and, again, a weird disparity from the (arguably) much bigger shows where I was treated well and professionally. Luckily, though, my shots turned out great.

Popping on to the Sadie Williams presentation turned it all around for me. She always delights me, her sets are impeccable and they cast the best models. It was a bright, fun space-agey collection, displayed within a toy rocket ship set. Afterwards, one of the girls working there got a cool outfit shot for me and then I headed into the showrooms again, where I met some designers I might work with at Seoul Fashion Week in March, arrived just in time for free booze and hung out with the gang at SKMMP, an Irish digital showroom that represents the brands NATALIEBCOLEMAN, Electronic Sheep and McConnell. They showed me their AR models and we chatted away until I had to dash off to hang out with my friend's Burberry colleagues and watch the show in his French friend's house. Insider knowledge was poured into your excitable girl's eager ears, excellent wine and snacks were consumed and LFW was well and truly saved.

Day three opened with Edeline Lee's stunning garden of earthly delights, a collection of masterful florals, elegant silhouettes and great beauty. Then I had two more shows in quick succession, including the cute band of colourful misfits at Kristel Kuslapuu, before heading off to meet my childhood best friend in Chinatown. Pro-tip II: If your pal suggests meeting in Chinatown on a Sunday during Lunar New Year, don't. It will be insanity. Luckily, I managed to escape said insanity and quickly found a great Korean restaurant called Yori nearby. I was trusted to order all the food, ate way too much and then the two of us headed on to meet another friend for coffee. After she left us a couple of hours later, we went to a stunning bar called Disrepute for cocktails. When my best friend finally had to leave, I headed to meet my lovely host, Noel, who was attending my last show of the day with me. And thank God he was.

I'm so used to shows now that the novelty has long since worn off and, as this post shows, I can easily become grumpy and irritated by things. Bringing a newbie along offers a fresh tolerance and perspective. So, when the crowd at Aadnevik was there to drink and party and not see the show, instead of being annoyed at the noise and disrespect, I could still disapprove of their rudeness to the designer but see the funny and ridiculous side of it all. Plus, who doesn't like scoring free Champagne for their friend? Plus, plus, having someone to critique the collection with on the way home was fun and novel for me. (Cliffnotes: the overall vibe was good but the collection could have been edited down, though we understood that the label sells party dresses to socialites and celebrities and needed that many pieces).

My final day was madness. But the fun kind. I packed the night before so I could leave quickly in the morning and when I got to the Paul Costelloe show, I had my suitcase in tow. The Waldorf, where the show was being held, refused to stow my bag behind the counter for the duration but, luckily, I was allowed leave it backstage at the show itself. Then I was sat down in the stunning venue with a glass of Champagne before 10am...when at Fashion Week, right?!...As per, I was super into the collection. Costelloe's AW shows are always pretty rock and roll and cool and this was no exception. A sea of stunning linen, lace, tweeds and checks paraded by, made edgier by mesh elbow-length gloves layered with statement rings, giant pearl accessories, towering over-the-knee boots, high slits, tiny minis, power suits and carefree hair and makeup. Exuberant florals and menswear shown alongside the womenswear, meanwhile, came as welcome surprises in this AW showing.

After ingesting some more food to soak up the early booze and reclaiming my case, I went on to the Sang Yoon exhibition, curious about a brand that had sent me an invite with the most incredible penmanship. In the basement of a pretty Georgian building, in a side-street just off the Embankment, I had another glass of Champagne handed to me and wandered into a room where a series of mannequins were adorned with some seriously sexy garments. Not sexy in the obvious sort of way but sexy in the use of mesh sleeves that extended over the hand as a glove, in the belted power-suits with cut-outs at the waist, the powerful minimalism but clear statement. I immediately imagined both Rihanna and Blackpink wearing the clothes.

With some time on my hands, I decided to head to Harrod's to check out the special Vetements installation where used clothing is being collected in aid of the NSPCC, which really speaks to the incredibly cool and influential label's vision for how they want to move forward as a brand. Having dashed all the way across the city, I wandered the store calmly and took in the vastness of it and the awesome store design before sitting down to some tea. Once my energy was restored, I went across city again to the Ilaria Lepore presentation. Delayed by a half hour, I stood on increasingly aching feet with the crowd, waiting to be let in. I managed to get to the front rather easily so I was one of the first through the door and had an amazing view of the incredible presentation, which involved the designer herself performing before the models came out. Tired at this point as I was, I had little time for the fashion scene kids who were pushing everyone at the centre of the crowd and making noises during the performance. Yes, they were appreciative and supportive sounds but if someone is doing performance art, especially something that imitates a ceremony, you should probably get over yourself, not make it about you and hold your tongue. When I could handle the kids' behaviour no more and had seen all the clothes, I quickly disengaged from the crowd and headed back to the BFC space for my final show of the season, Paula Knorr. Another firm favourite of mine, she did not disappoint, with a glittering, jewel-toned, sequinned, disco-inspired collection.

At this point, I had gone from not having accumulated anything over fashion week, to having gotten three gift bags that day and gone shopping for souvenirs for the family. In the most glamorous highlight of the whole fashion week, I ended up sitting on the floor of the showrooms, trying to Tetris my suitcase and liquids bag into submission, while people walked by and gawked at the strange girl with her life all over the ground. I did it, but only just, forgetting my earbuds in the process and having to toss a cheap but effective moisturiser in favour of newly acquired gems.

Getting home was also a trial as an attendant in Victoria pointed me to the wrong train (Pro-tip III: Just fork out for the Gatwick Express. Don't listen to the lady telling you that you have enough time for a normal train at "that platform over there".), I had a freak-out when I realised my mistake and barely made it to the airport on time (okay, I had an hour left to spare but that's not enough for my comfort). But, look, takeaway tonkatsu from Wagamama and a beer downed at their bar while I waited for it helped out a lot.

So, there you have it. Fashion Week. In all it's strangeness and beauty. If you're not important in the industry, it involves a lot of running around and sweating but London is pretty easy to navigate, so that's not too bad. It also involves a lot of egos and bizarre people willing to step on you but that's pretty easy to tune out if you have a thick enough skin. It's certainly not all glamour and pretty dresses but there are pretty dresses and much more besides and the magic of all of that creativity and beautiful absurdity makes it all worth it. I'll be running on the fumes of inspiration I took in at LFW for weeks now, even if the backs of my legs hurt like I'd been seriously hiking for days and days afterwards.

Even if my feelings get hurt or I have to deal with bullshit or stupid things happen, I keep going back because there's nothing quite like fashion week and, with all of the rumblings of new ideas and necessary changes in terms of sustainability, I'm crazy excited about what is coming next.

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