Seoul Fashion Week opens with business in mind

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- Seoul Fashion Week kicked off Thursday featuring chic
fall/winter collections by 39 local designers amid the South Korean capital's
renewed bid to become one of the world's fashion hubs.
Buyer-friendly and more organized, this season's event will serve as an
opportunity for up-and-coming Korean designers to draw substantial attention from
fashion buyers and critics who will be attending the event from more than 20
different countries, the biannual event's organizers said.
"A collective effort is necessary for Seoul to become a global fashion venue,"
said Han Sung-hee, chief of Seoul Fashion Center, one of the organizers of the
event. "We are hoping to see some substantial outcome from this season's event
with many designers given the chance to promote their designs overseas."
Up to 72 domestic and international fashion brands have been invited to the fair,
and 39 veteran and emerging Korean designers will present their collections for
eight days through April 2 at the Seoul Trade Exhibition Center (SETEC) in
Daechi-dong, southern Seoul. Among the well-known brands are Andy & Debb, Bitter
& Sweet and Greenstory.
Organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Fashion Center, the
event will feature separate fashion shows for men's wear and women's wear, while
also holding an additional festival for new Seoul designers.
Founded in 2000, Seoul Fashion Week, the largest fashion fair in the country, has
been drawing increasing attention from overseas buyers thanks to several Korea
designers such as Doo-ri Chung and Richard Chai who have been making names in New
York. Organizers hope to see at least US$2.7 million in actual sales via this
season's event.
Seoul Fashion Week will be offering a "Tablet Order" service that will allow
buyers to observe the price and other details of a designer's brand they like via
a portable laptop offered to them during the event. Buyers will also be allowed
to take a closer look at the designs in a presentation room separate from the
catwalk.
Fashion Week begins with two days of men's wear fashion shows, featuring such
designers as Chang Kwang-hyo, Park Jong-chul, Song Zio and Park Sung-chul. The
women's wear fashion shows will run for five days, featuring designers Lee
Young-hee, Son Jung-wan, Yang Yoon-jung and Cho Sung-kyong.
Young and emerging Korean fashion designers will also be given the chance to show
their work at fashion shows at off-site venues like Kring, also in southern
Seoul. Among the 10 participating brands are HA:RTOCRYON, Paul & Alice and
Instantology.
Fashion, said Coco Chanel, will be "in the sky, in the streets, in the air" of
Seoul this month. For more information, visit www.seoulfashionweek.org.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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