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| Fashion & Creative Industry Division Director of Seoul Design Foundation Kim Yun-hee, left, talks during the press conference at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap |
By Kim Jae-heun
The world's top fashion weeks often serve as trade markets bridging individual designers and retailers to boost the local fashion industry. Seoul Fashion Week also began with the same goal, but it has settled as a cultural festival first, attracting some 280,000 visitors to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) last season.
"There is no fashion festival like Seoul Fashion Week in the world, where the event has turned to a festival for everyone to enjoy," said Fashion & Creative Industry Division Director of Seoul Design Foundation (SDF) Kim Yun-hee during the press conference at DDP in Jung-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. "We've witnessed many fashionable people gathering to watch the fashion shows and meet models every season, so we have decided to provide things to eat, things to buy and things to enjoy this season."
Seoul Fashion Week will run movie nights starting this season for three days from Oct. 18 to Oct. 20.
The fashion festival also invites popular fashion models to meet their fans and host a talk show while having food trucks for the convenience of the fans.
Fashion model Kim Ki-bum of YG KPLUS will DJ during the evenings with other musicians from "NHR" crew led by Seungri of BIGBANG, beginning the second day of the festival.
Fashion magazine CeCi has confirmed its open audition for a "fashionista" on the spot, who will appear on the cover of a future edition of the magazine. CeCi will hold three auditions to pick ordinary people on the street.
Seoul Fashion Week invites veteran designer Rubina to host an honorary exhibition under the title "Endless Journey." The show displays Rubina's work of the last 38 years as a fashion designer. The exhibition is free of charge and open to everyone from Oct. 17 to Nov. 12.
Better plans needed for Seoul Fashion Week
People had big expectations of Jung Ku-ho when he took over the position of executive director to lead Seoul Fashion Week two years ago.
He has led Fashion Week for four seasons since October 2015 and promised he will make Seoul Fashion Week a leading fashion festival in Asia.
His beginning looked impressive with Jung inviting his personal connections of global fashion leaders to Seoul such as Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes and buyers from luxury department stores such as Harrods, Selfridges and Barneys New York.
However, a number of important figures did not make a second visit to Seoul, not to mention obtaining any orders. Regarding buyers, most said they've spent most of their budget at fashion weeks in New York, London, Paris and Milan and they will consider a purchase here if they come back next year.
Kim says the number of buyers coming to Seoul Fashion Week has increased from 140 to 170 this season and 130 more will participate voluntarily. However, she agreed that the total amount of orders at fashion week has not increased since Jung took over.
"Our goal is to promote Korean designers abroad and help them go viral. It takes time," Kim said.
Every year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government allocates 2.6 billion won to Seoul Design Foundation to run Seoul Fashion Week. Kim says the budget is far from enough and sponsorships from fashion companies are indispensable.
Two years have passed and Jung spent 5.2 billion won sending less than five fashion designers abroad to display their clothes in a pop-up store at European multi-shops.
Jung has less than a year with Seoul Design Foundation until his contract expires as the executive director.
