By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
SHANGHAI ― Korean stars Lee Da-hae, Kim Jung-hoon and Jang Geun-suk added a touch of star power to top designer Andre Kim's fashion show here Tuesday.
Kim presented his 2009 spring/summer fashion collection during the opening of the Korean textile and apparel trade show ``Preview in Shanghai 2008'' at Shanghai Mart.
Hallyu, or the Korean wave, seems to be alive and kicking in this exciting Chinese city, as the audience eagerly awaited the appearance of Korean celebrities at Kim's show.
Cameras flashed as Lee, who appeared in several hit dramas like ``My Girl,'' and Kim, best known for his role in the MBC drama ``Princess Hours'' (Gung), hit the runway wearing Kim's unique designs.
Jang is one of the hottest young actors in Korea, having appeared in recent dramas like ``Hwangjinyi'' and ``Sharp Blade of Hong Gil-dong.'' Dozens of Chinese fans waited for him to arrive at the airport.
Kim's fashion art collection was once again well received in Shanghai. His elaborately detailed gowns showed inspiration from the rich culture, art and history of China, as well as Korean culture.
The audience was captivated throughout the show, which had five sections such as ``Beijing Festival'' and ``Chinese Legend.'' The spring/summer collection's color palette featured purple, orange, green, blue, yellow, red and pink, as well as metallic shades of gold and silver.
Kim showed his unique vision for modern-day Korean royalty through the ``Fantasy of Korean Palace'' stage. Lee and Kim ― who played a prince in ``Princess Hours'' ― looked like a modern-day royal couple in matching Oriental-inspired robes with golden dragon embroidery.
There were some melodramatic moments on stage. Lee and Jang appeared to play star-crossed lovers who were going to tearfully say goodbye, much to the delight of the audience.