Fashion week this and that
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An after party was held at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul Monday from 9 p.m. after that day’s fashion week event ended at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon who was scheduled to be there, however, was absent. / Courtesy of JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul
By Yun Suh-young
Where were you Mayor Park?
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was scheduled to attend a fashion show after-party on Monday held at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul situated next to the DDP.
However, he cancelled the attendance and left the fashion show after watching the Bakangchi collection.
Sadly, designers were not enthusiastic about the after-party as well.
There wasn’t high attendance rate from designers participating in fashion week except for a few big shots such as designers Lie Sang-bong, Choi Bo-ko, and Shin Jang-kyoung.
After the hour-long networking opening reception at the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, a casual hang-out party took place from 11 p.m. at the 11th floor bar.
Seating pains
As chaotic as it always is, this year’s Seoul Fashion Week was no different. Since it was held at a completely new venue, it must have been confusing for organizers as well. However, rules are rules and protocols are protocols. But none of these were properly executed at the fashion week.
Seating was the biggest pain for both organizers and guests. Chairs were reserved with name tags for VIPs but, unfortunately, the VIP guests who were supposed to be seated there never found their seats, ending up sitting elsewhere. Ordinary visitors who happened to be standing in front of the chairs ended up getting the best seats.
Seating was inconsistent throughout the week because each collection had different seating plans. At some collections, foreign buyers and press were the top priority whereas at others, they were left to sit on the floor or stand up.
Sorry not ready yet
The DDP’s underground mall called the “Design Market” was filled with (thankfully) shops and restaurants just in time for the opening of the DDP. Being the grotesque otherworldly spaceship that it is, some of us wondered if we would ever get earthly service in time for the opening. But that wasn’t what to worry about.
Some of the shops inside the underground mall did not receive cards, creating inconvenience for visitors who had nothing other than credit cards in their wallets. Too bad, they had to go elsewhere to eat.
Lotteria, a local fast food chain, had its card system unavailable throughout the entire fashion week. Still, the mystery is that its hamburgers were sold out even before we had our money out.
Similarly, a dessert shop next to it didn’t have its coffee machine working so visitors had nothing other than tea to drink.