Weekender Catwalks in the spotlight for Seoul Fashion Week

By Ines Min

Designers and the fashion forward are making way for the spring/summer 2011 collection in southern Seoul, as Seoul Fashion Week starts the conclusion of its 10th year today. The Seoul Trade Exhibition Center (SETEC) in Daechi-dong will transform into a city catwalk and bustling business center until Oct. 28, while new events and an anniversary exhibition help commemorate the 21st Korean fashion week.

Designers not to miss

This year’s Seoul Collection boasts a slimmed-down lineup of 38 designers, nine Next Generation designers, and a cornucopia of both perennial and new signatures.

Veteran designers Choi Bum-suk of General Idea and Song Zio return to the scene on opening day, while others such as Do Ho and celebrity favorite Gee Chun Hee of Miss Gee Collection will wrap up the ceremonies next week on Thursday.

Recent addition to the scene Lee Doii of Doii Paris — where her increasing popularity and bold color palette have helped her become a new force in the industry — will unveil her much-anticipated collection while Next Generation designer Young Lilee of Lilee is prepared to awe with elegant, swooping lines, clean silhouettes and a keen eye for detail (having earned her praise in such style guides as Vogue and Instyle).

The trio of designers who made their New