DRIPDROP cafe encourages upcycling to combat excesses of fast fashion
The pink interior of DRIPDROP near western Seoul's Hongik University / Courtesy of DRIPDROP
By Jon Dunbar
The all-pink interior of the newly opened DRIPDROP cafe in western Seoul looks like it was designed by Barbie. But it's actually the combination of visions of two entrepreneurial foreign gentlemen ―
Shuttle Delivery co-founder and CEO Jason Boutte
and artist James Beckwith ― and the interior is entirely made using upcycled materials.
This new cafe, which opened on June 3 near Hongik University, specializes in desserts such as chocolate lava cake and gluten-free brownies, as well as marble lattes and various teas, ades and smoothies. It also has an array of slush machines, with shots of vodka offered to give the drinks a kick, and it has an extensive wine-in-a-glass selection. It has also launched the Lil' Kim, a blonde stout with chocolate and coffee made in collaboration with Magpie Brewing Co.
The latest DRIPDROP branch marks a significant change for the brand, which already has four other locations. But those already-opened DRIPDROPs are delivery-only ghost kitchens, accessible only by using a delivery app, and they are all south of the river, in Seocho District, Nonhyeon-dong, Samseong-dong and Songpa District. This latest one is the first DRIPDROP north of the river, and it's also the only one that serves customers in-store.
Some of DRIPDROP's drinks / Courtesy of DRIPDROP
Boutte invited Beckwith to help the cafe brand make the transition to the real world.
“James is a designer that I've always admired for his other projects, specifically the upcycling restaurant he used to own in Hannam-dong called Mi Cook Oppa,” Boutte told The Korea Times. “I remember being really impressed and inspired with that space because everything inside was upcycled. I wanted to attempt something similar with our DRIPDROP Hongdae location, so I asked him to partner up on it.”
The exterior of DRIPDROP in Donggyo-dong near Hongik University in western Seoul / Courtesy of DRIPDROP
Beckwith described his collaboration with DRIPDROP as “spiritual refreshment.”
“The art world is very cutthroat and this brings me back to humanity,” he said.
Beckwith, who has lived in Korea for over two decades, is the
foreign president of the Yongsan Fine Arts Association
, an
outspoken advocate for migrant artists' rights
and an entrepreneur. After having closed the doors on Mi Cook Oppa, he is now the purveyor of a unique establishment in Itaewon known as Vegan Vibes.
Vegan Vibes is an unmanned clothing shop located downhill from the mosque in Itaewon, a place he hopes will serve migrants in need. It is open 24 hours a day with no supervision. Customers can stop by any time, scan the clothing they want and make their purchase, based entirely on the honor system.
“The first question people always ask me is do people steal?” Beckwith said. “Yeah, people do steal. But it would still cost more to have an employee. If people want to steal, that's their karma. Maybe they need it ― I'm not gonna judge.”
He added that a portion of the proceeds from the store are donated to charity in order to offer extra help to the community it serves.
Beckwith came up with the idea for the business in 2020 early in the pandemic, when he noticed foreigners posting online that they were leaving the country and wondering where they could dump their belongings, which they didn't want to bring with them, especially clothing. So, he provided a space for foreigners to drop off their surplus clothes, and he resells them for between about 1,000 won and 30,000 won.
“People can drop off their clothes here for donation,” he said. “It's better to find a place to donate directly to. Putting donations in those green boxes doesn't do what you think.”
He was referring to the tall green boxes seen all over Seoul that accept clothing donations. But he pointed out that these are not government-run, and are a for-profit business, with donations often turning up for sale in the city's flea markets.
Inside Vegan Vibes in central Seoul's Itaewon, June 16 / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
He hopes to create synergy between Vegan Vibes and DRIPDROP by offering upcycling workshops at the cafe using clothing items donated at the store, “to teach people how easy and fun it is to turn drabby to chic again,” in his words.
“The goal is to promote alternatives to fast fashion, which is one of the largest contributors to the world's overflowing landfills,” he said.
“Through promoting customizing and upcycling old fashion pieces into ones and more sustainable shopping habits like secondhand shops and clothing swapping we may be able to make an impact on the youth in Hongdae to make more eco-friendly choices.”
Fast fashion is the industry of producing inexpensive clothing rapidly in response to the latest trends. It results in a great deal of fabric waste.
“I personally hate the fast fashion industry because I feel it does more harm to the environment than almost any other industry,” Boutte said. “I always feel like there are simple things we can do as a society to help. Things that don't cause all the burden to be on us as just regular everyday citizens but can maybe move the needle a bit, if we all can be somewhat more thoughtful of it.”
DRIPDROP's Hongdae location is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Follow
on Instagram for more information.