Fashion in Seoul - Know All About It!

Seoul has been famous for its K-pop culture which directly and indirectly influences Seoul’s next big move after K-beauty: K-fashion.

Fashion weeks have been considered a useless dress-up party where a minority of people who are mostly celebrities and influencers gather around to soak up public attention. Therefore, fashion weeks with all their glamour and niceties have become tiresome over time in most of the fashion hubs such as Paris, Milan, London, and New York. It is quite logical for Seoul to make a move for K- fashion at this point in time.

This has made Seoul’s fashion faster and trendier than ever and has gained international attention. Moreover, their fashion has seeped into other neighboring Asian nations as well. In this article, we will discuss why Seoul is now Asia’s hottest fashion city and the reasons that drove its success.

Trend-Driven

Seoul’s last fashion week which was held from October 16 to October 21 has pulled some wide international attention, and there is a good reason for that. South Korea’s capital has seen a cluster of highly talented individuals which range from photographers, editors, influencers, and buyers from all over the world.

This promises a youthful influx of promising design talent and a real interest-driven pursuit for fashion that is trendy and contagious. This is one of the reasons why Seoul has attained its reputation as Asia’s leading fashion capital.

In Seoul, fashion is fast-paced and trend-driven. As soon as the trend changes, the fashion changes instantly. This is both good and bad as the designers are increasingly focused on trends. This means that they may be projecting clothing that is more commercial. Therefore, the designers may often be criticized for being too trendy.

However, the ground realities are different. Seoul’s domestic market is very young and you will generally find clothes that are more commercial and aimed at the youth. This is primarily the reason why you would find hoodies, t-shirts, skorts, and local denim apparel everywhere. This is also the reason why designers will diffuse their apparel into a more commercial pool that will generate more profit.

The Outside Perspective

Koreans are conscious of how they perceive their own fashion within the city. However, they are even more conscious of how their local fashion looks from an outside perspective. They like to know and adapt to the changing preferences of the outside world regarding their fashion sense.

This does them two favors: firstly, they get the chance to have their fashion represented internationally; second, they can blend into the fashion of the outside world, thus bringing more creativity to their own fashion ideas.

Street Culture

Seoul’s fashion is unique in the sense that it does not focus on high-end fashion unlike the other fashion hubs like Milan and Paris. Street culture is majorly involved in creating the fashion sense for everyday wear. The fashion is marked by affordable streetwear which is directly influenced by K-pop and local celebrities. And that is exactly how Seoul defines its fashion scene.

The fashion scene evolves constantly and develops ever-exciting clothing with every passing season. It promises a unique blend of streetwear, fine-tailored traditional garments, and vintage apparel. That is why Seoul is known as the Bling Bling Spot in Asia.

Celebrity Focused

It is extremely hard for designers to move forward without having money and celebrity interest. You will see that most of the designers who went abroad for studies have much more influence and are more promising.

Locally there are quite a few of them that are growing because of the support of organizations such as the Seoul Fashion Week. Regardless, it is tough to succeed without having a lot of money and celebrity interest. It is far better for the new designers to go overseas and grab some attention which can help them get some support in Seoul.

This is also the reason why Seoul fashion is highly influenced by a foreign culture. However, it is reflected as a more contemporary culture with a hint of historical taste and a focus on streetwear.

A Much Younger Fashion

Seoul’s fashion is much younger as compared to the other cities and thus has a more youthful outlook. It may be similar to what you would see in other fashion hubs like that Paris and London. That is, dominated by elevated drain gear and oversized blazers. However, it doesn’t fail to impress with its own amalgamation of contemporary and historical facets.

If you look at streetwear, off-white clothing that involves Vetements and Balenciaga is extremely popular. For the young, anything from Louis Vuitton to Gucci will do. The catwalk tracksuits and track jackets were hot this fashion week. This also shows that sportswear has also diced into the fashion pool of Seoul.

Sometime before, when the deconstructed blazers were the talk of the day, it didn’t impress the international community. However, it is nice to see that Seoul is moving forward with an updated approach. The Balenciaga Triple has been widely appraised and Koreans are simply crazy about it.

Therefore, Seoul has been an emerging city in Asia and internationally.

Attracts Global Fashion

It is no surprise that Seoul has come to be the fashion center of Asia. It has been attracting attention from fashion industries from all over the world. There has been a recent spark in Seoul which is dominated by its street scene.

Almost all Korean designers are focused on street-based apparel that is inspired by Hip Hop, Rock n Roll, and the likes of it. This has made a big difference in Korea’s fashion industry especially now that it is driving international attention.

People can come to Seoul from all over the world and can find something very new in their eyes. This is the reason why it has attracted international media at Seoul’s fashion weeks which in turn creates international turbulence. Another advantage is that this has created a genuine sense of interest in Korean culture.

Reasonable Price

What appeals largely to the buyers is that Seoul brands can put forward their products at a very reasonable price. At other brands, you would have to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to get something appealing. On the other hand, you can get cool and trendy clothing from a Seoul brand at a much lesser price.

For the young Koreans, it is not the brand name but the excitement, creativity, and vibrant designs that the brand can bring to them. This makes these brands even more addictive.

Support for Emerging Designers

Designers are the real representatives of fashion. They are the individuals who represent the city and drive new trends. As we know that Seoul’s fashion is both trend-driven and fast-paced, trends tend to get picked up very quickly.

When a new design comes up, it won’t take long for it to become the trend of the month or even the trend of the week before it is replaced by a new one. This means that Seoul’s designers have attained a reputation for copying owing to the extremely tough competition.

However, it is not very different from the other cities. That is why new designers are supported much more so that they can keep on refreshing the outlook of the city’s fashion. Therefore, the designers are making breakthroughs in their respective domains. There is so much talent in this fierce competition that drives the trends forward.

Furthermore, they have the advantage of youthful designers as most of the designers are young themselves. Therefore, they can better relate to the aspirations of the youth. That is why Seoul has a youthful vibe in its fashion scene.

Inclusiveness

While collections of the other cities are mostly affiliated with the industry higher-ups and specialists in the domains, Seoul is involved with everyone regarding fashion. From media marketers to social media influencers, all are on the net.

Obsession With Personal Appearance

It is generally observed that Americans are the ones who are obsessed with how they look. Recent studies have noted that an average Korean is obsessed with fashion and their looks much more than an average American.

This obsession drives them to keep a track of what is trendy and hot at a particular time and they are generally good in their taste. Whether it is a pair of shades, shoes, lipstick, or clothes, choosing just the right fit is extremely important for them.

Fashion Correlates with the Environment.

The best thing about Seoul is that its fashion blends in with the environment. Every city has its mood and aesthetic appeal. For example, London is known for its gloomy and cloudy appearance, so if you wear something very vibrant and colorful it doesn’t match the aesthetics of the city.

Unlike in London, the overall makeup of Seoul is very modern. The roads are new and their buildings and shops do not have a traditional appeal like that of London. So a versatile fashion that Seoul projects perfectly blends into the fabric of the city

Influence of the K-pop

The growing popularity of the K-Pop culture has greatly influenced the fashion trends in Korea. K-Pop stands for Korean Pop which is a genre of pop music that is a blend of other popular genres such as Electric, Metal, Hip Hop, and others. This industry is dominated by some boy bands and girl groups such as:

• BTS
• Black Pink
• Big Bang
• SHINEE.

These people take the internet by the storm and make a huge contribution to the fashion industry through their premium, vibrant, and wild outfits.

Whether it is at spotlight-stealing shows or showing off their high-octane, glittering outfits on the red carpet, they are the gems of the fashion industry. They are the first contact of any fashion that subsequently seeps into the market. As they are celebrities and have mass followings, whatever they do spreads like wildfire and even the simplest t-shirts become the ‘it’ of the day. Black Pink is widely known for creating new vibrant outfits and making them into viral styles.

While bands like Black Pink are known more for their modern and contemporary representation of fashion, some of them pose a more traditional outlook. Take, for example, The Vixx. In their latest Shangri LA video, they are seen exhibiting clothing that closely resembles the traditional clothing of Korea. They also gained mass appreciation from the older generation that feels that Korea is losing its traditions increasingly.

Conclusion

Seoul is quite modern and contemporary but it also has some historical aspects. Its fashion industry has become the Bling Bling Spot of Asia. This has not only affected other Asian nations but has also attracted global attention. Much of the reasons are people’s obsession with fashion and the inclusiveness of everyone in the industry that drives the trends and makes them faster than ever.

Much of Seoul’s fashion is very young as it is inspired by pop culture. Furthermore, most of the designers are young and are supported in their quest to bring fresh designs to Seoul’s fashion industry. That is why Seoul is Asia’s hottest fashion city.