Underwear that flies in the face of tradition
Zuhm In New York underwear.
Korean singer/actress Uhm Jeong-hwa seems to have set a new standard by launching her own line of underwear, and the media and public, who tend to be hostile toward celebrities who associate themselves too closely with the sale or marketing of undergarments, are O.K. with her decision.
Before Uhm came along, selling underwear had never been a good career choice for top stars because it was seen as a cash cow for celebrity has-beens.
However, when the glamorous Uhm, at the height of her career, decided to launch a lingerie line it was seen as acceptable and sensible.
Uhm’s brand, called Zuhm In New York, targets the mass market. It will be sold through Cowell Fashion on a local TV shopping network. Zuhm In New York features exotic prints (leopard and hibiscus flowers) and bold colors (dark purple and burgundy) in glossy, stretchy fabric.
At a recent press conference at the BistroD restaurant in southern Seoul, Uhm told a roomful of reporters that she was committed to “designing her favorite style... for daring and self-expressive women who love to wear simple yet fiercely sexy lingerie.”
Song Hye-gyo, left, and Kim Ah-jung, center, model for Vivien. By Ines Cho, [JoongAng Ilbo]
In the United States, modeling for Victoria’s Secret can launch the career of aspiring models and is seen as a professional badge of honor. But if the supermodel Gisele Bundchen had started her career in Korea, her racy photo spreads would have been regarded as a scandal on a par with posing nude or appearing in a porn video.
In Korea underwear in the mass media has been a sensitive subject for both actors and models. Over the years, a score of A-list female stars, such as Song Hye-gyo, Kim Tae-hee and Kim Ah-jung, have signed lucrative contracts with the Korean brand Vivien, but with the rule that they are fully dressed in all campaigns.
To this day most Koreans have a negative view of underwear models and view their work as “degrading.” Hence all the scantily-clad models at Uhm’s show were Western.
Having been disappointed by Uhm’s absence on the runway, the local press hoped the self-confident actress might be ready to hit the catwalk. A reporter asked, “What do you think of modeling for your own brand?” Uhm’s impish reply was,“I think maybe all of you could be the models.”
By Ines cho Contributing Writer [inescho@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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