The catwalk opens up to the common man
Spectators watch models at the fashion show for the Tommy Hilfiger autumn and winter collection. [JoongAng Ilbo]
“I had always been curious about what happens at a fashion show,” he said.
Ahn has always been interested in fashion, but only as an amateur. Then he saw “Infinity Challenge,” a variety show in which the cast hosted and starred in their own private fashion show. He loved it.
“It changed my whole view of fashion,” he said.
Ahn is not the only Korean who has became a fan of fashion shows.
An increasing number of designers and models are creating new shows designed to draw the public closer to fashion.
They are arranging fashion shows that are more intimate and personal in scale and taste.
This year, for the first time, Tommy Hilfiger invited about 80 guests from outside the fashion industry. This was a radical departure, considering that the company has only invited select VIPs and industry professionals in the past.
So far the Seoul Collection, an annual fashion show that takes place in the spring and autumn, has been the only fashion collection open to the public. However, getting tickets for the Seoul Collection has never been easy.
The organizer of the Tommy Hilfiger show allowed people to register on the Internet over the space of three days. More than 1,300 people signed up for 80 places.
“This is my second fashion show,” said Park Bo-reum, a 26-year-old office worker. “It feels like I am at a concert. All my friends are proud that they’ve been to a fashion show.”
On the day of the show, the company’s main shop in Sinsa-dong was bustling with guests, including the shop’s customers who were eager to get a peek at the show.
During the Daks fall and winter collection fashion show in May, held at the Gana Art Center and titled “New Chic, New Britain,” 50 non-VIP guests were invited from 500 applicants who had signed up through magazine advertisements.
“The guests feel special, because the seats are limited,” said Park Hyo-jin, the managing director of APR, the firm that promoted the event. “There is a sense of privilege at every fashion show, because most events take no more than 100 guests.”
Attending fashion shows is a trend that is spreading among the younger generation as well.
“You feel like you are part of the in-crowd when you actually go to the venue,” said Kim Eun-mi, a college student. “It’s an entirely different experience from watching it on TV, partly because you get to pick up detailed style tips from the models in the flesh.”
Fashion shows have also become a experience sought after by insiders in the film and media industry. Lim Jae-gyeon, a director of commercials, has been to three fashion shows and has become an admirer.
“You naturally become keen on seeing these trends when you work in advertising,” he said. “A fashion show is an ideal way to catch up on styles, because it’s a compilation of trends. The energy triggered by the costumes, the stage setting and the audience are better than the inspiration I get from the theater. And I love the way the VIP guests become a part of the show in their own right.”
Kang Ho-seop, a professor of fashion design at Hongik University, stressed the lively atmosphere generated by fashion shows as a key ingredient that draws in the public.
“Designers reveal their identities through their clothes, stage design, music and the expressions of the models,” he said. “Once you’ve been to a fashion show, you get hooked on the liveliness of the show.”
Small-scale fashion shows have also become popular among the public.
During the first week of September nine fashion shows took place in the Seoul and Gyeonggi branches of Hyundai Department Store.
This number only includes shows for women’s clothes. The figure has doubled from the same period last year.
“We are planning to add various innovations to the fashion shows we host,” said Choi Jeong-gyu, the company’s manager. “For example, we want to use some of our clients as models.”
Other retail companies, including online shopping malls, are planning to arrange private fashion shows for their clients.
G Market, an online shopping site, hosted a fashion show in March at the Grand Hyatt.
Gu Yeong-bae, the company’s representative, said they plan to expand the scale of their fashion shows.
“We are also going to host a fashion award as a way of discovering talented young designers,” he said.
Kim Dong-seop, the chief researcher of a marketing institute, explained, “It’s an industry trend where consumers are shifting from being passive buyers to active participants. It is inevitable that many other fashion companies will embrace the phenomenon.”
By Kang Seung-min JoongAng Ilbo [myfeast@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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