Semipermanent

I'm slowly catching up with my friends Eric & Tiffany's Seoul based TV series 'Semipermanent', and just had to share two more episodes.  The episode above titled 'State of the Art' meets up with some more Seoul kids I know including the talented Jamie Bruno who paints murals on abandoned or soon to be torn down homes in the city, as well as Udo Lee, a curator at Platoon Kunsthalle - one of my favorite old haunts in Seoul.  Watching the episode really made me miss all the events that went on at Platoon from concerts to gallery openings and especially the Night Flea Market where I used to make bank every month selling vintage & reformed clothes!  

Episode 6 'All Dressed Up' was especially bittersweet to watch as it focused on Seoul's fashion scene. My boy James Lee McGuown spoke to Eric & Tiff behind the scenes at Seoul Fashion Week while he was getting ready for the Kimseoryong Homme show and there were so many familiar faces popping up from designers I used to know and work with to dressers I recognized and models like Won Joong Kim or Jin Wook Yoon that I used to walk in shows with.  Also very cool to see Dongdaemun fashion market again - I used to spend hours there searching through all the trimmings and fabrics and whatnot. While I might not live there again, I WILL GO BACK ONE DAY!  I can't not - it's my home away from home!  

Seoul - I miss you!  

xoxochadchad

beyond closet ss12 lookbook

The latest lookbook for Beyond Closet by Korean designer Ko Tae Yong / 고태용 is a boyish, charming collection. Modeled by one of my favorite male models in Korea, it-boy Won Joong Kim / 김원중, the collection for spring/summer 2012 debuted today at Seoul Fashion Week. It contains shorts in various lengths, handsome check patterned jackets and shirts as well as a very enjoyable foliage pattern. Outside of Korea, Beyond Closet is stocked at Idiel showroom in New York.



















Here's a video of the finale:)


xoxochadchad

mvio fw 2011/12 by han sang hyuk

MVIO designer Han Sang Hyuk delighted the crowd this season with a 7 foot tall headless model riding a motorized Segway down the runway in a grey checked suit. But even without this shock factor moment, his collection was creative, exciting and pushed the boundaries more than any other show in Seoul Collection this season. Dubbed 'M.I.A.S' (the MVIO Institute of Art & Science) but also known as the 'Apron Collection', it was set to a backdrop of math calculations written upon a giant chalkboard and featured badass science nerds in dark sunglasses wearing all sorts of laboratory aprons, from leather ones to aprons with toggle straps to down-filled park style aprons, my personal favorite being the navy peacoat with a rusty orange apron colored blocked into the front of the jacket. Worn both over & under or even built right into suit jackets & parkas, the aprons served as a sort of metaphor for protection or concealing one's flaws. Elements from Han's previous collections were also seen in the details such as the climbers rope from his 'Mountaineering' collection used for jacket ties & apron strings as well as mini magnifying glasses from his 'Gradation' collection hanging from some of the backpacks.






























































These were the two poor boys who had to wear the mannequin heads!

For more runway looks click HERE.

xoxochadchad

vanhart homme fw 2011/12 by du young jung

VanHart Homme is the rebranded label for Korean designer Du Young Jung, who formerly presented under the title Fahrenheit Homme.  After his 'Fahrenheit Yachting' collection last season Jung continues the modern classic vs. sporty mix & match with this years 'VanHart Riding' complete with riding boots, cropped jackets & a finale of models sporting riding helmets.  Fur was prominent on jackets, capes & even hand-sewn into a belted scarf.  Sheepskin & black dyed lamb's wool were also seen.  But there was also a decidedly oriental element to the show - most dominantly in the oversized Joseon Dynasty era hats and also in some of the overlapping v-neck shirts.  Some might find the styling to be a bit heavy handed while others would call it luxurious, with accessories from bags & gaiters to suspender belts, neck scarves & pocket squares.  Overall a very smart collection with a lot of wearable pieces.


entertainer Han Byul Park / 박한별 & designer Du Young Jung / 정두영



































































xoxochadchad