Sunday, 24 May 2009
Recommendations to Improve Seoul Fashion Week
from: feetmanseoul
I’ve attended Seoul Fashion Week as a representative of this site, the Korea Herald, and SEOUL Magazine at various times. We’ve been to several, have gotten to know many foreign buyers, journalists, and trend trackers, as well as Korean designers, both famous as well as up-and-coming. I and my staff have learned a lot from the experience, and have seen SFW’s come and go, as well as be good or kinda bad.
And most importantly, we read the online and offline reactions to Seoul Fashion Week, especially the reactions from the foreign press and buyers. And we report back on it honestly and fairly. When we’ve had a good experience, we’ve expressed our appreciation and thank you’s; but when we felt things went badly, we reported back on that as well.
But overall, we feel we do a good service to spreading the news about Korean fashion, because we’re frank and honest, we produce our own original, high-quality content at the same level of any mainstream newspaper or magazine, because we are utterly professional, as photographers, the producer of the world’s first photo book in English on Korean fashion, and as promoters of Korean culture in general.
On a personal front, through my work on various projects such as my social criticism blog “Scribblings of the Metropolitician,” as well as Korea’s first podcast “Metropoliticking in Seoul” [link to iTunes] Korea’s first video podcast “SeoulGlow,” and a few other things, I was chosen to be a part of the Presidential Commission on Nation Branding. Although I was surprised to have been chosen, I think it was my frank and direct commentary on Korea and Korean culture that someone up there found valuable. I think they realized that my views on how Korea is ACTUALLY seen from outsiders’ points of view is much more important than the ongoing problem in Koreans trying to FORCE foreigners to see only what official bodies, PR companies, and the Ministry of Tourism wants. The reason for the creation of the Presidential Commission in the first place is the result of this ongoing PR failure, the inability of Koreans to separate simplistic notions of national pride and commercial interests from the need to show the TRUE REALITY of Korea. Many parts of that reality hold the charms that foreigners actually LIKE about Korea, but Koreans continue to have no clue about that fact.
For example, Koreans tend to be so concerned about being seen as a “developed country” in the face of white Westerners that they panic every time they come. So, in 2002, the Seoul Metropolitan Government tried to get rid of all the food stalls in the city, lest white Westerners see them and think Korea “dirty” or “backwards.”
God, were they totally, totally off the mark.
One of the charms of Korea IS the street food culture. It’s what many foreigners love about Korea; it’s what half the videos about Korea on YouTube are about; in my own SeoulGlow series, the street food episodes were always the most popular ones. In general, foreigners love street food. Now, after much complaining and finally hearing feedback from a variety of sources, the city government has FINALLY named street food a “cultural treasure” and is supporting the street culture here.
But if took YEARS and a LOT of people yelling and complaining before the city government really GOT IT. Just imagine if they had bothered to listen — to truly, truly listen and ask the right questions — from the beginning? How much more efficient could certain campaigns have been? How much more money could have been saved? How much more money could have been earned? Isn’t this exactly what city bodies should be concerned about?
The same is true of Seoul Fashion Week. What is the goal vis a vis foreign buyers, press, and designers? To make Korea look good? To impress them and make them feel comfortable? To make them “recognize” the “power” of Korean fashion?
No, no, and no.
The #1 goal of the organizers of Korean fashion week should be to simply provide as much support for foreign press, buyers, and designers as possible to accomplish THEIR goals. And that doesn’t mean fancy wireless touchpad ordering systems that no one really cares about — how about spending all that money preparing English-language materials about Korean fashion? Instead of worrying about the food, which is fine but no one really cares about, what about simply supplying foreign visitors with schedule changes in a timely manner?
Not having more than two small packets of information in English to give foreign visitors is simply pretty ludicrous, considering the small amount of money and time it would take to have a few student interns translate some existing Korean-language materials into Korean. We did so in our “History of Korean Fashion” — and we don’t even HAVE a budget. All I have are friends. And if a few people can produce all the material we’ve had on this site — PLUS A 230-PAGE PHOTO BOOK ABOUT KOREAN FASHION AND LIFESTYLE — in our spare time, the embarrassing question is: why can’t an entire staff funded by the city government do the same?
Before this post goes on too long, let me make some concrete recommendations based on not only my own experiences, but those of many other foreign visitors as well. Seoul Fashion Week staff and supporting bodies, you can take this advice or leave it, but this is REALLY what a lot of foreigners think, and will help explain why foreign interest in Korean fashion is starting to fall.
STOP TRYING TO PROMOTE KOREA OR IMPRESS FOREIGN VISITORS. OFFER SUPPORT FOR THEIR GOALS.
I’ve already touched on this, but what most Koreans dealing with foreigners don’t realize is that a) most foreigners don’t like the smell of promotional campaigns or nationalistic bragging. It feels fake, it turns people off, and we generally have a negative reaction to it. Stop bragging about Korea or showing off new electronic gizmos and show REAL support, such as in providing ample translated materials (and PLEASE PROOFREAD the translations, because they are embarrassingly bad and look like hastily-finished homework), translators who are not inexperienced or even rude, and think about Korea from your GUESTS’ perspective: why would you take your guests to COEX mall (most of your vistors’ countries have malls, and ones far bigger than Korea’s), or to designer stores where the VAT makes them too expensive to buy here. Many people asked me about going to Hongdae or other places where people could directly see real people and experience real Korea. Most of your visitors here have very little time, yet feel like they haven’t seen Korea because they are take to silly malls and expensive stores. Show them what THEY want to see, not what YOU want them to see. And if it feels like the hosts are tugging at their wallets, it feels even more insulting.
RECOGNIZE THAT KOREA IS NOT YET PARIS, MILAN, OR EVEN TOKYO.
Several buyers were complaining they couldn’t buy anything here because the prices were too high. Korea’s “brand image” in many other countries is still not too great. People in many other countries still don’t know that Samsung is Korean, and still remember when Korean products were associated with LOW QUALITY. So to price clothing at the SAME or HIGHER prices than even French or Italian designers charge means that the buyer has to sell for higher, they have little margin for profit, and they have to try to convince their domestic designers to buy a Korean product for the same price as a recognized French or Italian local designer. One buyer I was talking to was really irritated at what she called the “arrogance” of some of the prices she was seeing. She didn’t return this season to fashion week. I’m just saying.
REDUCE THE HAUGHTINESS, STOP BEING SO ARROGANT.
Koreans have a tendency to be exclusive, to think of ways to rank and categorize people, have the old Chosun-era desire to be the yangban. When this is applied to SFW, disaster ensues. When the 4 foreign fashion designers were invited to the S/S 2009 show, I was told that this event was for “major press only” and only VIP’s would be able to go. “Sorry, but we can’t give you an invitation. We’re reserving places for ‘higher-profile press’ like The Wall Street Journal.” Riiiiiiight. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post don’t come to SFW. Sorry. And by discriminating between foreign and domestic, big or small, Korean or English press, you shoot yourself in the foot. At the Eley Kishimoto show and others, for example, sometimes HALF the seats were empty. And I remember SFW staff running around trying to get press and people to come fill the seats. I was pretty angry about that, as were a few other people. But it was another case of Koreans thinking anything with foreigners is VIP, therefore, it must be exclusive. Funny thing was, most Koreans attending the show didn’t know these foreign designers, and there were far fewer press there. Great idea. You know, we’re not the New York Times, but do a search for “Korean fashion” in Google. I don’t see any of those famous papers talking about Korean fashion, but I see my Metropolitician, Feetmanseoul, Korea Times, and Flickr links about Korean fashion on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd pages on down. When you type in “Ye Ranji” or “Yang Hee Deuk” or “Rubina” or “Lee Doii”, our site is the FIRST hit on all these searches. I don’t think The Wall Street Journal has been helping you so far, so why do you keep fantasizing about them? Stop beating up on press because they’re not “famous.” On the Western internet, we’re more influential than The New York Times. So be careful.
Another point: two seasons ago, the buyer’s section was closed to the public? WHY?! That was one of the most unnecessarily exclusive, dumbest ideas I’ve ever seen. This season, I see that policy was reversed, but wow — what a waste of time and money. How do you judge who will buy from a designer? Are they all registered with SFW? Maybe they came to just see one particular designer? Instead of reducing access to artificially-constructed VIP areas, allow everyone access, as long as there are no safety or security issues. On that note…
STOP TAKING YOUR PAYING AUDIENCE FOR GRANTED.
Unlike many fashion shows around the world, members of the everyday public can purchase tickets and see the shows. I’m sure the SFW staff would welcome the day when there are enough people to make letting in the unwashed masses unnecessary, but actually, this is one of the things I love about SFW. It’s democratic, there’s a mix of people, it feel less snooty and more festival-like. I think it’s great that fashion design students get a chance to see real fashion shows, and that the Korean public’s relatively high interest in fashion is indulged here.
But have you ever thought about those long waits in line? Sometimes up to 1.5 hours? How about offering them some basic refreshments? Or in the COMPLETELY EMPTY buyer’s tent this season, how about filling that central dead space with tables and offering wine by the glass? You could actually make even MORE money, while also creating a classy, cocktail-party-like atmosphere. Hire a couple student bands who play quirky, quiet music in the background, and you’ve got something nice. And most importantly? YOU GIVE ALL THE CROWD A REASON TO COME INTO THE BUYER’S tent. Simply choosing to not prevent people coming in this season isn’t enough — give people something to do, make them pay YOU to put a glass of wine in their hands, and DRAW THEM TOWARDS the place where you want people to spend money. Wow — killing three or four birds with one stone — imagine that.
STREAMLINE YOUR REGISTRATION PROCESS.
It’s completely confusing, and registration for the press should be open at least ONE FULL MONTH before fashion starts, for a period of around 3 weeks, with late registration sometime just before it starts. If you require me to upload a picture, don’t then make me stand in line to take another one on the first day of the shows. I came an hour early and had to wait in line for 40 minutes to get my press pass picture. Didn’t I already upload it? I almost missed the first show. Come on, people. And why make registration so hard, anyway? For press that have previously come and gone, just approve them automatically. Spend your time scrutinizing new registrants, not making old ones wait. Basically, things in Korea amount to poor planning, and starting late. Several foreign press members sarcastically remarked about how easy the process is in Japan, and every seat has a name on it, assigned in advance. Very organized. It may make Koreans feel bad to be compared to Japan, but face it: all your “important” foreign guests are. And SFW registration is confusing and badly planned. Get the web site up a month before the show, have registrations completed within 48 hours of applying, just get organized.
STOP DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN “FOREIGN” AND DOMESTIC PRESS
What does it mean to be “foreign” press? Is there an official status marked on the PRESS, PHOTO, VIP, or BUYER cards? Why does it seem like anyone with a Korean face sitting in a PRESS seat is asked to move? My writer, a Korean American, was in a press seat with her PRESS pass, and asked to move. She was told that this was for “foreign” press. She said she was American. That’s “foreign”, right? The usher came back and said it was meant for “overseas” press. Huh? I don’t know about such a status. I did notice that only people with Asian faces were being asked to move. I know that there were domestic press people from the Korea Herald, Bling, and other Korea-based English-language press who weren’t asked to move. They were white and black Americans, but of course “foreign.” I don’t think anyone was checking press credentials, but simply didn’t want Korean faces in the front row. That practice seemed to continue on during the most recent season.
Recommendation? Simply STOP this racist treatment. It is inconsistent, unfair, and only makes the press angry. Not just the Korean Americans or Korean Canadians or Korean adoptees or whatever other situation. If you want to be respected by international guests, stop using Korean countryside, ignorant standards to judge people based on appearance. I’ll tell you that this happened to several members of the press this and last season, and word got around. It LOOKS BAD. So STOP IT. If people have the proper pass, leave them alone.
GO BACK TO THE CLEARER “PRESS” CATEGORIES.
Previously, there was only a PRESS badge, and you had stickers indicating PHOTO and/or BACKSTAGE. Now, one can get a PRESS badge, but have a BACKSTAGE sticker, or get a BACKSTAGE badge with PHOTO on it. Huh? Confusing. Also, the hierarchy was clearer in the past. You were PRESS. Or you were BACKSTAGE, which is higher than PRESS. Anyway, even the SFW staff seemed confused about it in the previous season, which resulted in some pretty embarrassing behavior on the part of the staff giving mixed signals. Make clear categories and stick to them.
CLARIFY PHOTO LINE RULES.
There is a lot of struggle and irritation in the photo line in front of the runway. Everyone wants center line, the spot right in the center of the runway, at about the model’s eyeline. There is always a spot reserved for the “HOUSE” photographer. Fine. Also, videographers get higher priority because they have to pan, and are serving direct video feeds somewhere. Also, fine. But outside of that, there are these idiot photographers who tape their biz cards on the ground, don’t show up all day long, then expect everyone to move out of their spot when the good show comes along.
Outside of HOUSE or other specifically-reserved spots, it should be first-come, first serve. There are photographers who tell other ones to move because they are “older” or their newspaper is “more important” or whatever. This is really irritating, and where do foreign photographers fit into this? We seem to be the only ones consistently coming to EVERY show, yet when one lazy ajussi decides to come in 2 minutes before the single show he wants to see starts, I have to abandon my spot? There are a lot of bad photographers with bad etiquette who make things harder for everyone.
Recommendation? If there are people taping spots on the floor, they should come to the shows on time, or lose the spot. Even if you reserved the spot, all the other photographers shouldn’t have to shift around because a rude ajussi comes in 2 minutes before a show starts, while other photographers have been there for 20 minutes already. Rules?
– Areas marked with tape should be officially approved, such as “HOUSE.” There should be a time period each morning to mark areas. That requires the taper to actually BE THERE, and gives everyone a fair chance to get access. It also prevents people from TAPING 2 or 3 AREAS. This happens a lot, by greedy photographers.
– All photographers should have access to a white balance check before the show, or the rehearsal. This is VERY, VERY important towards getting good pictures, because photographers need to understand the different lighting conditions of each show. We need to set color temperature and get a sense of which shutter speeds we’ll be using. Why is that access only given to the house photographer? Does SFW only want to help the house photographer make good pictures? I understand giving the house photographer the best spot — we all understand this — but to actively PREVENT other photographers from taking the best pictures possible by allowing only the photo press rehearsal access is just…stupid? If access to rehearsal is impossible, you should offer a white balance check at least. That’s what other shows around the world do, you know.
BUY OUR BOOK.*
Hehe. Well, we proposed this, but I guess it wasn’t a popular idea. Basically, take our book, which is a summary of the season’s best designers, street fashions, trends, and photo essays on Seoul and Korean culture, purchase, say 60 from us at a heavily-discounted bulk rate (say, like 50,000 won instead of the 65,000 list price), and give a copy to each member of the foreign press, buyers, or designers. Anyone with a press pass from an overseas venue or a buyer should get one. I bet you that 50,000 won would go far longer than the expensive foods they were serving, or any of the Korean “special treatment” they were giving.
It was explained to me that one couldn’t be seen as having a commercial interest or conflict in being associated with the book (although they were pimping Numero magazine pretty hard, since they paid the big bucks). Oook. I wonder if the foreigners invited to SFW are going to really hold on to their copy of commercial-filled Numero magazine for years and years. Anyway, we were told not to even show our book around at SFW this year, lest Numero get angry. They said if any copies were seen, they’d throw them in the trash. Thanks, SFW. Although you getting a company to pay you big bucks to pimp their magazine on every table in the building is great, it’s still your choice as to whom you want to enter into associations with, paid or not. And we only had two books floating around. Again, your choice.
CONCLUSION
Of course, Seoul City will never buy our book, and perhaps I’m being too frank here, and yes, I have a personal stake in promoting this item. But that’s what we do — we try to make killer content about Korea, and make it frank and interesting. That’s what foreigners ACTUALLY want. Not, ahem, slick, commercial-filled Numero. Who knows? Maybe that’s what the foreign market actually DOES want — commercial, ad-filled, superficial content that is all, in the end, trying to sell them something. At least, once our book is bought, it gives real information, stuff that people from overseas really want to see.
Anyway — that’s our list of obvious problems we had with SFW. Of course, the last item is a little self-interested, and can be ignored. But it does speak to the greater problem — in trying to elevate the international status of SFW, who is really more self-serving? The city bureaucrats who want the least difficult, least controversial, least edgy, least risky version of fashion?
Fashion is controversial, edgy, provocative, and risky — by definition. But if it is run by people whose interests lie elsewhere — national pride, taking the safest possible route, wanting to cause the least controversy — why would foreigners from FAR, FAR more edgy and provocative fashion cultures come to KOREA? To see recycled western trends, safe and boring designs, and visits to designer outlets with prices more expensive than back in their own countries?
MY PREDICTION
Anyway, no one will listen to these recommendations, and it will only make certain people more angry at us. It’s the same thing as the “Smile Korea” campaign or the effort to get rid of street food before the 2002 World Cup — no one will listen to foreign input until it is far too late, until the problem becomes painfully acute. After several more seasons of dropping foreign interest, less overseas buyers, and more complaining from the very, very little press that covers Seoul Fashion Week, and the dream of becoming “The Fashion Hub of Asia” shrinks into the dust of former Korean “hub dreams” (”Hub of Stem Cell Research” or “Hub of Asia” in terms of finance or investment” and “Design Hub of Asia”) — maybe then people will start to listen.
Perhaps in 2-3 years, after the “Korean Fashion Wave” starts, but without attention being given to the increasingly boring and conservative world of Seoul Fashion Week? Like the original “Korean Wave”, it didn’t start at the top, but with the edgy and frankly shocking foreign impact of movies such as “Old Boy” — the foreign market doesn’t want to see recycled stuff they already know, you know. They want something new and truly original, truly Korean.
And that’s what Seoul Fashion Week increasingly doesn’t seem able to provide.
Until the next fashion week, we’ll be getting back to the streets.
Share This!
one of the responses for "Recommendations to Improve Seoul Fashion Week"
impolite one
May 1st, 2009 at 1:09 am 1
My take;
Frankly, the only way a true, sustainable ‘Korean fashion wave’ will ever happen is if they begin producing truly original concepts on their own, take those overseas and receive genuine recognition via the foreign press, and then make it known in the domestic Korean media that they’ve received the legitimate approval of foreign people. Once that happens, Koreans will have something to buy up with pride and set forth all the copycat chain reactions that will inevitably occur, etc etc.
Right now, in a nutshell, what is to be called Korean fashion, circa 2009, is mid-market fashion being sold as high fashion, in a typical Korean rush to reach a market position without receiving the proper accolades prior, and low-market fast fashion being considered by most to be ’street fashion.’ This blog at the street snap level (its strongest angle, by the by) has featured nothing but the latter; low-market copycat clothes and fast-fashion. These can be part of street fashion as part of the high-low mix, but does not make for a legitimate ’street fashion’ scene.
It doesn’t need to be discussed here that the Japanese are a culture that is a generation or two (or many in some cases) more advanced than the Koreans. I know that comment burns up Koreans more than anything, but you can’t blame people for not knowing, either.
25 years ago, when the first big wave of Japanese avant gardists went to Paris, they had a legitimate vision to show, they received due praise, they then gained the attention of the Japanese people domestically, and thus set the stage for Japanese fashion from the top to the bottom, as we know it. Koreans who don’t know any better will be the first to claim that they will do things their own way, but at the end of the day, this is how it will work in Korea too.
Since we can count on our hands the number of Korean designers who show in Paris currently, who is really bringing anything new and groundbreaking to the table? Juun. J (Jung Wook Jun) probably received the most attention abroad because of his F/W08 show, and then frankly, this year, showing his FW09, he flopped back into the depths of mediocrity. If I were a foreign buyer, I wouldn’t buy anything Korean right now, unless it were practically free, which it is not.
So who is Korea’s Rei Kawakubo? Yohji Yamamoto? Issey Miyake? If Korea doesn’t bring their own original concepts to the table in Paris or Milan, then they won’t ever really play.
When will the change occur? Considering the major fashion schools in London, Antwerp, Paris, and even Tokyo are packed with Korean international students lately, I would expect to see a real, legitimate group of foreign-educated Korean design talent form sometime in the next 5-10 years, once these young fashion students graduate, intern properly at proper houses, and secure funding to create their own lines. It could be big, it could possibly not. Beyond cinema, Koreans haven’t been too creative on a world-class level in anything.
At this point, we can’t even talk about early-adopters or pioneers, because there’s not much in the way of anything Korean fashion worth adopting or pioneering.
Back to the buyer’s perspective; it goes without saying that money is dear right now, and stores don’t want to stock a bunch of derivative, nearly mid-market, unheard-of Korean labels.
Seven New York, the main (only?) store for breaking new avant garde and high fashion in America, took a chance on Juun. J FW08 ast year, messed up royally with the buy and line pricing (also in large part to the label’s level of organization, which was none) and it was pretty lackluster showing overall.
Korean labels are all tiny operations, they do actually produce well-made garments when you get into the levels of things being shown at fashion shows. I would say that Korean workmanship is world-class, or at least pretty close now, when it comes to the upper labels.
Most fashion labels tend to start out small, producing extremely high quality garments, and ask fairly high prices due to the nature of the operation. Once they can get a larger manufacturer, then they can lower costs and lower line prices.
That is not what angers people and buyers, it is just money at the end of the day. There’s always a fool to buy something. The real sticking point is that Korean fashion right now is a big empty 10 carat gold-plated egg. Crack into it and you get nothing, come back out and realize even what glistened at first was pretty lackluster as well.
I’ve attended Seoul Fashion Week as a representative of this site, the Korea Herald, and SEOUL Magazine at various times. We’ve been to several, have gotten to know many foreign buyers, journalists, and trend trackers, as well as Korean designers, both famous as well as up-and-coming. I and my staff have learned a lot from the experience, and have seen SFW’s come and go, as well as be good or kinda bad.
And most importantly, we read the online and offline reactions to Seoul Fashion Week, especially the reactions from the foreign press and buyers. And we report back on it honestly and fairly. When we’ve had a good experience, we’ve expressed our appreciation and thank you’s; but when we felt things went badly, we reported back on that as well.
But overall, we feel we do a good service to spreading the news about Korean fashion, because we’re frank and honest, we produce our own original, high-quality content at the same level of any mainstream newspaper or magazine, because we are utterly professional, as photographers, the producer of the world’s first photo book in English on Korean fashion, and as promoters of Korean culture in general.
On a personal front, through my work on various projects such as my social criticism blog “Scribblings of the Metropolitician,” as well as Korea’s first podcast “Metropoliticking in Seoul” [link to iTunes] Korea’s first video podcast “SeoulGlow,” and a few other things, I was chosen to be a part of the Presidential Commission on Nation Branding. Although I was surprised to have been chosen, I think it was my frank and direct commentary on Korea and Korean culture that someone up there found valuable. I think they realized that my views on how Korea is ACTUALLY seen from outsiders’ points of view is much more important than the ongoing problem in Koreans trying to FORCE foreigners to see only what official bodies, PR companies, and the Ministry of Tourism wants. The reason for the creation of the Presidential Commission in the first place is the result of this ongoing PR failure, the inability of Koreans to separate simplistic notions of national pride and commercial interests from the need to show the TRUE REALITY of Korea. Many parts of that reality hold the charms that foreigners actually LIKE about Korea, but Koreans continue to have no clue about that fact.
For example, Koreans tend to be so concerned about being seen as a “developed country” in the face of white Westerners that they panic every time they come. So, in 2002, the Seoul Metropolitan Government tried to get rid of all the food stalls in the city, lest white Westerners see them and think Korea “dirty” or “backwards.”
God, were they totally, totally off the mark.
One of the charms of Korea IS the street food culture. It’s what many foreigners love about Korea; it’s what half the videos about Korea on YouTube are about; in my own SeoulGlow series, the street food episodes were always the most popular ones. In general, foreigners love street food. Now, after much complaining and finally hearing feedback from a variety of sources, the city government has FINALLY named street food a “cultural treasure” and is supporting the street culture here.
But if took YEARS and a LOT of people yelling and complaining before the city government really GOT IT. Just imagine if they had bothered to listen — to truly, truly listen and ask the right questions — from the beginning? How much more efficient could certain campaigns have been? How much more money could have been saved? How much more money could have been earned? Isn’t this exactly what city bodies should be concerned about?
The same is true of Seoul Fashion Week. What is the goal vis a vis foreign buyers, press, and designers? To make Korea look good? To impress them and make them feel comfortable? To make them “recognize” the “power” of Korean fashion?
No, no, and no.
The #1 goal of the organizers of Korean fashion week should be to simply provide as much support for foreign press, buyers, and designers as possible to accomplish THEIR goals. And that doesn’t mean fancy wireless touchpad ordering systems that no one really cares about — how about spending all that money preparing English-language materials about Korean fashion? Instead of worrying about the food, which is fine but no one really cares about, what about simply supplying foreign visitors with schedule changes in a timely manner?
Not having more than two small packets of information in English to give foreign visitors is simply pretty ludicrous, considering the small amount of money and time it would take to have a few student interns translate some existing Korean-language materials into Korean. We did so in our “History of Korean Fashion” — and we don’t even HAVE a budget. All I have are friends. And if a few people can produce all the material we’ve had on this site — PLUS A 230-PAGE PHOTO BOOK ABOUT KOREAN FASHION AND LIFESTYLE — in our spare time, the embarrassing question is: why can’t an entire staff funded by the city government do the same?
Before this post goes on too long, let me make some concrete recommendations based on not only my own experiences, but those of many other foreign visitors as well. Seoul Fashion Week staff and supporting bodies, you can take this advice or leave it, but this is REALLY what a lot of foreigners think, and will help explain why foreign interest in Korean fashion is starting to fall.
STOP TRYING TO PROMOTE KOREA OR IMPRESS FOREIGN VISITORS. OFFER SUPPORT FOR THEIR GOALS.
I’ve already touched on this, but what most Koreans dealing with foreigners don’t realize is that a) most foreigners don’t like the smell of promotional campaigns or nationalistic bragging. It feels fake, it turns people off, and we generally have a negative reaction to it. Stop bragging about Korea or showing off new electronic gizmos and show REAL support, such as in providing ample translated materials (and PLEASE PROOFREAD the translations, because they are embarrassingly bad and look like hastily-finished homework), translators who are not inexperienced or even rude, and think about Korea from your GUESTS’ perspective: why would you take your guests to COEX mall (most of your vistors’ countries have malls, and ones far bigger than Korea’s), or to designer stores where the VAT makes them too expensive to buy here. Many people asked me about going to Hongdae or other places where people could directly see real people and experience real Korea. Most of your visitors here have very little time, yet feel like they haven’t seen Korea because they are take to silly malls and expensive stores. Show them what THEY want to see, not what YOU want them to see. And if it feels like the hosts are tugging at their wallets, it feels even more insulting.
RECOGNIZE THAT KOREA IS NOT YET PARIS, MILAN, OR EVEN TOKYO.
Several buyers were complaining they couldn’t buy anything here because the prices were too high. Korea’s “brand image” in many other countries is still not too great. People in many other countries still don’t know that Samsung is Korean, and still remember when Korean products were associated with LOW QUALITY. So to price clothing at the SAME or HIGHER prices than even French or Italian designers charge means that the buyer has to sell for higher, they have little margin for profit, and they have to try to convince their domestic designers to buy a Korean product for the same price as a recognized French or Italian local designer. One buyer I was talking to was really irritated at what she called the “arrogance” of some of the prices she was seeing. She didn’t return this season to fashion week. I’m just saying.
REDUCE THE HAUGHTINESS, STOP BEING SO ARROGANT.
Koreans have a tendency to be exclusive, to think of ways to rank and categorize people, have the old Chosun-era desire to be the yangban. When this is applied to SFW, disaster ensues. When the 4 foreign fashion designers were invited to the S/S 2009 show, I was told that this event was for “major press only” and only VIP’s would be able to go. “Sorry, but we can’t give you an invitation. We’re reserving places for ‘higher-profile press’ like The Wall Street Journal.” Riiiiiiight. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post don’t come to SFW. Sorry. And by discriminating between foreign and domestic, big or small, Korean or English press, you shoot yourself in the foot. At the Eley Kishimoto show and others, for example, sometimes HALF the seats were empty. And I remember SFW staff running around trying to get press and people to come fill the seats. I was pretty angry about that, as were a few other people. But it was another case of Koreans thinking anything with foreigners is VIP, therefore, it must be exclusive. Funny thing was, most Koreans attending the show didn’t know these foreign designers, and there were far fewer press there. Great idea. You know, we’re not the New York Times, but do a search for “Korean fashion” in Google. I don’t see any of those famous papers talking about Korean fashion, but I see my Metropolitician, Feetmanseoul, Korea Times, and Flickr links about Korean fashion on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd pages on down. When you type in “Ye Ranji” or “Yang Hee Deuk” or “Rubina” or “Lee Doii”, our site is the FIRST hit on all these searches. I don’t think The Wall Street Journal has been helping you so far, so why do you keep fantasizing about them? Stop beating up on press because they’re not “famous.” On the Western internet, we’re more influential than The New York Times. So be careful.
Another point: two seasons ago, the buyer’s section was closed to the public? WHY?! That was one of the most unnecessarily exclusive, dumbest ideas I’ve ever seen. This season, I see that policy was reversed, but wow — what a waste of time and money. How do you judge who will buy from a designer? Are they all registered with SFW? Maybe they came to just see one particular designer? Instead of reducing access to artificially-constructed VIP areas, allow everyone access, as long as there are no safety or security issues. On that note…
STOP TAKING YOUR PAYING AUDIENCE FOR GRANTED.
Unlike many fashion shows around the world, members of the everyday public can purchase tickets and see the shows. I’m sure the SFW staff would welcome the day when there are enough people to make letting in the unwashed masses unnecessary, but actually, this is one of the things I love about SFW. It’s democratic, there’s a mix of people, it feel less snooty and more festival-like. I think it’s great that fashion design students get a chance to see real fashion shows, and that the Korean public’s relatively high interest in fashion is indulged here.
But have you ever thought about those long waits in line? Sometimes up to 1.5 hours? How about offering them some basic refreshments? Or in the COMPLETELY EMPTY buyer’s tent this season, how about filling that central dead space with tables and offering wine by the glass? You could actually make even MORE money, while also creating a classy, cocktail-party-like atmosphere. Hire a couple student bands who play quirky, quiet music in the background, and you’ve got something nice. And most importantly? YOU GIVE ALL THE CROWD A REASON TO COME INTO THE BUYER’S tent. Simply choosing to not prevent people coming in this season isn’t enough — give people something to do, make them pay YOU to put a glass of wine in their hands, and DRAW THEM TOWARDS the place where you want people to spend money. Wow — killing three or four birds with one stone — imagine that.
STREAMLINE YOUR REGISTRATION PROCESS.
It’s completely confusing, and registration for the press should be open at least ONE FULL MONTH before fashion starts, for a period of around 3 weeks, with late registration sometime just before it starts. If you require me to upload a picture, don’t then make me stand in line to take another one on the first day of the shows. I came an hour early and had to wait in line for 40 minutes to get my press pass picture. Didn’t I already upload it? I almost missed the first show. Come on, people. And why make registration so hard, anyway? For press that have previously come and gone, just approve them automatically. Spend your time scrutinizing new registrants, not making old ones wait. Basically, things in Korea amount to poor planning, and starting late. Several foreign press members sarcastically remarked about how easy the process is in Japan, and every seat has a name on it, assigned in advance. Very organized. It may make Koreans feel bad to be compared to Japan, but face it: all your “important” foreign guests are. And SFW registration is confusing and badly planned. Get the web site up a month before the show, have registrations completed within 48 hours of applying, just get organized.
STOP DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN “FOREIGN” AND DOMESTIC PRESS
What does it mean to be “foreign” press? Is there an official status marked on the PRESS, PHOTO, VIP, or BUYER cards? Why does it seem like anyone with a Korean face sitting in a PRESS seat is asked to move? My writer, a Korean American, was in a press seat with her PRESS pass, and asked to move. She was told that this was for “foreign” press. She said she was American. That’s “foreign”, right? The usher came back and said it was meant for “overseas” press. Huh? I don’t know about such a status. I did notice that only people with Asian faces were being asked to move. I know that there were domestic press people from the Korea Herald, Bling, and other Korea-based English-language press who weren’t asked to move. They were white and black Americans, but of course “foreign.” I don’t think anyone was checking press credentials, but simply didn’t want Korean faces in the front row. That practice seemed to continue on during the most recent season.
Recommendation? Simply STOP this racist treatment. It is inconsistent, unfair, and only makes the press angry. Not just the Korean Americans or Korean Canadians or Korean adoptees or whatever other situation. If you want to be respected by international guests, stop using Korean countryside, ignorant standards to judge people based on appearance. I’ll tell you that this happened to several members of the press this and last season, and word got around. It LOOKS BAD. So STOP IT. If people have the proper pass, leave them alone.
GO BACK TO THE CLEARER “PRESS” CATEGORIES.
Previously, there was only a PRESS badge, and you had stickers indicating PHOTO and/or BACKSTAGE. Now, one can get a PRESS badge, but have a BACKSTAGE sticker, or get a BACKSTAGE badge with PHOTO on it. Huh? Confusing. Also, the hierarchy was clearer in the past. You were PRESS. Or you were BACKSTAGE, which is higher than PRESS. Anyway, even the SFW staff seemed confused about it in the previous season, which resulted in some pretty embarrassing behavior on the part of the staff giving mixed signals. Make clear categories and stick to them.
CLARIFY PHOTO LINE RULES.
There is a lot of struggle and irritation in the photo line in front of the runway. Everyone wants center line, the spot right in the center of the runway, at about the model’s eyeline. There is always a spot reserved for the “HOUSE” photographer. Fine. Also, videographers get higher priority because they have to pan, and are serving direct video feeds somewhere. Also, fine. But outside of that, there are these idiot photographers who tape their biz cards on the ground, don’t show up all day long, then expect everyone to move out of their spot when the good show comes along.
Outside of HOUSE or other specifically-reserved spots, it should be first-come, first serve. There are photographers who tell other ones to move because they are “older” or their newspaper is “more important” or whatever. This is really irritating, and where do foreign photographers fit into this? We seem to be the only ones consistently coming to EVERY show, yet when one lazy ajussi decides to come in 2 minutes before the single show he wants to see starts, I have to abandon my spot? There are a lot of bad photographers with bad etiquette who make things harder for everyone.
Recommendation? If there are people taping spots on the floor, they should come to the shows on time, or lose the spot. Even if you reserved the spot, all the other photographers shouldn’t have to shift around because a rude ajussi comes in 2 minutes before a show starts, while other photographers have been there for 20 minutes already. Rules?
– Areas marked with tape should be officially approved, such as “HOUSE.” There should be a time period each morning to mark areas. That requires the taper to actually BE THERE, and gives everyone a fair chance to get access. It also prevents people from TAPING 2 or 3 AREAS. This happens a lot, by greedy photographers.
– All photographers should have access to a white balance check before the show, or the rehearsal. This is VERY, VERY important towards getting good pictures, because photographers need to understand the different lighting conditions of each show. We need to set color temperature and get a sense of which shutter speeds we’ll be using. Why is that access only given to the house photographer? Does SFW only want to help the house photographer make good pictures? I understand giving the house photographer the best spot — we all understand this — but to actively PREVENT other photographers from taking the best pictures possible by allowing only the photo press rehearsal access is just…stupid? If access to rehearsal is impossible, you should offer a white balance check at least. That’s what other shows around the world do, you know.
BUY OUR BOOK.*
Hehe. Well, we proposed this, but I guess it wasn’t a popular idea. Basically, take our book, which is a summary of the season’s best designers, street fashions, trends, and photo essays on Seoul and Korean culture, purchase, say 60 from us at a heavily-discounted bulk rate (say, like 50,000 won instead of the 65,000 list price), and give a copy to each member of the foreign press, buyers, or designers. Anyone with a press pass from an overseas venue or a buyer should get one. I bet you that 50,000 won would go far longer than the expensive foods they were serving, or any of the Korean “special treatment” they were giving.
It was explained to me that one couldn’t be seen as having a commercial interest or conflict in being associated with the book (although they were pimping Numero magazine pretty hard, since they paid the big bucks). Oook. I wonder if the foreigners invited to SFW are going to really hold on to their copy of commercial-filled Numero magazine for years and years. Anyway, we were told not to even show our book around at SFW this year, lest Numero get angry. They said if any copies were seen, they’d throw them in the trash. Thanks, SFW. Although you getting a company to pay you big bucks to pimp their magazine on every table in the building is great, it’s still your choice as to whom you want to enter into associations with, paid or not. And we only had two books floating around. Again, your choice.
CONCLUSION
Of course, Seoul City will never buy our book, and perhaps I’m being too frank here, and yes, I have a personal stake in promoting this item. But that’s what we do — we try to make killer content about Korea, and make it frank and interesting. That’s what foreigners ACTUALLY want. Not, ahem, slick, commercial-filled Numero. Who knows? Maybe that’s what the foreign market actually DOES want — commercial, ad-filled, superficial content that is all, in the end, trying to sell them something. At least, once our book is bought, it gives real information, stuff that people from overseas really want to see.
Anyway — that’s our list of obvious problems we had with SFW. Of course, the last item is a little self-interested, and can be ignored. But it does speak to the greater problem — in trying to elevate the international status of SFW, who is really more self-serving? The city bureaucrats who want the least difficult, least controversial, least edgy, least risky version of fashion?
Fashion is controversial, edgy, provocative, and risky — by definition. But if it is run by people whose interests lie elsewhere — national pride, taking the safest possible route, wanting to cause the least controversy — why would foreigners from FAR, FAR more edgy and provocative fashion cultures come to KOREA? To see recycled western trends, safe and boring designs, and visits to designer outlets with prices more expensive than back in their own countries?
MY PREDICTION
Anyway, no one will listen to these recommendations, and it will only make certain people more angry at us. It’s the same thing as the “Smile Korea” campaign or the effort to get rid of street food before the 2002 World Cup — no one will listen to foreign input until it is far too late, until the problem becomes painfully acute. After several more seasons of dropping foreign interest, less overseas buyers, and more complaining from the very, very little press that covers Seoul Fashion Week, and the dream of becoming “The Fashion Hub of Asia” shrinks into the dust of former Korean “hub dreams” (”Hub of Stem Cell Research” or “Hub of Asia” in terms of finance or investment” and “Design Hub of Asia”) — maybe then people will start to listen.
Perhaps in 2-3 years, after the “Korean Fashion Wave” starts, but without attention being given to the increasingly boring and conservative world of Seoul Fashion Week? Like the original “Korean Wave”, it didn’t start at the top, but with the edgy and frankly shocking foreign impact of movies such as “Old Boy” — the foreign market doesn’t want to see recycled stuff they already know, you know. They want something new and truly original, truly Korean.
And that’s what Seoul Fashion Week increasingly doesn’t seem able to provide.
Until the next fashion week, we’ll be getting back to the streets.
Share This!
one of the responses for "Recommendations to Improve Seoul Fashion Week"
impolite one
May 1st, 2009 at 1:09 am 1
My take;
Frankly, the only way a true, sustainable ‘Korean fashion wave’ will ever happen is if they begin producing truly original concepts on their own, take those overseas and receive genuine recognition via the foreign press, and then make it known in the domestic Korean media that they’ve received the legitimate approval of foreign people. Once that happens, Koreans will have something to buy up with pride and set forth all the copycat chain reactions that will inevitably occur, etc etc.
Right now, in a nutshell, what is to be called Korean fashion, circa 2009, is mid-market fashion being sold as high fashion, in a typical Korean rush to reach a market position without receiving the proper accolades prior, and low-market fast fashion being considered by most to be ’street fashion.’ This blog at the street snap level (its strongest angle, by the by) has featured nothing but the latter; low-market copycat clothes and fast-fashion. These can be part of street fashion as part of the high-low mix, but does not make for a legitimate ’street fashion’ scene.
It doesn’t need to be discussed here that the Japanese are a culture that is a generation or two (or many in some cases) more advanced than the Koreans. I know that comment burns up Koreans more than anything, but you can’t blame people for not knowing, either.
25 years ago, when the first big wave of Japanese avant gardists went to Paris, they had a legitimate vision to show, they received due praise, they then gained the attention of the Japanese people domestically, and thus set the stage for Japanese fashion from the top to the bottom, as we know it. Koreans who don’t know any better will be the first to claim that they will do things their own way, but at the end of the day, this is how it will work in Korea too.
Since we can count on our hands the number of Korean designers who show in Paris currently, who is really bringing anything new and groundbreaking to the table? Juun. J (Jung Wook Jun) probably received the most attention abroad because of his F/W08 show, and then frankly, this year, showing his FW09, he flopped back into the depths of mediocrity. If I were a foreign buyer, I wouldn’t buy anything Korean right now, unless it were practically free, which it is not.
So who is Korea’s Rei Kawakubo? Yohji Yamamoto? Issey Miyake? If Korea doesn’t bring their own original concepts to the table in Paris or Milan, then they won’t ever really play.
When will the change occur? Considering the major fashion schools in London, Antwerp, Paris, and even Tokyo are packed with Korean international students lately, I would expect to see a real, legitimate group of foreign-educated Korean design talent form sometime in the next 5-10 years, once these young fashion students graduate, intern properly at proper houses, and secure funding to create their own lines. It could be big, it could possibly not. Beyond cinema, Koreans haven’t been too creative on a world-class level in anything.
At this point, we can’t even talk about early-adopters or pioneers, because there’s not much in the way of anything Korean fashion worth adopting or pioneering.
Back to the buyer’s perspective; it goes without saying that money is dear right now, and stores don’t want to stock a bunch of derivative, nearly mid-market, unheard-of Korean labels.
Seven New York, the main (only?) store for breaking new avant garde and high fashion in America, took a chance on Juun. J FW08 ast year, messed up royally with the buy and line pricing (also in large part to the label’s level of organization, which was none) and it was pretty lackluster showing overall.
Korean labels are all tiny operations, they do actually produce well-made garments when you get into the levels of things being shown at fashion shows. I would say that Korean workmanship is world-class, or at least pretty close now, when it comes to the upper labels.
Most fashion labels tend to start out small, producing extremely high quality garments, and ask fairly high prices due to the nature of the operation. Once they can get a larger manufacturer, then they can lower costs and lower line prices.
That is not what angers people and buyers, it is just money at the end of the day. There’s always a fool to buy something. The real sticking point is that Korean fashion right now is a big empty 10 carat gold-plated egg. Crack into it and you get nothing, come back out and realize even what glistened at first was pretty lackluster as well.
STILL MADE HERE
trendwatching.com의 June/July,2007 trend briefing 의 topic이였던
still made here를 번역하여 링크하였습니다
2007년 10월,studio open을 준비하면서 긍정적인 생각을 하게 해주었던
article 이라 함께 하고자 올렸습니다.
http://heartocryon.com/bbs/index.php?page=5&code=webdebating
still made here를 번역하여 링크하였습니다
2007년 10월,studio open을 준비하면서 긍정적인 생각을 하게 해주었던
article 이라 함께 하고자 올렸습니다.
http://heartocryon.com/bbs/index.php?page=5&code=webdebating
TABLE03-0910A/W collection presentation
TABLE03
0910A/W collection presentation
SHOWROOM OPEN
studio Heart to cry on
April 02-04,2009 PM1:00-PM8:00
02 539 9621
press@heartocryon.com
Those who visit our trunk shop from Apr. 2nd to 4th
can enjoy a 10% discount on our new collection
of Heart To Cry On and YOKOE
TABLE02-minus
10/25-10/29,2008 12:00-19:00Table02 forms a part of the emptying process of the studio,
which is connected with the theme of our studio
in the first quarter of 2009: ‘recovering the moments of nothingness’.
The samples and accumulated products of Yokoe and Har:tocryon
will be on sale for a fixed price.
Any products which are left-over from the sale of Table02
will be donated to charity organizations and recycling companies.
The pride of Studio Heart to cry on is not in the price of the product or label names.
info: 02 539 9621
TABLE01
Photos courtesy of Hong Sukwoo(http://www.yourboyhood.com/)Table01_a smell of seoulite 에서 소개될 4quarter/2008 하투크라이온과 요괴의
콜렉션은 Daily projects buyer, 홍석우씨가 운영하고 있는
http://www.yourboyhood.com/ 에 실려있는 gfather 와 grandmother의 사진에서
영감을 받아 진행되고 있습니다. 사진 속의 그들만의 패션감각은 어찌 보면
고집스럽기도 하고 유머러스 하기도 합니다.
대한민국의 전통과 컨템퍼러리 패션의 중간쯤에 위치하고 있음직한
그들의 과거와 현재의 의복생활을 관찰하는 것은 한국패션의 빈티지룩을
재조명할 수 있는 재미있는 놀이가 될 것입니다.
In the collection of Heart to cry on and Yokoe,
which will be introduced in the Table 01- a smell of Seoulite -
in the 4th quarter of 2008, much inspiration comes from the pictures of
Grandfather and Grandmother featured in http://www.yourboyhood.com/
which is being managed by Hong Sukwoo, Daily projects buyer.
The fashion in the pictures looks a bit obstinate and in a way humorous as well.
To observe their fashion styles both in the past and the present,
which might be situated in between the old Korean traditional fashion and t
he contemporary one, will become an interesting play to reconfigure t
he Vintage look of Korean fashion.
TABLE01
Introduction: 비가 간간히 내리던 어느 여름날..뉴욕의 다운 타운,
그녀는 북 컬렉션이 재미있어 보이는 작은 중고서점 안을 둘러보고 있다.
맞은편에서 책을 보던 -왠지 모르게 런던에서 온 것 같아 보이는-
한 남자가 “Are you from Seoul?” 하고 말을 건네 온다.
무작정 동양 여자를 보면 중국에서 왔느냐고 묻고
아니면 일본에서 왔느냐고 묻는 것이 순서인데
‘이 친구 나름 예리한걸’ 하고 생각하며
“Yes, I am a Seoulite”라고 대답한다.
하긴 이 남자는 어쩐지 뉴요커가 아니고 유럽의 어느 도시,
그 중에서도 런던에서 온 것만 같은 강렬한(?) 느낌을 받는 그녀도
그리 둔한 여자는 아닌 것 같다.
우리는 이렇듯 그저 자연인으로서의 “나”이기전에
어느 도시에서 태어나고 생활하는 특정“도시인” 으로
불리 우고 구분되어지기도 한다.
그렇다면 Seoul은 어떤 도시 일까?
Seoul에 대해서 다시 생각하고 Seoul 을 base로 일상을 사는 우리
-Seoulite에 대해 고찰해 보는 것은“나는 누구인가” 에 대한
해답을 찾는 방법중의 하나가 될 것이며세계속에서 "나"라는
브랜드를 프로모션하기 위한 가장 기초적인 리서치가 될것이다.
현재 서울을 상징하기 위해 만들어진 수많은 비쥬얼 정보들은
정말로 서울다운 것일까?
어쩌면 보여주기 위해 포장되어 만들어진 서울의
인위적인 비쥬얼 메시지들 때문에 있는 그대로의 서울을
온전하게 이해하는데 방해를 받고 있는 것은 아닐까?
그렇다면 어떤 방법이 있을까?
서울을 “바라보는 행위”를 중단하고
서울의 냄새를 맡는 경험을 해보는 것은 어떨까?
서울을 느끼는 방법을 시각적인 방법에서
후각적인 방법으로 바꿔 보는 것이다.아마도 그간 보지 못했던
깊숙한 서울의 풍취를 향기로 경험하게 될 것이다.
시각적으로 보여졌던 서울에 대한 세속적이고
천박한 껍질들을 벗겨버리고 서울 사람인 여러분 자신의
향기는 무엇이며 어떤 향기를 풍기고 싶은지에 대해
생각해보는 시간을 갖도록 하자
-------------------
Introduction of This Activity:
이번 Activity의 목표는 Seoulite의 향을 만들어 보는 과정을 통해서
현재 우리가 살고 있는 Seoul,
더 나아가 Seoulite(서울사람) -즉 자신-에 대한 정의를 내려보는데 있다.
중요한 것은 각자 느끼고 생각하는 Seoulite의 향을 개발,
branding하는 놀이를 해보면서그 향과 경험을 share하는데 있다.
-------------------
Some of Key Question:
1.현재의 서울은 어떤 도시 인가?
2.현재의 서울에서 당신은 어떤 변화를 원하는가?
3.Why-Why-Why?
-------------------
Activity Ground Rules:
1.너무 심각하지 않고 즐겁게!
2.Seoulite-당신-에 관한 주관적 정의를 내리고 profile을 작성하라.
3.Aroma에 대해서 조사하라
4.Seoulite의 향을 실제로 개발하라.
5.다른 도시인에게 본인이 개발한 향수에 대한 feedback을 받는다.
(과연 서울의 느낌이 나는지에 대한 )
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction:
One summer day with intermittent rain…In downtown New York,
she is browsing in a small second hand bookshop with
an interesting looking collection.
One man is looking at the books on the opposite side.
She’s not sure why, but he looks like he comes from London.
He speaks to her: “Are you from Seoul?”
When the people see an oriental woman,
they usually assume that she is from China or Japan.
‘This guy is quite sharp’, she thinks, and replies: “Yes, I am a Seoulite”.
Equally, her strong impression that he is not a New Yorker,
but from a city in Europe - most probably London -
is evidence of her own powers of perception.
This is an example of how we are often categorized as belonging to
a particular city before being regarded as a natural, distinct individual.
So what kind of city is Seoul?
Re-examining the nature of Seoul, and what it’s like to live in Seoul,
thinking about ourselves as “Seoulites” will be one of the ways
we can answer the question: “Who am I?”
It will be a fundamental process of research for the promotion
of the brand name,“I”.
Some questions: Are the numerous visual images used to
symbolize Seoul really typical of the city?
What if, because of all the man-made visual messages
used to demonstrate the city,
the real character of Seoul is difficult to understand?
Is there any alternative?
What about the experience of smelling Seoul, instead of looking at it?
That would involve the sense of smell, instead of sight,
to create a feeling for the city.
It is likely we will experience a deep,
so far undiscovered flavor of the place.
Why don’t we spend a little time to consider our own fragrance as Seoulites
or what kind of fragrance we’d like to have?
-------------------
Introduction of This Activity:
The goal for this Activity is to define the character of Seoul
-- where we live -- and furthermore, a Seoulite--myself--
through the process of identifying the smells associated with the people.
The important principle is to identify each other’s fragrance as a Seoulite
-- as one feels and thinks -- and to share the experience and fragrance with others.
-------------------
Some of Key Questions:
1. What is Seoul now?
2. What would you like to change about the present day Seoul?
3. Why-Why-Why?
-------------------
Activity Ground Rules:
1 Don’t be too serious: enjoy!
2 Define Seoulite-yourself- with subjectivity and write down the profile.
3 Research aromas.
4 Identify the culture and the fragrance of Seoulite: make real product!
4 Identify the culture and the fragrance of Seoulite: make real product!
5 Get some feedback for “YOUR PRODUCT” (from other citizen)
TABLE
TABLE is an exciting new studio activity introduced by studio Heart to cry onPromoting new forms of interaction, it will involve in-depth research and
imaginative evaluation of particular issues.
TABLE will advance by studying the answers produced from the sensitivity and
inspiration of individuals through their research.
The end product could be a simple ‘text’ or impromptu ‘performance’ or
even 'a dish of food’. TABLE will be highlighted monthly in our web debating space,
and studio paper.
The first TABLE will be held from September 27th until 30th.
For details, please refer to further notices…
TABLE은 studio Heart to cry on에서 새롭게 진행하는 studio activity입니다.
토론의 형식을 배제하고 매월 각자에게 던져진 한가지 질문에 대해서
성실한 리서치를 하고 그것을 통해서 생성된 주관적인 감성과 영감의
결과물인 각개인의 답변들을 단순하게 청취하고
구경하는 형식으로 진행될 예정입니다.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)