Fashion in South Korea

For decades now, fashion in South Korea has evolved due to inspirations from Western culture in the past, from Korea's wealth, social media practices in Korea as well as the country's highly developed economy. This, with the rise of the Korean Wave has also made Korea highly influential in fashion trends worldwide due to the popularity of its modern pop culture.
South Korean fashion has maintained a unique style which has influenced worldwide trends. South Korea's style is known for being expressive and reflecting a sense of individuality, which are absent from the style of its northern counterpart, North Korea.
In addition, the Korean Wave (the spread of appreciation for South Korean culture) could be suggested to affect the fashion world. For example, it is speculated that some pop stars from Korea have recently been making appearances in large cities such as New York, and can be seen embodying trends and styles from international locations. Euny Hong, journalist and author, predicts that this fashion phenomenon will soon reach across the world.
Acubi fashion is a contemporary South Korean style that blends minimalist aesthetics with Y2K influences and subversive basics.
Winter clothes were typically made using soft cotton stuffed between layers of silk or cotton. Clothes worn in the summer were made from hemp and ramie. Components of these clothes helped to form the look and style of the traditional Korean dress, hanbok.
For thousands of years, Koreans nearly exclusively wore white hanbok; this tradition is believed to have stemmed from the Three Kingdoms period. To Koreans, white traditionally symbolizes simplicity, integrity, innocence and nobility.
"The South Korean fashion of today began in the late 1800s with an intertwining of western influences. Before that point, during the Joseon period (1392-1897), the Korean hanbok was the typical fashion choice. Hanboks consisted of a blouse and loose-fitting pants or skirt. For women, they wore a jeongi (blouse or jacket) and a chima (skirt); and men wore jeongi and baji (pants). Hanboks were everyday wear with lavish versions worn by the elite. During this period, makeup was made from natural materials and traditionally simple. However, by the late 1800s with the arrival of westerners and Japanese influence, Korean fashion and makeup began to lose its traditional style and elements."
In the early 1990s, designer Lee Shin Woo participated in the Tokyo Collection. Lee Shin Woo, Lee Young Hee, Jin Tea Ok, Hong Mi Wha, and others participated in the pret-a-porter in Paris. Korean designers appeared actively on the global stage, with their designs being shown all over the world. The Korean government started to encourage talented designers. By the end of the 1990s, the encouragement of talented designers declined due to the currency crisis. Lately, the government has supported designers, and also ones who are less successful in the domestic economy are beginning to advance abroad.
Supertalent Fashion Week, is a clothing trade show to be held globally, represents Supermodel Influencers of Supertalent of the World, photographers, art directors and stylists, producing fashion events in several countries. Its organizers collaborate with industry organizations and work with local and national governments. it was held Seoul to Eiffel Tower of Paris, Ferrari Auto of Modena, Cannes, Milan, Venice, Rome, positioned world leader of Supermodel Influencer. It was held at the Korea International Exhibition Center, Daegu Textile Complex, Incheon International Airport, South Korea, Eiffel Tower, Galeries Lafayette, Paris, Jungfrau, Schilthorn, Switzerland
The Seoul Fashion Week is a global fashion event held twice a year in the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. Started in 1987 it is sponsored by the city of Seoul and conducted by Inotion World Wide. The Fashion Weeks are held in March and October in South Korea, and are followed by shows in New York City, Paris, London and Milan. The event is marked with inclusivity and diversity, combining high fashion with street style. The Seoul Fashion Week is split into three parts:
The Korea Fashion Design Contest looks for fresh and rising design talent in Korea. This contest began in 1983, and it has been supported by the Korean government since 2004 for its promotion of new designers. The contest aims to:
Korea Style Week was an exhibition at COEX in Korea in 2013. It combined a fashion show format with that of a fair for the first time in Korea. This was done to make it easy to find new designers and fashion online. Korea Style Week was an opportunity for companies to introduce the public to their products. This was done by creating events like styling classes, runways, flea markets, etc.
The K-Collection was last held on 11 March 2012, at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul. The event was hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization, and featured performances by K-Pop artists such as MBLAQ, Infinite, Big Bang, IU, Girls’ Generation, and Miss A. The fashion show featured (among others) collections by 2PLACEBO, 8seconds, Kappa, and Skin Food.
2NE1 introduced high-end fashion labels such as Givenchy and Balmain to the Korean audience. According to Harper's Bazaar, "Korean style is a mix of streetwear and luxury". They further highlight that the trend is combining European brands and streetwear brands together.
Lisa and Rose, members of the popular girl group Blackpink, were featured on the September issue of Dazed Korea. Their ensemble was created from pieces from Mulberry's 2018 Fall/Winter collection. In addition, they sat in the front row at this year's Mulberry Show in Seoul. The objective of Johnny Coca, the creative director of the major British fashion house, was not only to make Mulberry a prominent brand in the UK but also to garner international recognition in places such as South Korea. In an article by Vogue, Coca states that "Korea was the second (biggest) country in terms of revenue so it was important to be part of that expansion and to communicate more about the brand and its heritage to the Korean customer".
Another famous British fashion house, Burberry, was featured by Mino and Hoony, two members of the popular K-pop group Winner. They were dressed in the Burberry Spring/Summer 2018 collection for the brand's show. Furthermore, they received early access to the Spring 2018 collection as soon as they landed in England. According to an article in Vogue, "The two wore full looks while enjoying their time around London, sharing multiple images of themselves in pieces that are sure to be among the seasons most coveted. While sharing snapshots of tartan tote bags and classic trenches, the pair also managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing..."