I need to get out of the house more frequently...
...like... before 5pm...*yaaawwwnnn*...
I arrived in Seoul from Ho Chi Minh city on Monday, after the Korean boyfriend organized a birthday tour of Thailand and Vietnam last week (hey, did I mention it is my birthday next week? I'm turning 27~~ *Korean age; 28*).
Monday...***silly me***...was the beginning of Spring/Summer 2012 Seoul Fashion Week...
....a good reason to get out of bed, at least to meet some awkward/kooky foreign press, right?
(I have to say... I could use my mad drawing skillz to design a way more 슈퍼 super pimpin logo than this one...Seoul Fashion Week organizers...not to be a moaner or anything...)
I didn't prepare anything for Seoul Spring/Summer 2012, but since I am mostly dedicating my time at the moment to researching Korean traditional dress, I decided to go to one of the more traditional-Korean inspired shows... that is... Lie Sang Bong (Paris). He interprets Korean culture in a science-fictiony way.
I did attend the Lie Sang Bong show in Seoul 6 months ago, for Fall/Winter 2012... and it was a bit dreary...a bit muddy...a bit grey... a bit depressing (is that how we sum up Winter? I love winter...my favorite season...). It looked like this;
So... I was surprised to see a turnaround in Lie Sang Bong's Spring/Summer collection this time...
(P.S. my Olympus camera totally took miserable photos of the show, so I am borrowing someone else's shots to give better color/angle..these are from the same collection, but taken from the show in Paris, two weeks ago).
See here;
and here....
The Spring/Summer collection was allegedly inspired by Daecheong... which is that mad-detailed Korean artistry displayed in Korean wooden art and architecture;
I like that he references Korean things. Lie Sang Bong became particularly famous in 2006 when he started using 한글 Hangeul Korean language in his designs. He has undeniably broken ground not only as a Korean designer, but as a Korean artist.
The final look was a badass ball gown with some kind of laser cut-outs. It looked a bit like an industrial metal mess, but I liked it ! Except for... *ouch* *ouch*... it looked kind of stabby-in-the-ribs *ouch*...
To be super frank...I think that Lie Sang Bong is a really well-travelled dude (did you watch his documentary on Lie Sang Bong in Brazil? Interesting...) and I think he is a terrific ambassador for Korean culture and customs.
But...would I actually...buy LIE SANG BONG?
Most Koreans, when buying quality products, look outside of Korea. My Korean friends buy Italian brands before Korean brands.
Do I own ANY LIE SANG BONG? ... I only own one Lie Sang Bong pillow case. He is also a homewares designer... his bed spreads look like mismatched High School bed sheets. Color/texture/pattern mayhem.
Besides designing colorful bedspreads, Lie is also famous for throwing mad parties after his fashion shows.
Check out the colors in his cracked out Woodstock invite;
Through my eyes... Lie Sang Bong looks skilled. He is cutting and pinning and pulling and pressing and hemming with precision. The problem is that the overall look is kind of whack. I mean, do we NEED to wear emblazoned leggings with cut-outs and sequins under a ball gown?
We all know the answer to that question...
(Photo Source: mochimag.com)
That said... I am a slob. I am a sloppy dresser. My dream is to one day own a collection of all-in-one cotton jumpsuits ranging from grey to navy. My idea of getting ready is shower + brush hair. Lie Sang Bong loses me at the leggings + skirt + second skirt + second shell part... it looks like COMPLEX DRESSING.
Celine jacket plus pants please. Finished. The End.
But... we can not argue that this collection is sooo pretty !! Sooo... artistic!!!
The collection makes sense when broken up into small edible pieces.
Like, when you get overwhelmed by the kebab and you just take out the meat and eat the meat. You only need the important ingredient!!!
You know what I'm getting at, right? I'll just take the skirt... not the leggings...
If you would like to see a slightly edited version of the S/S Paris version of the same show, you can check out the link on the Korea Times website: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2011/10/199_96577.html
I am not surprised that people refer to Lie Sang Bong as the 'Korean Alexander McQueen'...because if you peak through Lie Sang Bong's look-book there are many overlapping ideas between the designers... cut-outs, shells, dramatic head pieces, use of odd leggings...and so on...
On other topics... I think that Seoul Fashion Week picked up some new sponsors this season...
Anyone heard of W magazine?
... and Seoul Fashion Week wouldn't be Korean without celebrities;
Front Row Celebrity Spotting at the Lie Sang Bong Show 쇼:
~~~~~ 구하라 Gu Hara (Kara)
~~~~~홍석천 Hong Sok Chon (Korea's only outed gay celebrity)
Ok, it is late... time for me to brush my teeth and go to bed... until next time... 주무세요~~~ ^^*
For more lookbooks by Lie Sang Bong 이상봉; http://www.liesangbong.com/gb/index.php
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