The phenomenon that is K-culture continues to deliver fresh young stars, swear-by skincare, award-winning cinema (KPop Demon Hunters, Parasite), a Nobel Prize writer (Han Kang in 2024), and trendy food (bingsu, anyone?) But what of South Korean fashion?
Upon receiving an invitation to Seoul Fashion Week—thanks to the city’s Creative Industries Planning Bureau (a specialized division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government)—I wondered whether I might discover where fashion lives within K-culture while soaking up whatever else is contributing to Seoul’s va-va-voom reputation.
Seoul Fashion Week has existed for over 25 years, considerably longer than other fashion weeks around the world that vie for attention and attendance. Approximate numbers provided by the organizers are that 10,000 people now pass through daily. There are camera-ready influencers and editors among the crowd, but the programming is also open to the public and young fans turn up in droves. In this way, SFW seems akin to a centrally organized festival, shining a spotlight on the breadth of homegrown labels that send out widely different creative visions.
And perhaps because there is not one dominant trend—overall, the collections stood out for interesting fabric developments and experimentation with volumes—South Korean fashion has yet to experience a blockbuster sensation on par with BTS, Blackpink or Squid Game. Of course, the path to global fame for any brand or designer results from a complex set of considerations. And anyway, the main reason for traveling to a fashion week is to meet talents where they are. Context can reveal and shape our perspective around clothes and how people dress.
Daily Mirror, spring 2027 ready-to-wear
StudioBENE
Thus, over four days, I took in nine shows and four presentations—more than half of what makes up the official calendar. There’s a straightforward rhythm to the schedule, as nearly all the shows and presentations take place within a single venue, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, otherwise known as DDP. Open since 2014, it’s an imposing design by Zaha Hadid, where a futuristic-meets-brutalist complex is surrounded by green space and fortress walls. Inside, the vibe swung from ladies-with-edge at Doucan to sleek twists on preppy sportswear at Daily Mirror (one of my faves), but the experience remained more-or-less constant: entry was orderly, big bags of skincare swag were usually placed under the seats (fun until it started to feel excessive), and shows began with little delay. Some brands, such as Phenomenon Seeper, Bmuet(te) and two personal standouts, Julycolumn and UMBA, held presentations that allowed for a closer connection with the designers and their clothes.
Those not showing at DDP could be found on the grounds of the Lotte World Tower (being next to the world’s sixth tallest tower, rising 123 floors, was a flex akin to Saint Laurent’s frequent staging near the Eiffel Tower). It was there that Kimhekim, a South Korean brand that usually shows at Paris Fashion Week, made its SFW debut to celebrate its 10-year anniversary, and the brand Greedilous featured a couple of humanoid robots powered by AI alongside models decked out in laid-back tailoring and vibrant sportswear (a partnership with Adidas).
