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SOUTH KOREA / Seoul : Multilabel designers' boutiquesFashion Week
published : April 19 2011
category : reports
Modem Mag set off to explore the multilabel stores that market designers’ brands.
An immersion combining trendy attitude with the new identity models young people are looking for.
Most of the multilabel designers stores are located in the Chungdam Dong district of Seoul. Naturally, the retailers select famous names like Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, Junya Watanabe or Azzedine Alaïa, but the shops we listed here, supported by the inner market, bank mostly on emerging labels.
- Starting with Corso Como Seoul, which dedicates two floors to creativity. The building revives Milanese aesthetical concepts and houses Marsèll, Roberto del Carlo, Camilla Skovgaard shoes, Zagliani, Isaac Reina bags, and Bless, Thakoon, Christopher Kane, Giles, Raquel Allegra, Chloé Sévigny clothes…
- Boon the Shop (Thomas Wylde, Madeleine Vionnet, The Libertines, Haider Hackermann, Giambattista Valli…) At the entrance; a spiral staircase goes round a white podium displaying dressed mannequins. In the middle of it, a central pole goes up to the third floor. There is something of the Maria Luisa’s (Paris) chic about the shop’s selection, particularly in the elegant space dedicated to Christian Louboutin. Boon the Shop also carries – and this is an unusual thing – the Korean label Jardin de Chouette.
- At Mue Gallery that opened 8 years ago, we can have an idea of how huge the selection of clothes is when looking from the first floor: Josephus Thimister, Markus Lupfer, Sacaï, Christopher Kane, Gaspard Yurkievich, Alexander Wang… Except for the dark walls, there is no well-defined decorating concept at Mue Gallery.
- Koon, who recently changed its location, develops post-industrial aesthetics, with a grey concrete lacquered floor, white walls and metal shelves.
- Ce Soir (Faliero Sarti, Trose, Werkstaat München, Elisanero…) is closer to l’Eclaireur (formerly at rue des Rosiers, Paris) with its romantic atmosphere – wooden floor, mirrors…
- Addicted uses a similar style and its clothes are rather for men: Henrik Vibskov, Cassetteplaya, Ute Ploiër, Christopher Shannon or Peter Jensen’s bags…
- Launched in September 2010, the concept store Published (Iosseliani, CA4LA, Toga, Ann Valérie Hash, Opening Ceremony, Iro, Preen, John Lawrence Sullivan…) distributes electronic accessories – watches, iPod headphones,… – candles and Wallpaper city guides.
- Blush (Peachoo + Krejberg, Giorgio Brato, Hôtel Particulier, Blank, Fad Three, Horace, Forme d’Expression…) creates an antic atmosphere – gold doors, a wrought iron bed, curtains of transparent strings.
The rising decorating trend is the kidult store. Here are good examples of these new born boutiques:
- On the walls of Tom Greyhound Downstairs (Jeremy Scott, Bernhard Whillhelm, Ashish, Band of Outsiders, Manish Arora, Andrea Crews…), you can watch « Peter Pan » with a chain in front of the screen (quite symbolic, isn’t it?). Also you can see Teddybears, Bambi, ceiling lights with top hats just like Johnny Depp by Tim Burton, Blessed Virgin Mary… Tom Greyhound Downstairs confirms the back-to-childhood spirit with grassy stairs leading to its heart.
- Je ne sais quoi (Temperley London, Future Classics, N°21…) suggests another variation on the theme with an Alice in Wonderland frontage, magic mushrooms and playing cards.
See the complete boutiques' listing on City Guide Modemonline
See the boutiques' map
Florence Julienne / modemonline.com
Thanks to Yanna