Sophie Théallet (New York)

Inspired by Vivienne Westwood to become a designer, an alum of Gaultier and Alaïa, Sophie Théallet has nonetheless created a collection that resembles nothing so much as early Coco Chanel. With its tiered, ruffled cocktail dresses, cascading layers of chiffon, and long, preppy striped cardigans, Théallet's latest collection harks back to the 1920s.

Bodkin (New York)

The brainchild of Brooklyn designer Samantha Pleet and writer Eviana Hartman, Bodkin is a new line of sustainably sourced clothes debuting for Fall 2008. Described as "sexy with a sense of humor," the line's key pieces include collar-waisted skirts, funnel neck minidresses, and zippered T-shirt rompers.

Via Refinery29

Andy & Debb (Seoul)

Pratt graduates Seokwon Andy Kim and Wonjeong Debbie Yoon launched Andy & Debb in 1999. Based on an idea of romantic minimalism, the day-into-evening line interprets the unfussy volumes and smooth silks of traditional Korean dress via current trends, creating a quiet collection with architectural ruffles for Spring 08, and a series of simple trapeze shapes in bold colors and black-and-white for fall.

Lie Sang Bong (Seoul)

One of Korea's most prominent designers, Lie Sang Bong claims to take his inspiration from French and Korean culture, but for Fall 08 his dark, fantastical constructions look like the bastard children of Issey Miyake, Kenzo, and Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, as interpreted by a medieval armorer. Working in heavy wool felt, slick draped silks, and swirling fairy-tale prints, he demonstrates a vision that is dramatically experimental, if not particularly wearable.

Seoul: Well-being

The ongoing well-being trend in Korea has mostly stayed within the realms of aesthetics, food, and skin care, although a recycling program ensures that plastics, metals, glass, paper, and food scraps get a second life -- in the case of the food scraps, as pig feed. Seoul's hectic streets mean it's not especially bike friendly, which is a shame because there are so many charming, vintage-inspired Korean bikes. But just as the American media have caught onto the eco-trend with eco-issues, May brings green issues of Korean Vogue and Korean W. Vogue has even gone so far as to create eco-collaborations with Adidas (center left), Benetton, and other popular brands. With the nation's fixation on perfect skin, foreign natural-skin-care brands like Lush and The Body Shop are flourishing in Seoul, while local brands such as The Face Shop seem to have outposts near every subway station (and sometimes inside the stations!).
The main upshot of the wellness trend seems to have been a resurgence of pride in traditional Korean culture, with organic and home-style restaurants proliferating, and a rustic architectural style popping up in trendy neighborhoods like Apgujeong.

Seoul: Where to shop

Apgujeong:
Han_Style (at left)has an international selection of avant-garde designer clothes from Sharon Wauchob and Hussein Chalayan, among others.
10 Corso Como, the Milan concept store, recently opened a Korean outpost.
Daily Projects (center) offers up younger designers such as Belgium's Stephan Schneider and Sweden's Ann Sofie Back, and has its own showroom of emerging Korean designers.
SYK Small Friends (right) is a Korean mens- and womenswear label whose loose-fitting designs experiment with construction, layering and volume.

Shinsadong:
Understar, so named because it is located under the vintage-chic Star Café, features current Korean styles at a reasonable price point, with a variety of soft jersey tanks, tees, and cardigans complemented by day and evening dresses, blazers, and bottoms.
Flow sells experimental streetwear from Italy's Marios, France's April 77, and more. 

Myeongdong:
Åland is a multi-level concept store that allots one floor each to cheap Korean fashions, international designer clothes, stationery and housewares, and a "flea market" on the top level. They currently have a recycling collaboration with various Korean designers, which includes bags, clothes, and accessories made from discarded goods.

center photo via daily projects

Seoul: Fashion

Women's fashion in Seoul this spring is characterized by a softness of color and drape. The main color palette is a blend of neutral gray and khaki with pastels, mainly blush tones. The styles are anything but body-conscious, with modest necklines and lots of play on volume, through released pleats, gathering, and sometimes layers on layers of fabric. Flower prints are popular, mostly of the quiet, romantic variety, as are flower appliqués and lace and ruffles as trim. Sportier styles, too, are soft and drapey, as at center right. 

An androgynous look also prevails, characterized by a more severe black-and-white palette and by a profusion of vests and blazers, often cutaway. Even these more tailored looks are made very feminine through the use of loose, oversized pockets, soft linen, and by layering them with blouses or enormous white shirtdresses.

Printed T-shirts abound for the younger crowd, often with lovely, hand-drawn illustrations, or with graphic prints simply copied from American posters or tees. These are typically paired with jeans or cutoff shorts, or with a matching tee for one's boyfriend.

As with T-shirts, brand trademarks get little respect; the fake Zara above predates the real Zara, which just opened several locations in Seoul this month. Designer labels are held in high esteem, so Prada, Marni, and Alexander McQueen labels are slapped onto all kinds of creations completely unrelated to the original designers' work.

Seoul: Architecture

Like Shanghai and Tokyo, much of Seoul is an ultra-modern city littered with shiny skyscrapers in futuristic shapes. But the country's current well-being trend has extended to architecture and interior design, with lots of green buildings (Ann Demeulemeester shop, center) and rustic-style buildings of textured concrete, weathered materials, and reclaimed wood (generalidea by bumsuk shop, left). Which isn't to say that modern and sleek is over: the glossy new Neil Barrett shop (right) echoes the slick surfaces of the shoppers' ever-popular black cellphones.

Seoul: Eating and drinking

Korean food is popular in the U.S. for its spicy and tangy flavors, along with its super-fresh ingredients. A colorful array of  small plates, called banchan (above center), arrive alongside your main dish. Sadly, the many banchan have made home cooking all but impossible for modern Koreans, but luckily, eating out is cheap: at most restaurants, lunch will run you W5,000 ($5) and dinner around W10,000. 

Seoul is one of the few places on Earth where McDonald's has fared poorly, because Koreans prefer the healthiness of their own cuisine. Along with the current wellness trend has come a rise in organic food, with the requisite organic cafes, often decorated in rustic style (above left). Korean barbecue came about as a way for restaurants to minimize kitchen size and staffing, and with all the heat, eating outside is popular.


Between meals, those who can afford it pay $10 for a French press coffee at chic cafes that range from a rustic French look to ultra-modern and streamlined. (Those who can't afford it skip meals to pay for coffee.) Tea drinkers shouldn't feel left out, as they can pay just as much to sip a variety of whole-leaf and even whole-blossom teas. For a bargain option, vending machines dispense instant tea and coffee for W300 ($0.30) on subway platforms and throughout the city.

Es Orchestres (Paris)

With its tuxedo-inspired pieces complemented by draped silk skirts and cocktail dresses, Sadaharu Hoshino's Spring 2008 collection looks like a downtown version of a gala party. Slim cutaway jackets and vests give an Edwardian feel to the menswear-inspired pieces, while silk bubble skirts add flashes of jewel-tone color. A graduate of Japan's prestigious Bunka Fashion College, Hoshino studied under Alexander McQueen and studied at Institut Francais de la Mode before launching a guerrilla collection in 2003.