Fashion Dreams of Tomorrow as Art, Crypto, and Style Collide in Seoul

Unhealthy World is an occasional column by Toni Thai Sterrett, a filmmaker, futurist, and founder centered on the intersection of vogue and know-how.

Seoul, South Korea isn’t just a vibe—it is a lesson.

In an period during which inflation is skyrocketing and international unrest is palpable, there is a sense of ease in embracing minimalism, a lesson we would need to borrow from Seoul’s vogue scene.

In September, I traveled to South Korea to have interaction in a hearth chat about the way forward for vogue on the Avalanche Home alongside Legit CEO Calvin Chan, moderated by Tiffany Lai of Ava Labs. The occasion came about throughout one of the vital thrilling weeks in Seoul with native tradition occasions colliding, together with Seoul Vogue Week, Seoul Artwork Week, and Korea Blockchain Week. The town was pulsing with a vibrant mixture of vogue, artwork, and tech.

One revelation? Seoul’s vogue is not about extravagance—it is about essence. Amidst the chaos of rising costs and uncertainty in a lot of the world, Seoul’s elegant restraint in vogue affords an antidote. It suggests a way of life not dictated by extra, however by significant alternative.

Sidenote: Certainly one of my largest takeaways was that Seoul doesn’t have a “dangerous bitch tradition” aka Instagram mannequin fashion (lashes and body-conscious clothes). Certain, up to now, girls in excessive footwear was the norm, however to see an embrace of comfy footwear—largely sneakers on the overwhelming majority of ladies, no matter age—was thrilling and reaffirming. My very own ft, post-Covid, aren’t that enthusiastic about stilettos.

Having all the time appreciated daring and edgy types, it was eye-opening to see Korean girls embracing loose-fitting clothes not simply as a vogue assertion, however as an embodiment of consolation, operate, and magnificence.

In every single place I regarded, from the airplane to the streets, there was one thing particular about diving right into a tradition that embraces modesty and luxurious vogue on the identical time, and the place modesty doesn’t really feel stuffy or intentional. It felt… cool. And it radiated a confidence that was fairly attractive—as a result of confidence and being comfy in your personal pores and skin could be very, naturally attractive. It’s a stunning distinction to Okay-Pop fashion/vogue that’s exploded within the West, unassumingly placing a capital Q in “Quiet Luxurious.”

What really resonated with me was the dominance of monochrome outfits. With a palette primarily revolving round black, white, grey, and cream, Seoul’s vogue scene exudes a way of calm and stability—one thing we desperately want in these turbulent instances.

Whereas I’ll let the specialists delve deep into Seoul Vogue Week’s nuances, what was noticeable to me was how the Seoul Artwork Week—which included Frieze Seoul—appeared to embrace the intersection of vogue, know-how, and artwork extra robustly than the Vogue Week organizers.

That’s most likely why opinions like Vogue Enterprise’ “How Frieze Seoul left the town’s vogue week within the mud” had been shaped. That’s very true given South Korea’s embrace of rising applied sciences like AI and blockchain. Frieze Seoul is absolutely the place all of these worlds collided. This synthesis of disciplines at occasions like Frieze Seoul signifies a pivot in the direction of innovation in a continually evolving world.

Take into account the sponsorships at Frieze—from Chanel’s art-fusion movies to W Idea’s modern lounges, and BMW’s breathtaking AI Canvas automobiles. These collaborations aren’t mere advertising and marketing methods; they’re testaments to the countless prospects when vogue, artwork, and know-how converge.

And that is the place the world, grappling with financial and societal challenges, can take a cue. It’s not about amount anymore—it’s about high quality. It’s about leveraging know-how, like 3D printers, AR, and AI, to interrupt free from the normal confines of consumerism. And it is about reimagining consumption, not as an act of buying however as an artwork of discerning.

So, whereas I’m not saying we should always all undertake the South Korean wardrobe—although, belief me, it is tempting—there’s an plain knowledge of their strategy. In these instances of inflation and unrest, the fusion of modesty, know-how, and sustainability can information us in the direction of a extra harmonious and aware existence.

In any case, is not that the last word “dangerous bitch” transfer?