Leather, leopard print and rockabilly

Last weekend, I attended a rockabilly night in Hongdae. The evening was inundated with quiffs, full skirts, tattoos, leather and leopard print from retro bands the Rocktigers and Hot Dog Buddy Buddy. The guys wore leather trousers and leopard print shirts whilst the girls wore neckties, gingham and full skirts. Here are some pics of these very stylized musicians.

Please read my previous entry on the Rocktigers for more info on them.

Well Dressed Boy from the Weekend

When I started blogging, I wanted to find well-dressed Seoulites. I have seen a lot of very stylish people. However, it is slightly scary approaching people, worried they wont understand me or think I'm a crazy Western girl. Last night, I finally took a photo of a lovely boy wearing bright red high tops, yellow socks, blue shorts and geeky specs. All very Korean. From now on, I will not be so nervous approaching people and hopefully, next weekend, I will find more well-dressed Seoulites.

Purchases from Hongdae

My purchases from the weekend, all found in boutiques in Hongdae.

A hair piece made from vinatge material.

An ikat inspired dress. Perfect for keeping cool in these hot temperatures

A silk, black and camel vest.

Turquoise and gold ring. Slightly tacky, but I like it.

The Art of Shopping: Hongdae

Hongdae is a cheap, cheerful and eclectic area to shop. With small boutiques and vintage shops in dilapidated buildings, this area is charming. Beside Hongik University, a prestigious arts university, the main clientele is creative students, hunting for the latest trends. Seoul's indie scene is based here too and so, you often see cool rockers and odd characters among the stylish students. At the weekend, the Saturday Free Market attracts families and visitors alike. Principally organised by students, the market sells handmade jewellery, customised clothing, artwork and other creative bits and pieces: purses, notebooks and hats. Innovative, frivolous and original, the produce here is ideal for gifts or if you would like something unique.

The main street in Hongdae, Eo Ulmadang-gil, is minutes away from the subway. Here has the highest concentration of boutiques. The surrounding streets are a meandering maze. Every time I go to Hongdae, I discover new, winding alleyways lined with small, quaint boutiques. I really enjoy wandering about here, perusing the unusual clothing and vintage accessories.

(Photos taken by me)

The Opposite of Alexa Chung and Kate Moss

When I was 16, I eagerly attended my first music festival, welly boots and navy rain jacket in toe. Back then, music festivals were not popular with the masses. You could wait a week before the festival to buy your ticket and more importantly, it did not matter what you wore.

Eight, long years have passed since those blissful days and how things have changed. Tickets have tripled in price and sell out so quickly, the line up has not even been announced. In addition to this stress, we are expected to get the "festival look" championed by none other than Topshop. Constituting Hunter Wellies, a Barbour jacket and denim cut offs, this look was made popular by Kate Moss and Alexa Chung. Forget about battling the elements, rain and mud, we have to look fashionable too, without a VIP area, rock star boyfriend or shower for three days. Shops in Britain are now dedicated to selling clothes and wellies purely for festivals whilst magazines hunt for the best dressed festival goers. Scared of judgment, my friends and I have carefully planned our outfits for each day of a festival without considering the weather. Consequently, we have frozen or got very bad tan lines. I admit this ashamedly.

So, last Sunday, wearing obligatory denim shorts and Ray Bans, I went to a free rock festival in Seoul. Like the magazines, I hoped to find some unusual style. However, I was surprised to find no carefully, executed fashion, only grannies, grandpas, families and spotty teenagers. People were only there to enjoy the music, not to look cool. Although I was slightly disappointed I didn't get photographs for my blog, it was very refreshing and reminiscent of my young, festival days. Maybe Alexa and co at Glastonbury could learn a thing or two from Korea.

(Photo taken by me)

Remembering Andre Kim

Andre Kim, Korea's most acclaimed designer, died on Thursday, after battling cancer since 2005. Born in 1935, Kim was arguably Korea's first male designer, opening his first boutique "Salon Andre" in 1962, after graduating from Kukje design school. Furthermore, he was the first Korean designer to exhibit his collections in Paris in 1966, an amazing achievement which now inspires young, budding Korean designers. With an inclination for white suits and a touch of make-up, Kim then accomplished global recognition for his work, dressing Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields. He provided his audiences with stunning, fantasy inspired shows, presenting his collections at the pyramids in Egypt and at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Conscientious but extravagant, Kim was renowned for his beautiful, wedding dresses and evening wear. A French journalist even characterised him as a "Magician from Fairyland". His design aesthetic was Asiatic in detail, applying cherry blossom, lotus flowers and birds to his designs. Utilizing a bold colour palette, Kim's collections featured swathes of luxury fabric, embroidered, pleated and ruffled, adorned with sequins and jewels.

Considering fashion, Kim said, "Fashion should portray grace, intellect, artistic beauty, and youthful energy. Not too classic. I don't like 'old.' Even though I was born in 1935, I don't feel my age. I feel like a teenager who is 10 or 15 or 20 years old in a fairy tale, a fantasy, young and brilliant." And Kim certainly produced beautiful, artistic designs, that will continue to be worn with delight and gratification by women everywhere. A detailed account of Andre Kim's life can be read here http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100814-232066.html and his collections can be viewed here http://www.andrekim.co.kr/portfolio_02.php?b_id=2&s_field=1&page=4.

The Art of Shopping: Dongdaemun

Chaotic, bustling and immense, Dongdaemun is one of Seoul's most notorious shopping destinations for locals and tourists alike. Consisting of five towering malls, this area is packed with shoppers at the weekend. I would suggest going early, if not, you will have a very stressful shopping experience. Furthermore, because of the sheer immensity of clothes, it may take a while to find what you are looking for. The fashion ranges from affordable to purse breaking, tacky to beautiful.

One of my preferred malls is Doota, which is full of boutique style shops. Although it is slightly more expensive than the others, it is extremely more organised with each floor catering to a different age group. During my perusing on a Sunday morning, I have found some interesting pieces such as a petal, silk dress and printed harem trousers. In comparison to Doota, the other malls are crammed, hot but cheaper. Unfortunately, this is the only photograph I took of Doota before being told I needed a press pass. Very annoying. In fact, I was so annoyed I didn't buy anything!

Dongdaemun can be reached by line 4.