Just got through shooting some Myeongdong styles earlier in the summer. Watch the SLIDE SHOW!
May 072010
Red hair has taken over the streets of Seoul. It’s not that everyone has changed to red hair, but those with perms, especially the younger and edgier, are sporting colored hair that is much redder than before.
Actually, I started noticing this about two summers ago. Since I tend to take pictures of people who are more fashion forward than others, I noticed that some of the most edgy girls I was photographing had noticeably redder hair. And this was not just what Koreans call “염색” or the dark maroon or orange color streaking popular from the late-1990s, but really, really red hair.
I mean, like Irish people living in Ireland red hair. I mean bright red, like a Japanese goldfish. Two years ago, the best example I saw was of the young lady wearing a very bright red hair wig. Just last weekend, I saw so many women walking around with the same color, there were too many to count.
One reason I actually like this trend is, unlike many trends that come and go here in Korea, this one actually looks good on Korean women, against Korean skin. I always think that mother nature is the best judge of beauty, and in this case, the trend seems to be in agreement with her. In nature, red hair always appears with very pale skin, and is this time of very little melanin. It’s common in Ireland, for example, and even among African-Americans who are albino, they often have red hair. And a lot of caucasian women in the US and Europe, especially those going for the Goth look or some such, dye their hair jet black and even get hard bangs or perm their hair straight. And it often looks quite good.Or does Dita von Teese look better as a blonde?
Source: The Daily Mail
So is the case with Koreans, who largely have pale skin and look good with this particular shade of hair. This is because it’s simply looks natural, because it is something that already appears in nature. I dislike many cosmetic trends in Korea because they go against nature, especially when it comes to plastic surgery. For example, most Koreans think that the bigger the eyes the better, because this is the message they see from the West, as translated through domestic media. But aesthetically, it is the wrong match for most Korean faces and looks quite unnatural. Simply put, a large Roman nose, round Western eyes, or silicone-enhanced lips usually do not look good on a face that was not made for them. The elements simply don’t match.
But the present trend is an interesting, if accidental, hit. It just looks good. Anyway, much better than dark maroon streaks or blond perms. I’m sure this trend will continue to go mainstream this summer and we will see many more red-headed Koreans walking the streets.
Loved the hair, ladies!
Work it, couples!
Two fashionistas from 2 years ago predict the future.
P.S. I just bought breakfast in the Shinchon McDonald’s and 3 of the 4 female workers were sporting bright red hair, almost as if it were part of the uniform. Trend — officially tipped into mainstream!
The “Korean Street Fashion” column takes a look at the broad variety of actual fashions on the Korean street, from the most quirky and colorful of looks to those that are typical and everyday. We take an anthropological approach to the real looks we see on the street and try to record Korean fashion in all its diversity, and not just in terms of our own ideas of what it “should” be.
We started the afternoon last Saturday in Myeongdong, with my photo class, testing out street portrait shots with multiple flashes. We were actually just entering Myeongdong and hadn’t even set up when we saw this really unique and colorful woman sporting a pink heart purse and heart high heels — could we not stop and shoot?
She and her companion were kind enough to wait for us to set up, meter the ambient light, and start getting our flash settings right. And she was an eager model, as well, full of energy and a great sense of humor.
And we couldn’t neglect the heart-shaped heels. You don’t see these every day.
And there were other interesting folks as the afternoon went on.
But then we bumped into a lovely redhead, who is emblematic of a new trend towards redder perms, and even completely red hair. We blogged about this before a while ago, and I guess we were right. Red hair is IN, and it’s looking good.
You’ll see more examples we picked up over the next few days of Korean redheads roaming the streets. But here’s our first great example of the day.
Awesome. Doesn’t this look better than yellow or bleach-blonde perms? Go red, and go red all the way, I say! Next, we ran into a great example of Korean “frilly fashion,” which is girly and cute, but with typically Korean high hemlines. Demure, but leggy. Reserved, but showy. Very Korean.
Now, here’s an interesting couple, dressed to the nines, looking sharp.
Love the veil. Love the gold-box-as-clutch, love the attitude. Work it!
And you did notice the zebra on the hat, right?
As luck would have it, I then ran into an ex-student of mine and her friend, who were coming back from a wedding. Of course, a perfect opportunity for some formal Korean fashion — but then again, attending weddings in Korea doesn’t require one to be much more formal than one would be by just going out for an evening in Myeongdong.
Very cute portrait, and our flash setup is working well.
I really wanted to get a shot of just my ex-student’s friend, who was sporting a flowery mini-dress and vanilla bolero jacket, which itself was topped off with a big ole’ flower. Very Korean!
I also liked this pair, who looked normal but very Korean. Black tights and short shorts with heels, a feminine mini-dress with signature hiiiiiigh hemline.
But lawd, look at the shoes! Killer.
We kept the variety up with this young lady, who was rocking the very popular “vintage” look, and was as cute as could be. Three completely different patterns all woven into one look — you go, girl!
Then, we ran into Mr. Street Fashion, with custom can rolled into his hair.
See it?
Told ya. Now, here comes a fashionista worth her salt, too.
It’s an interesting look, to say the least.
And exacting makeup standards — she’s in control of reflecting light. And with the flash, it helped to have a flat, matte finish to her skin.
Let’s meet a few more hipsters. The man with the mohawk came up next. Rock it.
Cute couple, eh?
But the most original detail in her whole ensemble was her shoes!!!
And then two young ladies, more on the bohemian side of things.
Another cool couple — the guy is from France, I believe.
And for a change of pace, a young lady rocking typical Korean domestic-style fashion, with bright-yet-earthy tones, layers, and a girly look.
Funnily enough, she really wanted to do a jumping shot, popular in advertising and fashion magazines now. She had quite a bit of energy and did an amazing job! How many times did she jump? 20? 30? It was a pretty fun shoot.
And last, but not least, we meet a woman who seems typical of many women in Myeongdong — effortlessly and endlessly formal, to the point that being dressed up, out and ready to look good no matter when or where.
Shoes…cool.
Fierce! And a good one to end on from our evening stroll through Myeongdong.
Apr 262009
지난 주에 명동에서 진행했던 Levi’s 몸짱 패션쇼에 나온 모델들이 몸짱이라고요? 릴리?
Last week’s “Best Body” fashion show in Myeongdong last week was supposed to be a launching party using models with the hottest bodies? Really? [HT to Korea Beat]
[Photo source: Chosun.com]
그럼 한국 여자모델들이 도대체 왜 카우보이 모자와 썬글래스를 쓰고 있을까? 그 건 보통 링지레이나 비키니랑 쓰는 액세서리인가? 아님 그냥 창피해서 (“결혼 못하게 되면 어떡해?!”) 얼굴을 숨기면서 나와야 되는 건가? 한국이다첫째 사진에서 백인 여자 모델은 자랑스럽게 옷을 보여주고 있는데 진짜 촌스럽게 역시 한국여자 2명은 숨어있는 거네. 봐봐. 1명은 앞모습을 안보여주면서 고개를 숙이고 있고 딴 한국 여자는 옆남자뒤에 있는 거야. 혹시 이런 패션쇼를 본 적이있나요? 창피해서 런웨이에 걸어오면서 옷때문에 자기 얼굴을 못노출하는 모델? 말이 돼!? Levi’s의 새로운 몸짱 랑지레에 런칭 이런바 ‘패션쇼’를 하면서 모델들이 창피하게 나오는 것 — 한국은 아직도 이 만큼 촌스러운 건가 아님 낮은 수준 값이 싼 도우미를 고용한 건가? Levi’s — 내 생각엔 다음에 진짜 모델이나 좀 쓰세요. 시간당 15,000원 몸짱도아닌 도움이 쓰면 티가 나. 진짜 촌스러워. 짜증나, 정말.
So why are the two Korean models wearing stupid leather cowboy hats and sunglasses, like they’re going to rob a convenience store? Is there an Indiana Jones and bikini trend coming? They’re obviously embarrassed about being in the show — “Oh my, God! What if I can’t get married!?” — one of the two Korean “models” won’t show her front and is hiding her face, while the other one is hiding behind the dude next to her. Yet the foreign model is doing her job just fine. But come on – have you ever seen a fashion show in which the model is embarrassed to show her face while wearing the clothes? What a joke. Levi’s — next time you put on a show, hire some REAL models to show the clothes, instead of cheap 15,000-per-hour promotion girls from the countryside who are too afraid to show their faces while wearing the clothes you want to promote. Duh.
Dec 032008
모든 수위표가 있는 사진을 클릭하시면 크게 확대됩니다.
Click on any watermarked image to view at high-resolution.
Shinchon.
지난 번에 신촌과 명동의 겨울 패션을 조금 알아봤는데 이젠 많이 추워져서 또 찍었어요! 명동과 신촌에서 많이 찍은 이유는 그런 동네에서 제일 대표적인 한국의 최근 패션 트렌드를 볼 수 있어서요. 신촌은 젊은 애들의 놀이터이며 명동은 (특히 평일 날의 낮에) 좀더 나이가 많은 직장인과 성숙한 여자들의 스타일이라고 생각해요. 이 동네들이 둘다 다영성이 많고 요즘의 많이 나타나타는 거죠.
Although we looked a bit at winter fashions in a recent post, now that it’s colder, I came up with another round of pictures! The reason I shoot so much in Shinchon and Myeongdong is because these two neighborhoods are quite representative of Korean fashion, both in term of the broad range of everyday fashions in each area, along with the fact that Shinchon is a bit younger, while Myeongdong (especially during a workday afternoon) tends a bit more towards the older and more professional.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
원래 한국에서는 목도리는 다 파란색이나 빨간색이였잖아요. 이번 시즌까지는 이 만큼 목도리의 다양성을 못 봤어요.
There was a time when all scarves in Korea were basically dark green, blue, or red. I’ve never seen such a diversity of scarves as this winter season.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Shinchon.
이번 겨울에 여성 코트는 크고 동글된 칼라가 많이 있고 크고 귀여운 버튼 있는 코트도 많이 볼 수 있네요.
Then there are the coats with the large, rounded collars and big, cute buttons.
Myeongdong.
Shinchon.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Shinchon.
그리고 스타킹의 스타일들이 한 2년전쯤부터 많이 다양화 된 거예요. 조금 촌스러운 하트나 리븐 무늬부터 있고 우아하고 컬러플한 스타킹까지. 한 2시즌전부터 유행했던 빤짝빤짝하는 것도었고 그리고 작년쯤부터 여러 색깔로 나온 뚜거운 타이츠도 볼 수 있네요. 정말 옛날의 흑/백/회색으로 나온 것밖에 없었는데 지금 다양성을 갑자기 생긴 거예요.
And stocking styles have also gotten more varied from about two years ago. You’ve got the standard cutesy hearts and ribbons on stockings, classy yet colorful ones, the shiny tights that came into style a couple winters ago, and just colorful tights that hit the streets with a bang from especially last season. This is a big change from the boring black/white/gray options of just a few years ago.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Myeongdong.
Shinchon.
Myeongdong.
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