Hanbok designer Hwang Lee-sle promotes traditional Korean clothing as everyday wear

More women are renting luxury items instead of paying hefty price tags

The 2018 Hanbok Winter Market, featuring various styles of Korean traditional costume hanbok, is taking place at Culture Station Seoul 284. The event began Friday and runs through Monday.  Modern interpretations of hanbok are displayed at Culture Station Seoul 284. (Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)Held jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Hanbok Advancement Center, the event features some 50 hanbok brands’ pop-up stores, where various styles of hanbok are showcased and sold

Pantone chose Ultra Violet as the color of the year for 2018. And the shade of purple is expected to hit stores, manifesting itself in cosmetic and fashion products.　For instance, VDL Cosmetics will introduce items featuring the color. VDL Cosmetics posted a promotion video of “VDL + Pantone” on Facebook. It is taking preorders for the limited edition lineup, which includes products such as eye shadow, tint, makeup primer and cushion compact foundation.  Cosmetic Products from Inisfree with Ultr

Snow-white skin and a round, full-moon face -- these are the elements of a beautifully made-up North Korean female face, according to actress Kim Ah-ra. Kim, who defected to the South in 2009, featured in a YouTube clip by beauty vlogger Min Sae-rom on Friday to give a tutorial on North Korean women’s makeup.The two applied makeup to their faces using a photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s wife Ri Sol-ju as a reference.  Min Sae-rom (left) and Kim Ah-ra (YouTube)North Korean music groups l

Female celebrities pulled off a chic but relaxed look with camel coats at a fashion event. Italian fashion house Max Mara held an exhibition named “Max Mara, Coats!” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Tuesday. Many of the stars at the scene donned camel-colored coats, the signature item of the brand.Irene, a fashion model, showcased a unique style by wearing two coats at once. She wore one as a dress, slinging the other one back on her shoulders.  Model Irene (Herald DB)Actress Kim Ock-b

The color black is always a safe and cool choice for any occasion. While it has been common for the men to wear black suits to awards ceremonies, female stars have typically chosen more colorful dresses, nixing looks that could be too serious or gloomy. Some powerful women at the 2017 Asia Artist Awards, however, chose black and lightened the scene with bold jewelry and fancy details. Suzy (Herald DB)Singer and actress Suzy chose a simple black dress. To perfect the style, she wore a ring and ma

French luxury brand Christian Dior revealed making-of photos of Song Hye-kyo’s wedding dress through its official Instagram, Saturday. At the wedding, which took place Tuesday at The Shilla Seoul, Song Hye-kyo was adorned in a wedding dress made by Christian Dior. (Instagram of Christian Dior)A sketch and final version of the dress was pictured. In another photo, a craftswoman was seen sewing the pattern of the dress. The brand capped the photos, “The process of making Song Hye-kyo’s haute coutu

Shot by Lim Jeong-yeo / Edited by Lim Jeong-yeo The 2018 S/S HERA Seoul Fashion Week successfully wrapped up the weeklong shows at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Saturday. A total of 184 brands participated this year, showing off 75 spring and summer collections. The events kicked off on Oct. 16 with the opening of the exhibition ‘Endless journey’ of Rubina, which encapsulates the honorary designer’s 37 years of career.Fashionistas from Taiwan captured at the 2018 S/S HERA Seoul Fashion Week (Lim Jeon

Korean actresses shone on the red carpet of the Busan International Film Festival on Thursday, showing off bold looks. Here are some of their outfits:Yoona of Girls’ Generation (Yonhap) (Yonhap)The Girls’ Generation member wore a figure-hugging, low-back long dress, completing the look with a pair of sparkling earrings. The white lacey dress accentuated her slender figure. She was the event’s host with actor Jang Dong-geun. Actress Moon Geun-young (Herald Pop)Actress Moon Geun-young opted for a

Fashion can drastically change one’s image. And such was the case for teen actress Seo Shin-ae, who attended the Busan International Film Festival clad in a white revealing dress. The 18-year-old actress drew attention at the event’s star-studded red carpet Thursday, as she wore a revealing white dress that was a stark contrast to her previous youthful image.  (Herald Pop)Her outfit generated buzz on social media, with some netizens disapproving. Several comments read, “It’s shocking to see Seo

The presidential Blue House released detailed information on first lady Kim Jung-sook’s outfits via its official social media Monday, offering a rare glimpse into her shopping style that surprised many Koreans. A photo of the suit on the left (G Market) and Kim (Yonhap)The post read, “Kim purchases ready-made clothes and mends clothes herself. The white suit, which she often wears at official events, was purchased through a television home shopping channel.” After the post, the suit, which costs

Nonprofit magazine The Big Issue sold out thanks to Park Hae-jin, who modeled for its cover, the actor’s agency said Wednesday. Park modeled royalty-free for the magazine’s two October issues, contributing to a charitable cause. 　(The Big Issue)The Big Issue helps the sustainable rehabilitation of homeless people by hiring them as magazine sellers dispatched in front of major subway station exits. Park was featured on the two-part October issues, the first of which sold out within four days of i

The upcoming 2018 S/S HERA Seoul Fashion Week will focus on increasing support for emerging designers, inviting more quality buyers and creating a festive mood throughout the city. “More companies are interested in backing new artists. This is inspirational, and we aim to follow the trend,” said Kim Yoon-hee, the director of fashion and creative industry division at Seoul Design Foundation at the press conference held Tuesday at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.  Kim Yoon-hee, the director o

Designer Damyeon is concerned about future of traditional dress as hanbok are increasingly sidelined as novelty wear, seen mainly on dramas or in rental shops in exaggerated form