When one hears of South Korea the first things to come to mind are either K-pop or their eccentric sense of fashion. Koreans have been influenced by western style as early as the 1940's, though only recently has the western world recognized South Korea for their excellence in not only the music realm but also in the realm of high fashion.
Since the 90's the Korean Wave has brought along with it a global appreciation for Korean pop culture. This newfound appreciation has led to a dramatic change over the years in the way Koreans dress for the media. K-pop has become an integral part of South Korea's economy as their government supports record labels to invest in new talents. Korean pop music has become larger than life, the production cost of a single music video can range from $100,000-300,000. Producing content at such high costs leads celebrities to have to uphold an image, by having a different sense of style these celebrities are able to stay relevant and trending in the current media.
Seoul Fashion Week is a biannual fashion event held every March and October. The relatively new brand Blindness has been one of the most talked about brands this season. Founder Shin Kyu Yong and his girlfriend Ji Sun Park have aimed to create a label under which everybody feels comfortable. Their androgynous style of clothing is breaking stereotypical norms of how people in society should dress. Jeannie Lee, an American-Korean womenswear buying manager felt intrigued by seeing the brand at fashion week stating: "these young designers are not pushing boundaries, they're breaking them down."
As there has always been escalating conflicts between North and South Korea, South Koreans have remained positively calm regarding the issue; from the beginning of Kim Jong-un's regime till now, there have been over 80 ballistic missile launches. Despite whatever imposed threat, South Koreans are taking an initiative to better their country. Brands like Blindness are straying away from old customs and are moving towards a more progressive approach to clothing. Shin Kyu Yong in regards to the name of the brands states: "blindness means ignoring what everyone else is doing and just focusing on what we as a brand want to do. To become blind to other designers is to let yourself become truly creative and free... Is this men's clothing or women's clothing? That's the blindness."
Seoul Fashion Week has had over 70 shows, of these shows, Blindness has stuck out the most due to it's new approach on breaking gender stereotypes. As an achievement for their success, Yong and Park have earned a place on the LVMH Prize's Shortlist meaning that the brand been integrated along with other aspiring brands to form a single group recognized by international luxury brands. The success of this brand is putting South Korea on the map to compete with other fashion empires.
