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Culture & Trends

Gucci to hold Alessandro Michele-directed show at Korean royal palace

The fashion show comes after Vogue Korea stirred controversy by staging a glitzy photo shoot at Korea’s former presidential office

By Sep 08, 2022 (Gmt+09:00)

3 Min read

A night view of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul
A night view of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul

Italian luxury fashion house Gucci will hold a fashion show choreographed by its famous creative director Alessandro Michele at a South Korean royal palace on Nov. 1.

The rare event to be held at Gyeongbokgung, or Gyeongbok Palace, in central Seoul, comes at an intriguing time as Vogue Korea last month stirred controversy for shooting photos of fashion models at the site of Korea’s former presidential office.

Gucci said on Thursday its fashion show, dubbed "Cosmogonie," will be held as planned at the palace.

It would mark Gucci’s first large-scale show in Korea since the Italian fashion firm opened its first store in Florence in 1921.

"We will present Alessandro Michele's latest cruise collection inspired by the constellations at Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace on Nov. 1," the company said.

Cosmogonie, meaning cosmogenesis in Italian, was previously held at Castel del Monte (Monte Castle), a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Italy, in May.

Korean actress Shin Mina at a Gucci Cosmogonie fashion show
Korean actress Shin Mina at a Gucci Cosmogonie fashion show

Gucci said through the fashion show in Korea, it hopes to enhance the world’s awareness of the cultural and academic value of Gyeongbok Palace, a majestic site of Korean cultural heritage, where astronomy was studied.

Gucci submitted its plan to hold a fashion show at the royal palace to Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration in late August. But the request was almost denied following an incident surrounding Vogue Korea.

TWISTS AND TURNS

The Korean cultural administration came under fire last month when it allowed fashion magazine Vogue to take photos of models, some striking sensual poses in dazzling dresses, at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.

The photos triggered criticism from the Korean people, who said using the historical place for fashion magazine shoots undermined the nation's dignity.

Cheong Wa Dae was the site of the presidential office and residence for over seven decades before President Yoon Suk-yeol relocated his office to Seoul's Yongsan district in May. Since then, Cheong Wa Dae has been open to the public.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said on Thursday that Gucci’s fashion show at Gyeongbok Palace, the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty, will be an opportunity to promote the palace's beauty around the world.

Gucci Love Parade Collection
Gucci Love Parade Collection

SEOUL, A HOT FASHION SPOT

Industry officials said Seoul is emerging as a hot spot in the global luxury fashion industry.

In May, French fashion brand Dior drew attention by holding a fashion show at Ewha Womans University in Seoul – the French company’s first such show at a university anywhere in the world.

According to Euromonitor, the global fashion market stood at 18.63 trillion won ($13.5 billion) in 2021, up 15% from 16.23 trillion won in 2019.

Koreans are famous for their love of luxury goods from foreign fashion brands.

Gucci Love Parade Collection
Gucci Love Parade Collection

In Korea today, running has become an increasing part of everyday life, particularly where one would least expect to see a large group of sprinters: the department store.

On a day when luxury brand boutiques such as Chanel and Hermes sell their new products, it is not uncommon to see, before dawn, a long queue of young people in front of department stores for the so-called “open run," a freestyle sprint to buy luxury goods as soon as the stores open in the morning.

In May of last year, Gucci opened the four-story Gucci House in Hannam-dong to appeal to Korean consumers.

Write to Jeong-Cheol Bae and Soo-Young Seong at bjc@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.
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