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| Haute Couture of Lee Kwang hee |
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| Captivating, alluring, subtly understated |
Hyundai
Department store, located in Apgujeong (압구정), is widely known as "The Beverly Hills of Seoul." International brands like Gucci and Prada sit
alongside Korean designer brands.
Next door
to Central Bus Station, Shinsegae is a top of the line, very large department store for the sophisticated
buyer. Suave, elegant and expensive, this department store caters to those who have acquired a worldly taste for all
fine things. There is also a new Sinsegae outlet in Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do, (just north of Seoul) near the I.C. and Ichon.
"Outlet" means it's cheaper!
Lotte
Department Store: Large relatively new department stores loaded with foreign and
domestic brands. The Lotte chains of departments stories are to be found in virtually all large and medium
cities in Korea.
Lotte Young
Plaza. A relatively new addition
to the scene, located just across the street from Avatar department store. This department store is oriented towards a younger,
upscale clientele, and in addition to the usual Korean brands and international brands.
If you are a fan of mall culture, Lotte World is a city in a building with a
hotel, shopping mall, swimming, ice skating, and a Disneyland like amusement park with really great rides.
Galleria, AKA Concos: A very popular department
store with lots of foreign and Korean name brands. Not really big by todays standards, but, there are plenty of
Korean and International fashion stores and items if you want to look.
I-Park Huge new department store with just about everything anybody could ever want. After walking
for hours and perhaps days, there are also restaurant parks and movie theaters.
Just north
of Namsan
Park, Myeongdong is probably the largest and best-known area for
teen fashion. There's a lot of great shops here, but on weekends it's so crowded that walking is difficult
and catwalking is out of the question!!! In the spring and summer, fashion models/sidewalk promoters can be seen
strolling the streets of Myeongdong promoting various cosmetics, stores or other fashion-related products.
Migliore: A large mall with lots of small, inexpensive
stores in Myongdong, representing one of the biggest fashion buildings in Seoul. It has 17 floors above ground and 7 basement floors.
Information boards in Migliore are written in Korean as well as English, Japanese and Chinese for foreign tourists.
UTOO (U2) Zone. Another Myeongdong landmark. This department
store is oriented towards an older and more upscale clientele. US Credit cards almost always accepted.
Dongdaemun: One of the favorite shopping areas in Seoul
for Koreans who know fashion and Seoul! At Dongdaemun Fashion Town,
Seoul’s famous shopping area with 37 shopping malls
or some 35,000 shops, daily sales are said to exceed $40 million, 80 percent of which are wholesale. The merchandise here
is largely mass market, ergo low- to mid-priced. It’s just the place where tourists can get a taste and feel of that
distinct Korean street fashion, no different from
those they see on the backs of their hallyu idols. Most shops are open till the wee hours.
Cheongdam-dong: home to foreign designer shops.
| One of Itewon's many fantastic fashion tailors |
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| Itewon's custom tailoring is legendary! |
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Kangnam: Seoul’s top designers have boutiques in the upscale district called Kang Nam (also known as Gang Nam).
Itaewon: Area most frequented by foreigners in Seoul,
lots of shops, and lots of talented tailors who speak English. Colorful, exciting, fun and deliciously inexpensive!
Trends often
begin in University areas like Hongdae. Hongik
University boasts Korea's
most famous art school, thus fashion in this area is often influenced by the students' artistic sensibilities. The shops in
this area feature funky, punky, boho, and vintage styles.
Ewha Women's
University also has a big shopping area in front of its main gate, as do many of the Women's colleges. Many trends also originate
here. There are even seamstresses who can help you make your own designs come to life.
Feedback, submissions, ideas? Email greg_brundage@yahoo.com
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