Earlier this month I visited Seoul, to see among the tailors I had been intrigued by however principally seen from afar, and to go to among the retailers and types.
My impression was of a dynamic metropolis – new growth, new retail, each store with a particular idea and branding. There appeared to be an unbiased espresso spot on each block, every with a fully-fledged identification, full with interval furnishings and branded stickers.
Comparisons with Japan are most likely inevitable – particularly for a westerner – and Seoul felt newer, extra tech-savvy, extra open. It’s mentioned Tokyo seems like the town of the longer term, in 1990; Seoul seems like the longer term now.
This isn’t essentially good. I like custom and I like outdated buildings. In some ways Seoul just isn’t my sort of metropolis. However there are some extra neighbourly areas and the longer I stayed (we have been there per week) the extra I preferred it.
The retail was additionally distinctive. Identical to the espresso retailers, each block of Seoul has a number of style start-ups alongside the conventional big-brand flagships. They’re quick altering and (one other distinction from Japan) fuelled by social media.
I used to be advised retail has matured prior to now 10 years although.
The criticism of Korea was once that it was all hype; that it adopted fashions faster than anybody else however dropped them faster too. Talking to those who have lived there – and both labored in menswear or been shoppers – that appears to be altering.
Traditional menswear was a giant pattern for maybe 10 years (a giant factor in a spot the place, not like Japan, few individuals put on fits). That has began to fade lately, however there nonetheless appears to be sufficient makers and prospects for it to be sustainable. Classic was additionally a giant factor, however though it’s not as common because it as soon as was, there are nonetheless some actually nice shops (actually, maybe my favourites wherever). There’s rather less hype as of late, and a little bit extra range.
Tailoring has been by itself journey too, and I’ll cowl that in a separate article. At the moment I’m simply going to say the very best retailers we went too – one thing a number of readers have already requested for.
The listing is under no circumstances complete, because it was our first go to and we spent quite a lot of time seeing tailors. However I believe it’s a terrific set of locations for any Everlasting Model reader to go to, and hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to flesh it out sooner or later.
Thanks Sam, Matt and everybody who was so beneficiant to myself and Alex throughout our time in Seoul. Hopefully this and future protection will do some sort of justice to your metropolis.
San Francisco Market was the primary actual menswear multibrand retailer in Korea, although that solely makes it 30 years outdated. It’s an fascinating combine at present, with manufacturers like Nepenthes and Engineered Clothes alongside Alden and Andersen-Andersen. Upstairs there’s Liverano and Jacob Cohen denims.
Unipair is the second technology of menswear in Seoul, tracing its historical past again to the beginning of PS and a lot else, in 2008. It started as a shoe house inside San Francisco Market and is now a big, conventional store with a powerful entrance, stocking the widest vary of traditional footwear in Seoul. They’re planning on launching a bespoke service subsequent yr. Joe’s Storage (beneath) and the Drake’s store are operated by the identical group.
store for Japanese repro manufacturers, with a specific emphasis on Toys McCoy and Boncoura, which we don’t see a lot of within the UK. There are additionally the extra customary manufacturers corresponding to Full Rely and Warehouse, plus Korean manufacturers Demil and Eastlogue. The latter is an effective instance of what Korea has grow to be more and more recognized for overseas: down-filled and different out of doors clothes, additionally seen at FrizmWorks for instance.
I’ve to say, being in Seoul makes you miss good multibrand (‘choose’) shops. There are so few in London, they usually all the time provide you with a contemporary perspective on the manufacturers they select. Additionally they (in Seoul as in Tokyo) typically have European manufacturers which are hardly accessible in Europe. Barbershop is without doubt one of the finest, with highlights after we visited being a protracted lengthy row of Harley shetlands and a choice of Owen Barry shearling.
A shoe retailer that’s a part of the identical group as Barber Store, Parlour (above) additionally has some smarter clothes – they’ve simply launched a ready-to-wear choice designed by Sartoria Jun, the primary foreign-trained tailor in Seoul. The footwear included unique make-ups of Alden (corresponding to a slightly good kidskin) and my first take a look at La Botte Gardiane.
The third, most up-to-date technology. Random Stroll has a mixture of good and informal, with JM Weston footwear alongside Coherence and Scottish knitwear model Esk. Additionally Filmelange, which Manish highlighted in a latest article, and the American model Crescent Down Works. Subsequent door in addition they have a pop-up house which after we have been there was led by Rocky Mountain Featherbed, Anatomica and Large Yank.
Omnipeople (above) is 2 classic retailers, one within the north and one within the south of Seoul (Gangnam). The one within the north is the higher and definitely bigger. It’s the most important I’ve visited wherever actually, with full dimension runs of American navy clothes and a powerful vary of intervals, together with quite a lot of Nineteen Sixties-Nineteen Eighties outerwear, from Eddie Bauer and the like. The rarer stuff is in a small house upstairs.
A smaller classic store (beneath) however simply as spectacular. In reality I discovered extra issues right here to attempt on than wherever else, together with outdated American flannels, American-made Rocky Mountain, and a spread of chambrays. As with all of the classic retailers we visited, every proprietor was behind the counter and eager to elucidate the historical past or fascinating points of any piece.
A barely extra private, quirky classic store, however actually value a go to. The gathering is eclectic, with nice garments but in addition Sony tape gamers, a little bit assortment of Cartier watches and nice books just like the Margiela: The Hermes Years. The sort of place I’d like to return to if I ever needed to seek out one thing actually totally different. Additionally they make a few of their very own items, together with a pleasant vary of belts.
Take Ivy
A small classic place promoting (you guessed it) Ivy clothes. Cheaper and extra trendy, it was notable for promoting not simply Ralph Lauren however the Japanese line of J Press, and quite a lot of Van Jacket. I picked up a varsity jacket that Van had made for a Japanese prep faculty.
Simply throughout the highway from Take Ivy (which is why I’m inserting it right here), Tannery has a mixture of good and informal identical to most of Seoul’s menswear. That features Boogie Vacation (additionally a model value testing individually), East Harbor Surplus and Kenneth Subject. It’ the store in Korea stocking Fortela.
A little bit house across the nook from the Assisi bespoke store. Jack is a educated tailor who takes aside classic clothes that may’t be offered in any other case and remakes it into new items (above). That is likely to be M65s remodelled as a double-breasted jacket, or his personal design of a area jacket made with deadstock fabric and backed with new alpaca.
There have been many different retailers we’d have preferred to take a look at, together with Korean manufacturers which are doing issues adjoining to extra traditional menswear – corresponding to Doc, Niftydo, Havati, Ourselves, Rinostore, Calico and others. As I mentioned, hopefully subsequent time.
