FROM SEOUL WITH LOVE

The iconic double-decker Jamsu bridge over the Han river, connecting the city's north and south, served as the backdrop for the Louis Vuitton's Pre-Fall 2023 collection that bridged the past with the present.

- SONAL VED

Chunky boots, unorthodox shapes of bags, leather-padded shoulders, turtle necks, puffer jackets and windbreakers in bold colours, and snug woollen fits made up for most of the Louis Vuitton Women’s Pre-Fall 2023 Collection that showcased in Seoul, South Korea this summer. The collection was just like Seoul’s weather that day, unpredictable.

Once the light rains stopped in the city, the best of the fashion world gathered under the evening sky, as the sun set over the Han river. The iconic Jamsugyo bridge echoed with traditional Korean music and songs by K-pop stars. The blue lighting, stark and almost eerie, reminded us of an episode of Squid Game. And rightly so.

The visual resemblance to the 2021 Netflix series was expected—its director Hwang Dong-hyuk served as the creative advisor for the fashion show. The connection didn’t end there, with the series’ Korean stars Wi Ha-joon and HoYeon Jung in attendance too, and Jung opening the show dressed in a royal blue windcheater tucked into an A-line leather skirt, holding an XL Alma bag in cherry red.

The oversized theme spilled off the runway and into the front row looks—Wi Ha-joon was dressed head-to-toe in black—he paired an oversized blazer layered over a t-shirt with culottes and combat boots. K-pop group New Jeans member and Louis Vuitton brand ambassador Hyein also donned an oversized jacket and kneehigh red leather boots, Mingyu of boy band Seventeen paired his black-andwhite floral jacket with billowy black pants, and actor Lee Sung-kyung chose a white A-line dress featuring an over-the top ruff collar.