Among all the multitude of KPOP hypes and other cultural hotspots in South Korea, strange and intriguing fashion trends have come into the spotlight. Ranging from the newly created folded shoes to other attractive collections of attire present at the Seoul Fashion Week (SFW), Korean fashion is now taking an abrupt turn toward unique and distinctive fashion trends, introducing some of the most stunning combinations of clothes into the market.
“Looking at the sudden changes in fashion trends recently, I noticed that people are starting to wear clothes that are not only more unique and distinctive, but also comfortable to wear,” Clara Ryu (10) said. “This tells me that in order for certain clothes to rise in popularity, it does not necessarily have to be normatively pretty anymore; rather, it should be special in its own color, whether it is in comfort or style.”
Folded shoes, a type of footwear worn with folded heels, recently became a hot fashion trend among numerous people. While it may seem unusual and uncomfortable to go around places wearing folded heels, these shoes were actually noted by critics to not only be comfortable and convenient to slip on when in a rush, but also very fashionable. In other words, contrary to the common belief among people who have not tried on folded shoes, the flat, folded heels are what gives the shoe more comfort and a better visual appeal.
“The first time I heard about folded shoes, I thought that their folded heels would not only be uncomfortable, but also look ugly once worn,” Eric Hwang (10) said. “However, since I started wearing them, I figured that in contrary to my former thoughts, they were actually really comfortable and mostly suited my overall fashion; no wonder they are a new fashion trend.”
Apart from the recent hype in folded shoes, new fashion trends introduced in the Seoul Fashion Week (SFW), a bi-annual fashion runway show, have also become popular. For instance, the brand Supercomma B dominated the spotlight in the 2018 Spring SFW, presenting their latest unisex collection featuring clothes like oversized hoodies to promote diversity and gender equality. Furthermore, the brand Kimmy J made an appearance on the runway, introducing clothes with darker tones of red and violet such as off-the shoulder tops and a stylish boxy denim jacket. Being unique, yet both attractive and meaningful, these collections are gaining immense popularity, especially by teenagers.
“As someone who keeps up to date with the Seoul Fashion Week, I feel like what makes the clothes presented in this event special is not only their overall unique style, but also the significance of each newly created design,” said Elin Min (9), a avid viewer of the SFW, “In other words, because many of these new and distinctive fashion trends are created for a meaningful purpose, these attires are currently a huge trend.”
It is commonly said that fashion repeats itself; nevertheless, the newly introduced folded shoes and the unique, attractive SFW collection looks presented during the springtime seem to be an exception. Although such new trends may look unusual or even uncomfortable to some people, the actual charm of these attires is what brings numerous teens and even grown adults to follow these particular fashion trends. After all, fashion does not always repeat itself; rather, it goes in the direction of choosing clothes that are not only trendy, but also special in expressing one’s own distinctive traits.