In Korea, the term Young Forty has recently become a meme. It originally described people in their forties who managed to stay youthful, carrying a positive nuance. Over time, however, it has shifted into a pejorative label. Today it often mocks men in their forties who try too hard to look or sound young, accused…
Pioneering Korean Fashion in the 1950s In 1956, Nora Noh hosted South Korea’s first fashion show at Seoul’s Bando Hotel, introducing modern styles for Korean women in a society still recovering from war. In an era when “fashion” itself was a novel concept in Korea, Nora Noh boldly stepped forward as the nation’s first fashion…
How a London-trained designer left high fashion behind to weave culture, teaching, and tradition into a new kind of garment. I didn’t meet the designer by accident. In December last year, I drove down to Keimyung University in Daegu to meet Ali Ruth, who teaches fashion design there. That visit became the basis for a…