My friend recently introduced me to this video focusing on a model from the UK visiting Seoul during Fashion Week. Though it goes into depth on a few other things along the way..
1. The enormous obsession over plastic surgery here in Korea. This country is the number one country in the world for having the highest percentage of plastic surgeries done. Women admittedly want a more "western" like face- focusing mainly on bigger eyes and a visible crease in the eyelid. In Korea, you are constantly told how pretty you are by your students, co-teachers, and strangers. As this model in the video says, people are beautiful because they are different. If we all looked alike- how boring would life be. I always follow the "Teacher, beautiful" with "Thank you. You are beautiful too!"
2. The slowly changing conservative culture of this country. The model meets a barber shop owner who has a "punk" fashion style. He dresses in lots of dark colors and has countless visible tattoos. (This is what we sometimes call "rebel Koreans."-- They are the more coming of age Koreans who have that independence about them, and have left that collectivist society that Asian culture so greatly claims, behind. The Koreans who have found their own style, their own expression, and who are not afraid to go against the grain.) He explains how he doesn't care for K-Pop fashion, and is worried that foreigners who have never met a Korean in their lives, and whos only connection to Korean culture is that of K-Pop, is worrisome.
3. The sheltered, naive ways of the K-Pop world and its members. Though it's clear that all K-Pop members have a clear collected bond, from the way they dress, to the way they dance,- they each have a different status and image. As you will see in the video, each group has its "sexy" member, and it's "cute, baby" member. Even my students will tell me, "Teacher. Sexy boy" when they talk about each member of their favorite K-Pop bands.
I have no idea how long this model is in Korea for, and if she even travels outside of Seoul- but she tries to understand the Korean culture from what she's seen over a period of if I have to guess a week's time. That's nothing, and I must admit, she's open about some things but not about others. It's very hard to get a sense of a particular culture from just seven days in the capital city. Again, why living here has brought me so much knowledge, awareness, and respect for this amazing country.
Very interesting stuff..
Click the link below for the YouTube video:
Seoul Fashion Week: K-Pop to Double Eyelid Surgery
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