남자분들, 란스미어 가보셨나요?

Classic suit multi shop attracts fashion savvy men

 

Shops offering selected items from many high-quality brands at one stop are steadily gaining ground. Those that feature casual clothes for men and women like 10 Corso Como, Daily Projects and Boon The Shop are already well-known among the fashion savvy.

What might be a bit less familiar is a multi-brand shop exclusively for men, featuring classic suits. Lansmere, Korea’s first multi-brand street shop for suits in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, offers hand-made suits and accessories by some 50 British and Italian premium brands.

A man looks at jackets at Lansmere multi-brand shop in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. Kim Myung-sub/ The Korea Herald

Meaning “the lake where the best wool grows” in Italian, Lansmere is actually the name of a high quality fabric -- Lansmere 220, the world’s first 170-yarn-count fabric, and Lansmere 230, a 230-yarn-count fabric -- produced by Cheil Industries.

Cheil Industries later launched Lansmere, a high-priced ready-made men’s suit brand in 2005 but two years later shifted to custom-made suits and renovated the shop into a multi-brand shop. Now, visitors can either choose their pick from the wide array of brands or order a Lansmere tailor-made suit at the shop.

“Lansmere is a very high-end brand, so it had its limits when it produced ready-made suits. You see, women have bags and jewelry to complete their fashion, but men’s only jewelry is watches. So fashion-savvy men focus on bespoke suits which are uniquely made for them. That is why we turned to custom-made suits,” said Alan Nam, brand manager at Lansmere.

Cufflinks of various designs showcased. Kim Myung-sub/ The Korea Herald

“Korean men tend to wear suits that are too big for them and think it is comfortable because it is big. That is not right. Suits that really fit you perfectly are those that are comfortable even if they are slim and tight around your body. Men who really know how to dress wear tailor-made suits. In Britain, about 10 to 15 percent of the men wear tailor-made suits but in Korea, only 3 to 4 percent do.”

Nam explained that classic, however, does not mean conservative.

“A classic suit means that it has tradition and value because it is of very high quality, made by master tailors. It stays the same for decades and it is something that a father and son can share. It makes the wearer look more attractive, younger and even sexier all the while being very comfortable,” said Nam.

Brands featured at the shop include suit brands Cesare Attolini, Isaia, Sartoria Partenopea and Boglioli; shirt brands Orian and Fray; outerwear brands such as Herno, knitwear brands Paolo Pecola and Luciano Barberra, necktie brands Drake’s and Eredi Chiarini, sock brands like Sozzi Calze, shoe brands Tanino Crisci, Cordwainer, Enzo Bonafe, Sutor Mantellassi and Magnanni and accessory brands Bill Amberg and Pineider.

Whether the brands’ names are well-known among the Korean customers or not is not at all an issue when selecting the brands. Lansmere’s staff focus on finding handmade items of the best quality.

Colorful bowties grab attention. Kim Myung-sub/ The Korea Herald

“That is probably why our major customers are classic suit enthusiasts or self-employed men that know fashion and are financially well off. Executives or CEOs of large companies prefer to wear famous brands that are popular within their circles but our customers do not like logos that stand out too much and rather go for the real classic looks,” said Nam.

“I try on all the suits before contracting them, to see if they are really what we are looking for. Unlike machine-made suits which uncomfortably bind your body, handmade suits better adjust to your body with time.”

Nam emphasized that the shop does not sell “brands” but sells a “way of dressing.”

“I give tips to our customers on how to dress and how to organize their wardrobe. This jacket, for example, looks like it is a two-button jacket but is actually a three-button jacket. You are supposed to fasten only the middle button and let the top button naturally disappear from sight below the collars. You should never leave it at some random dry cleaners because they will iron it all wrong,” said Nam.

Nam added that a nice jacket, maybe brown or navy, is a must-have item in every men’s wardrobe.

A view of Lansmere multi-brand shop. Kim Myung-sub/ The Korea Herald

“It can be matched with any shirts or pants. If you want a formal look, match it with gray pants and if you want a brighter look, match it with light colors like sky blue, pink, orange or ivory. It is an economical and practical but a stylish way of dressing. But the jacket should be of really good quality.”

For more information on Lansmere, call (02) 542-4177.



By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)

Park Soo-keun painting to be auctioned in U.S.

A painting by prominent Korean artist Park Soo-keun will be put up for auction at the Important Two Day Auction by John McInnis Auctioneers in Ogunquit, Maine, on July 16 and 17.

The painting “A Seated Woman,” with Park’s name signed in Hangeul and dated 1956 on the back, retains the original frame and paper label.

The original owner was Alva Gimbel, a supporter of Dr. Howard Rusk who often traveled to Korea during the Korean War for medical missions between 1953 and 1967.

“A Seated Woman” by Park Soo-keun John McInnis Auctioneers

Known as the father of rehabilitation medicine, Rusk was elected president of the American Korean Foundation in 1954 and founded the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New York University Medical Center, which was renamed the Howard H. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in 1984. He was supported by several prominent individuals including Gimbel in his humanitarian efforts.

Gimbel assisted Rusk on one of his trips to Seoul where she acquired “A Seated Woman.” The painting has been kept with a family member and has never been out of the family since it was acquired in the 1950s.

The painting is in its original, untouched condition and it is estimated it will sell for between $200,000 and $300,000.

The auction house had sold another of Park’s paintings, of a seated woman contemplating a bowl, in October 2008. The 1956 painting was sold for $460,000.

Next week’s auction will also feature other items of fine art, a large collection of Asian and Japanese antiquities, jewelry and furniture.

For more information, visit www.mcinnisauctions.com


By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)

한달 넘게 밀린 기사를 포스팅 하다가_

_힘들어서 잠깐 쉬고있음. ㅋ

 

3월에 홍콩갔다와서 여행기를 안올린 이후로 점점 더 게을러진 것 같아요.

오늘 갑자기 번쩍 하고 블로그생각이 나서 들어와보니 6월 16일 이후로 기사를 업데이트 안했더라고요 -_-

 

네이버에 물론 기사가 올라오지만

나름 온라인으로도 제 기사를 모아두는 곳인데 말이죠ㅠ-ㅠ

 

역시 한번 게을러지면 한 없이 게을러지는 듯.

 

여기 없어진대서_ 블로그를 네이버로 옮겨야지 생각하면서부터 _ 더_ 생각 '만' 하고 있어요ㅋ

블로그에 이런것도 쓰고싶고 저런것도 쓰고싶고

이런 디자인으로 꾸며보고싶다고 생각'만';;

 

스페인가기 전엔 블로그를 옮기던지 정리를 하던지 글을 더쓰든지 어떻게든 해야게써용 +_+

 

칼럼스갤러리 장동조대표 인터뷰

[Gallery Talk] Art dealer matches clients, artworks

 

This is the tenth in a 10-part series on prominent art galleries in Korea. –Ed



Considering that art is a form of therapy, a therapist could not be a more perfect candidate for a switch to art dealing. Jang Dong-jo, founder and director of The Columns Gallery in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, is one.

He started his career as a therapist and counselor for psychiatric patients at Rockwell Continuing Treatment Center in Brooklyn in 1984 after studying special education and rehabilitation counseling at New York University graduate school.

“My father founded Chungryangni Mental Hospital and my brother is currently the director there. Our house used to be right next to the hospital, so my heart always went out to the patients in my youth. My original dream was to become a professional in social welfare and patient treatment who can help patients better adjust to the society,” said Jang.

But the concern for psychiatric patients was not the only influence from Jang‘s father. His father, also an art collector, often took him to museums and galleries and Jang developed a love for art. Jang naturally headed to galleries in New York too, whenever he had time.

The Columns Gallery founder and director Jang Dong-jo Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald

“Seeing the cutting-edge contemporary arts there, I had the urge to study them more professionally. So I started taking fine art appraisal courses at NYU every evening after work and began my own collection with the money I earned through part time therapy works,” he said.

“I bought some prints by Andy Warhol and David Hockney and witnessed their prices double in less than six months! I sold them and bought more expensive works that I’d always wanted. Realizing that art also brings back money, my interest expanded to art dealing, auctions and art fairs. My hobby started to get professionalized.”

In 1994, the time was tough for the New York art scene but luck was on Jang‘s side. He found an empty gallery in SOHO which the former owner had left behind, right across the street from the gallery owned by the legendary American dealer Leo Castelli, and opened his own.

Yes, it was almost an impossible task for an Asian therapist, who had never stepped foot in New York before 1983 or specialized in arts, to begin an art business at that time. But the amazing network of artists, gallerists and collectors he built during his NYU and gallery hopping days was all he had and all he needed, it turned out.

“It is true that galleries are all about networks. I learned a lot about running art businesses from people I met at fine art appraisal courses and also at parties. They were interested in me because I was the only Asian in most gatherings and they seemed to be comfortable talking to me once they knew that I was not someone from their world but an innocent therapist simply interested in art. My counseling experiences as a therapist helped a lot in making discussions, too. I’m sure that only if this were not an interview, I could have you tell me everything about yourself in less than 30 minutes,” said Jang with a chuckle.

His first exhibition was on George Segal. He could not exhibit Segal’s new works because the artist was already contracted with a prominent gallery but a close collector lent him his collection of Segal’s old works.

The artist himself visited Jang’s gallery on the opening day, curious to see that a young Korean man is holding an exhibition with his old works. Words spread that Segal paid a personal visit there and Jang’s “InKhan Gallery” jumped to fame.

One successful exhibition led to many others, such as shows on Arman, with whom he became friends over a couple games of Baduk, Jesus Rafael Soto and Bill Thompson.

Despite the success, however, Jang decided to return to Korea in 1999, when Korea was suffering from a severe economic crisis.

“Something told me that it was time to go back and that it was then or never. It was a hard time but I thought that if I made it in New York, I could do it again in Korea,” said Jang.

Before opening The Columns Gallery in 2005, he tried out many things like Space Kitchen, a cultural complex he ran in Hannam-dong for a year in 1999, and the “Art Metro” project which he conducted for four years.

For the “Art Metro” project, Jang transformed two carriages of Subway Line No. 6 and No. 7 into a moving art museum with help from many young artists. The passenger occupancy rate shot up more than 25 percent during the project period.

Jang finally opened The Columns gallery in Cheongdam-dong in 2005. He had spent all his savings on the “Art Metro” project so he had to take out a loan. The Korean art market luckily boomed in 2006 and 2007, getting him ready for 2008 when the market practically collapsed.

“If there is a good time, there is a bad time. I don’t understand big galleries that are reluctant to hold exhibitions during bad times, afraid of small losses, although they probably earned a fortune during the boom days. Galleries are also meant to give back to society. I hired staff and held exhibitions every month despite losses in 2008,” said Jang.

The steady exhibitions attracted regular visitors and Jang’s gallery soon took root. Jang’s talent in expanding connections proved itself once again as some of Korea’s established artists like Chun Kwang-young contracted with The Columns, based on their acquaintance. The gallery moved to its current location in Sinsa-dong in April.

“I am not interested in buying big buildings, growing the gallery into a big enterprise or launching branches abroad. I am thankful that I have this great space to hold high-quality exhibitions and hope it can keep on going,” said Jang.

“I don’t sell works to anybody. I only sell them when I find a perfect owner for the works after I conduct long talks with the clients s to find out his or her character, aesthetic values and future plans. Without deep considerations like this, the artwork could lose its vitality like trees that cannot adjust to a new environment,” he added.

The gallery is currently holding an exhibition on Michael Wesely, a German photographer. For more information on the exhibition or on the gallery, call (02) 3442-6301 or visit www.columns.co.kr.



By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)

 

Summer styling tips from Tory Burch

Tory Burch, one of the world’s hottest designers, held a styling class for VIP clients and some power bloggers last Thursday at the Tory Burch flagship store in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, which opened on the previous day.

The Cheongdam store is the biggest of all Tory Burch’s shops and shows off a totally new concept. The first floor appears to be like any other boutique, but the second floor is decorated like a miniature of Burch’s home in New York, with a library and a living room.

“It was inspired by my apartment so it is different. Like the colors -- the walls are of green velvet in my house. But the place is very similar to my place, so when I first walked in here, I thought ‘Wow,’” said Burch.

Burch introduced nine different summer looks with the help of three models. The nine styles included a neutral dress accessorized with metallic jewelry, a black dress -- which became the brand’s number one seller after actress Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted in it -- with flesh-tone shoes that elongate the legs, and a boy-meets-girl look for which she matched a loose top that could have belonged to one’s husband or boyfriend with a very feminine sequin skirt. 

Tory Burch (second from left) poses with models after her styling class at the Tory Burch flagship store in Cheongdam-dong on June 24. Tory Burch

Among the showcased garments, the famous Tory Tunic, which made the brand famous, received many admiring looks from the audience.

“I actually got the idea for the design from a tunic I found at a flea market in Paris. I bought it for $30,” said Burch.

She also showed a dark knit-dress that can be perfect for both day and evening. The idea for the design came from a dress her mother used to wear in the 1960s. Burch confessed how she had coveted it so much and tried to steal it from her mother‘s closet.

More inspirations were found during her short stay in Korea, said Burch.

“I was inspired from how women dress here, how they put together different items in a way that looks nice and can also show their personalities,” she said.

“We’re working on smaller heels, which I guess it will work in your market, too, because I see many of you wearing small heels. I’m excited that I’ve already started.”

If you want to add some accent to your looks, try custom jewelry or belts, suggested Burch. No need to worry about matching them perfectly.

“I love when things don’t necessarily match. We just throw them in together and make them look chic,” said Burch.

Burch launched a fashion label named “TRB by Tory Burch,” which she later changed to “Tory Burch” -- in New York in February 2004. It was an immediate success, as the store was almost completely sold out on the opening day. The brand now has over 600 shops worldwide and records some 300 billion won in sales every year.





By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)

Animation festival aims to please all

The 14th Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival begins its five-day run on July 21, offering an array of exhibitions and screening events. COEX in Samseong-dong, and CGV in Apgujeong, both in southern Seoul, are the two main venues.

SICAF, the country’s biggest event of its kind, is supported by the Culture Ministry and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

A scene from “PleaseCall Back Later” by Yulia Ruditskaya

Composed of four main events -- “Animated Film Festival,” “Exhibition-Convention,” “International Digital Cartoon Competition,” “SICAF Promotion Plan” -- this year’s fete aims to attract comic fans, buyers and family visitors.

“We’ve been putting in energy since last year to make this festival something visitors of all ages can enjoy. This year, we increased the number of visitor-interactive programs and organized the festival like a theme park where everyone can have fun with comics and animations,” said Kang Han-young, head of the SICAF organization committee, at a press conference on Wednesday.

The “Animated Film Festival” running at Apgujeong CGV for five full days will showcase 300 projects from some 50 countries. Among the works, 147 films from 33 countries entered the competition category. The finalists were selected among 1,332 films from 57 countries.

Starting with director Kim Woon-ki’s “Fuss Farm,” the Animated Film Festival will introduce works such as “Jungle Emperor Leo: The Brave Change the Future” by Goro Taniguchi, “In the Attic: Who Has a Birthday Today?” by Jiri Barta and “Je T’aime” by Mamoru Oshii.

A scene from “Jungle Emperor Leo: The Brave Change the Future” by Goro Taniguchi SICAF 2010

Two animated films that feature Seoul -- “City” by Kim Young-geun and Kim Ye-young and “Please Call Back Later” by Yulia Ruditskaya -- will also be screened. SICAF supported the production of the two films.

The “Exhibition-Convention” is back on a bigger scale this year. Created with a theme park concept, it is divided into many small sections that will feature domestic and international comic award winners and fun animations along with experience programs that visitors can participate in.

Here, special section is dedicated to Hur Young-man, Korea’s leading comic artist, who recently concluded his “Sikgaek” series. Children can walk through a twisted maze filled with cartoons at the “Fantasy Playground Plumpily, Vroom Vroom” section and indie bands will perform live at the “Band Music Comics” section.

“International Digital Cartoon Competition” is the only competition in the world that focuses on digital cartoons. About 3,000 works from 32 countries were submitted to the competition this year. Among them, 14 will receive awards.

An exhibition related to the competition will be held at COEX. It will display “masterpiece” digital cartoons and feature sections where visitors can experience 3-D videos and 4-D rides.

“SICAF Promotion Plan,” or SPP, takes aim at the Asian cartoon and animation market. It is set to introduce a one-on-one business matching service for participants. Taking place from July 21-23 also at COEX, SPP will feature a range of events including project competition, business matching meetings, conferences, forums and receptions.

Tickets for the exhibitions range from 5,000 won to 7,000 won and those for the Animated Film Festival range from 4,000 won to 5,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3455-8407 or visit www.sicaf.org.





By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)

이중섭 황소, 기록경신 실패

‘A Bull’ fails to set new auction record

 

The air was tense at Seoul Auction in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul, on Tuesday evening. The space was unusually packed with some 300 bidders and press, whose eyes were all fixed at the display board waiting for lot 24, “A Bull” by Lee Joong-seob.

The day’s 117th Seoul Auction had been talked up for several weeks as the auction house had boasted the possibility that Lee’s oil painting may set a new record in Korean auction history, exceeding the price of Park Soo Keun’s “A Wash Place,” which had set the highest price record in the nation at 4.52 billion won in May 2007.

“Lee Joong-seob’s ‘A Bull’ will set a record at the auction as it is a monumental piece in Korean modern art history,” Lee Hak-jun, president of Seoul Auction, said last month.

Cameras started to flash half way into the auction as the much-talked-about piece appeared on the screen. The bid started at 3.4 billion won. The estimated price for the painting was between 3.5 billion won and 4.5 billion won.

Despite expectations, however, the fast-paced auction seemed to slow a little at the painting’s turn. Few bidders raised their hands and the competition died out sooner than expected, only raising the price six times, each by 20 million won.

The auctioneer banged the gavel and the painting was sold for 3.56 billion won, a price not even close to that fetched by “A Wash Place,” but rather closer to the lower end of its estimated price. It was sold to a private museum through a telephone bid.

“The price didn’t reach expectations due to the overall market sentiment. Park’s ‘A Wash Place’ was sold in May 2007, when the Korean art market was at the peak. The domestic market used to recover when the foreign market recovered, but they seem to have decoupled lately. We were hoping that the domestic market will recover its own momentum, but it is difficult work,” said Choi Youn-seok, head of fine art department at Seoul Auction.

“The external factors surrounding the art market, like the controversy over imposing a tax on artworks, seems to be another cause. About five to six people had showed interest in buying the piece before the auction but not all participated in the actual bidding.”

The government plans to impose a 20 percent transfer tax on artworks that cost more than 60 million won starting January 2011. Artworks by Korean artists who are still alive are exempted. Many art insiders are arguing for the withdrawal or postponement of the tax, asserting that it is not efficient and that it will further pull down the already depressed art market.

Lee’s painting still made it to second place in auction history, pushing Kim Whan-ki’s “Flower and Jar,” which was sold for 3.05 billion won in May 2007, to the third spot. About 70 percent of the works were successfully bid at this auction, marking total sales of some 9.24 billion won.

Lee Joong-seop’s “A Bull” was sold for 3.56 billion won at Seoul Auction on Tuesday. Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald

“This auction sold a piece for more than 3 billion won for the first time since the art market began declining following the peak in 2007. Though the work did not set a new record for the highest price in Korea, I am sure that high quality art like this will continue to be introduced into the market,” said Lee Hak-jun.

“A Bull,” 35.3 cm long and 51.3 cm wide, was last seen in public at an exhibition held by Gallery Hyundai in 1972. It was sent to the auction by an individual collector who exchanged the painting with three of Lee’s other paintings that he had bought in Midopa Gallery in 1955, at the artist’s request.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)