Seoul Fashion Week’s 2027 Spring/Summer edition, which concluded on September 6, marked a notable shift with the event spreading across two locations: the traditional Dongdaemun Design Plaza and a new venue at the World Park in Lotte World Tower, Jamsil. The expansion aimed to bring fashion closer to shoppers and tourists, featuring initiatives like Kimhekim’s debut runway show partnered with Adidas and integration of QR codes linking collections to Lotte Department Store’s online mall.
Despite these ambitions, the new location appeared underwhelming, with a small temporary structure set in a garden failing to capture the energy expected from an international fashion week. The broader event reflected a similar pattern of ambition hampered by limited resources. At Dongdaemun Design Plaza, an installation promoting a “K-lifestyle street” paired emerging brands with street food and wellness themes intended to attract foreign visitors but experienced low attendance, mirroring the sparsely populated trade show floor.
Industry observers, including Ewha Womans University professor Park Sun-hee, noted a stark contrast with previous years when buyer presence was robust and venues bustling. In 2014, when Seoul Fashion Week first occupied Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the event featured 81 shows and drew prominent entertainers and front-row celebrities, but this season’s schedule contracted significantly to 17 designer runways and eight presentations.
A critical challenge facing Seoul Fashion Week is the absence of some of South Korea’s leading designers who opt to showcase at international fashion weeks instead. Park attributed this trend primarily to financial constraints, suggesting designers prioritize overseas events perceived as more critical for global credibility. This dynamic undermines Seoul’s ability to position itself as a premier fashion capital, as it struggles to retain top domestic talent and consequently reduce its international influence.
Kimhekim’s presence this season, bolstered by Adidas and Lotte, illustrates the level of support needed to compete on the global stage. However, simply adding venues or celebrity presence is insufficient without a stronger ecosystem that links designers, buyers, media, and consumers effectively.
Adding complexity is the global shift in the traditional fashion calendar. Designer Lie Sang-bong observed that established fashion weeks in London, New York, and Milan are also experiencing diminishing impact as industry players reassess the value of official schedules and shows. This environment suggests that Seoul Fashion Week’s pursuit of mimicking the established “big four” fashion capitals may not be the optimal path forward.
Experts advocate for leveraging South Korea’s unique cultural assets instead of following Western fashion models. Professor Hong In-soo of Esmod Seoul emphasized the importance of fostering fashion products with commercial appeal that resonate in daily life and consumer habits, supported through social media, entertainment, and e-commerce channels. Park also highlighted South Korea’s strong cultural ties across Asia, boosted by the global popularity of K-pop, dramas, and cosmetics, positioning Seoul to cultivate a fashion system integrated with digital innovation and regional markets.
Seoul Fashion Week currently opens earlier in the calendar than its Western counterparts, but the challenge remains defining what it wants to lead in—a question that extends beyond scheduling into the realm of creating a sustainable and influential fashion ecosystem grounded in Korea’s cultural and technological strengths.