By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Seoul Fashion Week may not yet be on the level of Paris, Milan, New York or London, but international fashion experts believe it is headed in the right direction.

Jean-Pierre Mocho, president of the French Ready-to-Wear Federation, and Anna Orsini, head of the British Fashion Council International, had high praise for the collections presented by Korean designers during Seoul Fashion Week, which ended Monday.

``With this kind of collection you are building, you are coming close to the right direction. Not today, but I think in two year's time,'' Mocho said.

Orsini was also impressed with Korea's fashion and retail market. ``Korea is a very important market for fashion… We have seen Korean multi-brand stores with 11 or 12 floors of international brands. We would like the buyers to be interested in Korean fashion and help Korean fashion reach international level,'' she said.

Mocho and Orsini met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who attended designer Moon Young-hee's fashion show Sunday.

Seoul is hoping to establish its Fashion Week as the 5th major international fashion collection, after Paris, Milan, New York and London. Seoul Fashion Week, which started in 2000, still faces stiff competition from other Asian fashion capitals like Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Mocho gave his insights on Seoul Fashion Week, and gave suggestions on how to strengthen the link between Seoul and Paris' fashion industries. He suggested establishing a Korean fashion information center in Paris, as well as holding a fashion competition for young Korean designers.

``I think the collection at Seoul Fashion Week is very high level. You have different ways, both high and medium. But the way you are creating this collection is in the right direction. It doesn't matter if the schedule (of Seoul Fashion Week) is good or not. The most important thing is if the collection is good,'' Mocho said.

It is also important for Korean designers to incorporate traditional elements in their designs. ``One reason why we travel the world to see fashion is because we want to see the individuality of the country. It is important for designers to use elements of traditional fashion, use traditional fabric and make it as wearable as possible,'' Orsini said.

Top fashion designers Lee Young-hee and Lie Sang-bong have taken elements of Korean culture such as hanbok and Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and incorporated it in their designs, which have been recognized abroad.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has identified the high-value fashion industry, as one of the new growth drivers for the economy. Korea is one of the world's top 10 fashion industries, in terms of creativity, design and quality.

When asked to describe Seoul's fashion industry, Oh cited the ``strong passion for fashion, and the rich history and culture of Korea as its main characteristics.

``I believe if the city government gives the fashion industry enough support, our fashion industry can be a world-class industry. When the local government aids the industry, it should be indirect, and focused on creating a proper environment for our design industry,'' Oh said.

He also expressed support for initiatives to increase exchanges in fashion and culture between Seoul and Paris. ``Paris is no doubt the center of the world's fashion industry. I am proud to say Seoul is the fashion center of Northeast Asia. In this regard, I think it is really important for cities to have this kind of cooperation and exchanges,'' he said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Originally Posted by Angellebabie Lee young hee rocks. Her modern style hanbok are really adorable. She also has a museum here in NYC.