Korean Fashion Meets Fantasy of Angkor Wat
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By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter
SIEM REAP, Cambodia _ A top-class Korean designer dazzled Cambodian dignitaries and citizens as well as Korean residents here with a fantasy-filled fashion show staged at a world-famous stone temple Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Andre Kim's fashion show, which took place to highlight the ongoing Angkor-Gyeongju (Kyongju) World Culture Expo in this small Cambodian city, featured top Korean celebrities riding high on the Korean wave, such as actress Kim Hee-sun and actor Kim Rae-won, as models.
Rising stars, including Lee Ki-woo and Jeong Eun-woo, took part in the show on a catwalk set against the background of the colorfully illuminated Angkor Wat, a cultural heritage site dating back to the early 12th century. It is considered one of the seven wonders in the world.
The Expo, co-organized by the Korean and Cambodian governments, started on Nov. 21 and will continue through Jan. 9.
Both governments have expressed full support for the 50-day event held under the title "Ancient Future _ The Myths of The Orient". They hope that this bilateral project will bring more of the world's attention to the rich cultural heritages of both countries.
The event culminated in Andre Kim's fashion art collection, the first of its kind to be held in the "Garden of the Gods". Tenor Jose Carreras also performed at Angkor Wat in 2002.
Kim's fashion show, known for its fairytale-like setting, was previously held at another of the world's wonders _ Egypt's pyramids _ in 1996.
Kim expressed special feelings for staging his show at Angkor Wat.
"It's a great honor to be here in the kingdom of Cambodia to present my fashion show", Kim said in a speech ahead of the show Tuesday. "This (Angkor Wat) is one of the most important international heritage sites. I myself and we Koreans have great respect for your country and your citizens".
In return, expressing his personal confidence in the 71-year-old Korean designer, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An called it a "cosmic and international event".
Speaking proudly of the history of the country's ancestors, the deputy prime minister said, "Please protect and promote cultural heritages".
The fashion show featured bold and graceful designs specially laid out by Kim for the occasion.
The show put on last Tuesday was in two parts. The first, which celebrated the Expo, had a technical glitch and models had to walk without music for some 10 minutes. After a moment of embarrassment, however, the audience cheered and the show resumed with "oohs" and "aahs", in response to the models sporting white dresses embroidered with black boughs and golden leaves.
The second half, "Passion, Dream & Romanticism", featured models dressed in red taking turns displaying costume designs inspired by the history of the Khmer Kingdom (802-1432) and Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C. – A.D. 935), predecessors of Cambodia and Korea respectively. The dresses showed the faces and gestures of the Buddha immortalized by the two countries' sculptors.
Linked by blue color-dominated "Oriental Rhapsody" stage, the finale featured wedding dresses frequently used by Kim under the title "Everlasting Love from Utopia".
Tickets for the fashion show, accompanied by dinner at tables near the stage, were priced at $300, $500 and $1,000 for locals and Koreans alike. Despite the high prices, the show was sold out, organizers said.
Many guests were invited. Among Cambodian dignitaries who attended the event were Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Nhek Bun Chhay, Siem Reap Governor Su Phirin, as well as the sons and daughters of Prime Minister Hun Sen and other ministers.
"The Korean wave stars may not be very popular among ordinary Cambodians, but they have gained popularity among society's high-class", Moeun Nhean, publisher-director of The Cambodian, a local business and travel magazine, said.
Cambodia is a fast-growing popular tourist spot, especially for Koreans. Of the estimated 1.5 million visitors to Cambodia per year on average, some 200,000 are estimated to be Koreans, topping the tourist numbers by nationality.
Staff Reporter
SIEM REAP, Cambodia _ A top-class Korean designer dazzled Cambodian dignitaries and citizens as well as Korean residents here with a fantasy-filled fashion show staged at a world-famous stone temple Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Andre Kim's fashion show, which took place to highlight the ongoing Angkor-Gyeongju (Kyongju) World Culture Expo in this small Cambodian city, featured top Korean celebrities riding high on the Korean wave, such as actress Kim Hee-sun and actor Kim Rae-won, as models.
Rising stars, including Lee Ki-woo and Jeong Eun-woo, took part in the show on a catwalk set against the background of the colorfully illuminated Angkor Wat, a cultural heritage site dating back to the early 12th century. It is considered one of the seven wonders in the world.
The Expo, co-organized by the Korean and Cambodian governments, started on Nov. 21 and will continue through Jan. 9.
Both governments have expressed full support for the 50-day event held under the title "Ancient Future _ The Myths of The Orient". They hope that this bilateral project will bring more of the world's attention to the rich cultural heritages of both countries.
The event culminated in Andre Kim's fashion art collection, the first of its kind to be held in the "Garden of the Gods". Tenor Jose Carreras also performed at Angkor Wat in 2002.
Kim's fashion show, known for its fairytale-like setting, was previously held at another of the world's wonders _ Egypt's pyramids _ in 1996.
Kim expressed special feelings for staging his show at Angkor Wat.
"It's a great honor to be here in the kingdom of Cambodia to present my fashion show", Kim said in a speech ahead of the show Tuesday. "This (Angkor Wat) is one of the most important international heritage sites. I myself and we Koreans have great respect for your country and your citizens".
In return, expressing his personal confidence in the 71-year-old Korean designer, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An called it a "cosmic and international event".
Speaking proudly of the history of the country's ancestors, the deputy prime minister said, "Please protect and promote cultural heritages".
The fashion show featured bold and graceful designs specially laid out by Kim for the occasion.
The show put on last Tuesday was in two parts. The first, which celebrated the Expo, had a technical glitch and models had to walk without music for some 10 minutes. After a moment of embarrassment, however, the audience cheered and the show resumed with "oohs" and "aahs", in response to the models sporting white dresses embroidered with black boughs and golden leaves.
The second half, "Passion, Dream & Romanticism", featured models dressed in red taking turns displaying costume designs inspired by the history of the Khmer Kingdom (802-1432) and Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C. – A.D. 935), predecessors of Cambodia and Korea respectively. The dresses showed the faces and gestures of the Buddha immortalized by the two countries' sculptors.
Linked by blue color-dominated "Oriental Rhapsody" stage, the finale featured wedding dresses frequently used by Kim under the title "Everlasting Love from Utopia".
Tickets for the fashion show, accompanied by dinner at tables near the stage, were priced at $300, $500 and $1,000 for locals and Koreans alike. Despite the high prices, the show was sold out, organizers said.
Many guests were invited. Among Cambodian dignitaries who attended the event were Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Nhek Bun Chhay, Siem Reap Governor Su Phirin, as well as the sons and daughters of Prime Minister Hun Sen and other ministers.
"The Korean wave stars may not be very popular among ordinary Cambodians, but they have gained popularity among society's high-class", Moeun Nhean, publisher-director of The Cambodian, a local business and travel magazine, said.
Cambodia is a fast-growing popular tourist spot, especially for Koreans. Of the estimated 1.5 million visitors to Cambodia per year on average, some 200,000 are estimated to be Koreans, topping the tourist numbers by nationality.
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