Black Label [EN]: Chapter 164

164. Preparing for Debut

It’s been a month since I returned to Korea.

The past month has been a whirlwind. Print media interviews, online and TV news appearances, commercials, and photoshoots… it’s been a series of hectic days with barely a moment to breathe.

Occasionally, when I did manage to find some free time, I spent it with well-known figures in Korea who were actively expressing their desire to “get to know me better.”

These included models, entertainers, singers, and actors who were quite famous.

Unfortunately, these encounters didn’t last long. As I suspected, it wasn’t long before I felt an overwhelming sense of boredom.

On a rare day off, I went to the office and was eating Pringles while watching a documentary when Director Song asked me, puzzled.

“Why are you here at the office today? I thought you were busy hanging out with celebrities whenever you had a spare moment?”

“It was even worse than I expected. I’d rather have a few beers with you, Director.”

Director Song muttered, “What? With me? That’s unexpected,” then asked with curious eyes, “Why? What was it like? Tell me about it.”

After rubbing the crumbs off his fingers, I calmly explained what it was like hanging out with them.

Typically, we would have secret meals at floating restaurants, followed by entertainment at famous hotels where the parking lot elevator connected directly to the sky lounge bar.

Well?

I didn’t find it particularly enjoyable, nor did it feel practical, so I quickly gave up on it.

I even added a blunt assessment, saying it felt like a few high school students pooling their allowance to buy fireworks.

“I think I’m just used to more stimulating and inspiring downtime.”

“For example?”

“It just feels a bit awkward, you know? It’s not a truly fun and enjoyable gathering, but it’s not particularly productive either…”

In fact, when I thought about it, feeling bored was probably inevitable.

After trailing off for a moment, Jaeseung snapped his fingers and continued, “It’s like they’re strangely eager to show off their lives and be recognized for it.”

“For example?”

“One actor who took me to a floating restaurant on the Han River asked me as soon as we sat down, ‘Designer Lee Jaeseung, what do you think of this place? Is this your first time in a place like this?'”

Director Song chuckled and tilted his head, asking, “He even asked you that? So you told him you were so happy to be brought to a place like this that you could cry, right? By the way, how amazing was this place anyway?”

“It was just a decent place with a nice atmosphere. It seems like celebrities come there often. I think I saw at least a dozen of them that day.”

“If that actor ever went to places like The Ivy in LA or L’Avenue in Paris, he’d probably faint. Didn’t you brag about having eaten a few feet away from Tom Cruise or Will Smith?”

Jaeseung waved his hand and replied, “Why would I do that?”

The two restaurants Director Song mentioned were frequented by Hollywood celebrities and the super-rich who wouldn’t bat an eye at spending over $40,000 a year just to increase the size of their chest muscles.

Until just a month or two ago, I had been dining at such places every day.

I discussed business with people who paid more in annual taxes than the average office worker would earn in a lifetime, and celebrities recognized worldwide occupied the surrounding tables.

So, how could I be genuinely impressed by a floating restaurant?

The same went for the hotel sky lounge bar and the apartment near Banpo [a wealthy district in Seoul] I was invited to.

They were overly proud of the fact that they spent millions of won [Korean currency; roughly thousands of US dollars] on alcohol in one night and that they lived in a newly built apartment overlooking the Han River.

But, well?

Throughout my time working with Chairman Ardo, hadn’t I lived in a 120-pyeong [a pyeong is approximately 3.3 square meters, so 120 pyeong is about 400 square meters or 4300 square feet] penthouse with a panoramic view of Paris?

The refrigerator was filled with Richard Hennessy cognac (from the LVMH Group), worth millions of won, and I would casually empty a bottle at a time when I was bored.

Unless I enjoyed showing off, it was inevitable that I would have difficulty getting along with them, as I was quite far from that type of person.

Director Song then gave a sly smile and replied, “Then why don’t you adopt a business-oriented mindset? You never know when or how they might be helpful.”

“If I were ever in a situation where I desperately needed their help, my life would probably be in serious crisis.”

“Anyway, try not to come to the office on your days off. What’s so great about coming out here even on your days off? Enjoy your youth. When I was your age, I was proficient in all sorts of pleasures. At least among my peers, no one could keep up with me.”

“What can I do if those pleasures aren’t my taste? I’d rather read a book or watch a documentary. It’s much more comfortable for me.”

It was a clear and honest sentiment. Spending such formal time with them often reminded me of my family, and listening to their stale stories made me think of the times I had enjoyed soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] with Director Song over samgyeopsal [Korean grilled pork belly].

Sometimes, when famous actresses, their eyes slightly glazed over from a few glasses of wine, made advances, I even had the chilling experience of seeing Ashlyn’s face superimposed over theirs, triggering a surge of guilt.

Director Song, with a mocking tone, said, “Oh, a scholar has arrived,” and continued, “It’s a bit much to talk about work on a holiday… but since you’re here, can we talk about work a little?”

“Of course.”

“First of all, as you instructed, we have completed the patent registration for Lee Sangyoon’s designs, ‘Wall Flower Muscle Fit’ and ‘Super Skinny Fit.'”

“It was done under the joint names of Lee Sangyoon and Wall Flower, right?”

Director Song patted his chest a few times and replied, “It was such an important point that you emphasized, so of course we handled it that way,” and added further explanation.

“Furthermore, since it’s being handled through Leader Smith, you don’t have to worry about this anymore. They’re greedy for money, but their work is clean and reliable.”

“The future, which was already dazzlingly bright, seems to have become several times brighter. Now, for the time being, Wall Flower will be the only brand that can use the innovative techniques called Muscle Fit and Super Skinny Fit, at least until Lee Sangyoon leaves Wall Flower.”

Of course, thanks to the joint patent registration, even if Lee Sangyoon were to leave Wall Flower and establish his own brand, Wall Flower would still be able to continue producing and selling Muscle Fit and Super Skinny Fit products.

This was also why we paid Lee Sangyoon an amount of 300 million won when he was hired as an exclusive designer.

In simple terms, it was a kind of ‘license purchase fee.’

Jaeseung thought that he had bought the technique that might become the identity of Wall Flower’s T-shirt line for only 300 million won, which was a bargain, and Lee Sangyoon was simply happy that the designs he submitted were worth 300 million won.

Somehow, an ideal deal that satisfied both parties was concluded.

Director Song, after hesitating for a moment, gently stroked his chin and cautiously asked, “President, do you really think that Muscle Fit and Super Skinny Fit are worth more than 300 million won?”

“I don’t know what others think, but I think I made a hugely profitable deal. Next year’s Paris ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ [ready-to-wear fashion] will be a stage for our Wall Flower.”

“If it had been a decision made by someone else, I would have rolled up my sleeves and stopped them. To me, it’s just tight clothes, and buying the license for 300 million won? It’s ridiculous. But since it’s your decision, I’m at least hoping for the best.”

“I think that at least the T-shirt line has now completed the basic identity and framework of the brand. If we complete the identity of the pants, jeans, shoes, and other lines, Wall Flower will earn the prestigious title of being a leading group in the Paris fashion scene.”

The most important thing is the brand’s identity.

The key to success is to have such a clear identity that someone can look at a particular piece of clothing in the future and think, “This feels like a Wall Flower piece.”

Director Song, nodding repeatedly with a serious expression, seemed to remember something he had forgotten and muttered, “Ah, right,” and continued, “So, when are you going back to France? Now that the designs are coming out one by one, it’s okay to move on, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it’s time yet. The T-shirt line has a foundation to some extent, so it may be possible to reach the completion stage with simple modifications and supplements, but the other lines are not yet ready. In the first place, Karl Lagerfeld will call me directly when the time comes to move on.”

“Really? So, you can stay for another month or so, right?”

When Jaeseung nodded, Director Song continued as if he had been waiting for it.

“I won’t schedule any more additional events, including interviews, so let’s try to make as much progress as possible within that time. Let’s make all the important decisions.”

“Important decisions? For example?”

“The marketing department came up with a pretty interesting idea yesterday. No, to be more precise, it was an idea from Nam Gwangmin. It’s an idea related to the location for the lookbook shoot, and they suggested making a trailer video at the same time.”

The displays for the shows that Jaeseung had conducted so far were all proposals that came from Nam Gwangmin’s mind. Of course, the results were all successful.

Perhaps it was because of the trust that had been built up? As soon as I heard that it was an idea from Nam Gwangmin, curiosity seemed to creep up.

“Where is the shooting location?”

“Zero-gravity space.”

When Jaeseung widened his eyes, Director Song continued to explain.

“You might think it’s impossible, but after looking into it separately, it’s not just an unrealistic story. After briefly looking into it, there are several companies overseas that sell zero-gravity experience packages.”

“What’s the price range?”

“You can think of it as about 8 million won [approximately $6,000 USD] per person. It can accommodate up to thirty people, so if you minimize the number of staff…”

Jaeseung replied with eyes full of interest, “I think it would be good to push it forward right away.”

There seemed to be no reason not to push it forward. Isn’t it an incredibly ingenious shooting location that would inevitably become a hot topic just by attempting the shoot?

What should I say? I felt like the probability of success for this season, which I was already confident about, was increasing more and more.

I had a pleasant feeling that Wall Flower might become the brand that made the most spectacular debut in the history of the Paris fashion scene.