Black Label [EN]: Chapter 243

243. Diamond Look VS Wall flower (2)

After watching all the collections on the first day, Jaeseung immediately headed to a restaurant in Paris.

It was because he had a dinner appointment with Ashlyn.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, he could easily find Ashlyn.

“Lee, you’re here?”

However, someone very familiar was already sitting across from Ashlyn.

“Lee, long time no see!”

“Geraldine?”

A Caucasian woman, bouncing up like a spring, hugged Jaeseung tightly.

It was Geraldine Saglio, the senior editor of *Paris Vogue* and a close friend of Jaeseung.

“I know I’m intruding without any tact, but I couldn’t help it. If not today, I wouldn’t be able to see you until next season.”

Jaeseung smiled at Geraldine’s words and replied, “It’s okay.”

After hanging his coat on the back of the chair, he immediately placed his order, and Ashlyn abruptly asked.

“How was it?”

When Jaeseung asked, “Huh?”, Geraldine Saglio raised an eyebrow and asked.

“The collections from the first day, I mean. We thought they were pretty good, but I’m curious about the opinion of a designer who’s competing with them.”

Ashlyn, along with her friends including Geraldine, had also watched the brand collections on the first day.

That is, the fashion editors and models she had been close to when she was working as a model.

Jaeseung gently stroked his chin and began to share his personal impressions.

“Hmm, well? I felt that the overall level has improved a lot. Compared to last season, it feels much more stimulating and aggressive…”

“We felt something similar. Certainly, the composition has become richer and the spectrum has widened compared to last season.”

At Geraldine’s words, Ashlyn wore a faint smile and shared her opinion.

“Isn’t that how it is? When a rookie model suddenly appears like a comet and shows a new way of walking, getting a great response, the next season is filled with walks full of originality that don’t seem to care about formality at all?”

Geraldine replied with narrowed eyes.

“Oh, so Ashlyn is saying that all this improvement is thanks to Lee?”

At those words, Jaeseung was startled and waved his hands, replying.

“That’s absolutely not true. Trends naturally change over time, and designers’ skills are bound to improve, right? It’s just a natural phenomenon, so how can you say it’s thanks to my influence?”

Geraldine muttered “Well?” once before adding.

“It actually happens quite often. In the case of Olympic gymnastics, for example, after the first perfect score was achieved, perfect scores have been appearing repeatedly, right? Once a pioneer emerges who does something that seems impossible, everyone has hope that ‘I can do it too.'”

Just as Jaeseung was wondering how to refute, Geraldine drove in another wedge.

“What’s certain is that Lee’s appearance has definitely contributed to accelerating the development of the fashion world. That would be a good topic for the main column. ‘The impact of Lee’s appearance on the fashion world.’ How about it? It’s a stimulating title that sparks interest, right?”

Just as Jaeseung was saying “Geraldine….”, the appetizer of the ordered course menu was placed on the table.

Throughout the meal that followed, the three of them shared various stories comfortably.

Most of them were work-related, but there were also some stories on extremely mundane topics.

Geraldine was most interested when the topic of the ‘Black Label Edition’ being promoted within Wall Flower came up.

“What? Black Label? Are you serious? It feels a bit premature, but certainly, if it’s Wall Flower….”

“I’m telling you because it’s you, Geraldine. I hope you’ll keep it a secret.”

“Of course. If I were to reveal all the information I know, there would probably be a huge upheaval in the fashion world, you know?”

Ashlyn, covering her mouth and smiling demurely, began to share various stories again.

Throughout the preparation for this Paris Fashion Week, she had been rushing and eating like she was drinking, right?

This rare, leisurely mealtime felt all the more sweet.

* * *

AM 7:00

Jaeseung, turning off the alarm clock that was ringing loudly, struggled to get up.

The closer it got to the due date, the faster time seemed to be flowing.

Seeing that it was already the last day of Paris Fashion Week, the day of Wall Flower’s collection, proved it.

“Ugh….”

As he stretched, his whole body screamed, making sounds like ‘crack, crack-.’

After making a cup of coffee, he smoked a cigarette on the balcony. Only then did the drowsiness subside, and he felt a little clearer.

Sensing his presence, Ashlyn came out of the dressing room in a tight-fitting dress.

“Lee, are you up?”

Jaeseung asked, puzzled.

“Are you already up?”

“Yeah, just….”

Ashlyn trailed off, then smiled shyly and replied.

“I was preparing breakfast and picking out some clothes for you to wear during the finale greeting today.”

“Clothes? I can pick them out….”

“But on days like this, you have to move around like crazy every morning, right? I thought it might help a little.”

Jaeseung replied, “Thank you,” and immediately headed to the dressing room.

Several outfits were neatly arranged. Most of them were custom-tailored with a neat feel, and he thought it was a pretty good selection.

As Jaeseung was carefully examining the clothes, Ashlyn carefully poked her face through the open doorway and asked.

“Lee, how is it? Do you like it?”

“Yeah. They’re all good, so I’m 고민 [worried/thinking hard].”

After saying “Choose carefully,” Ashlyn added again.

“The photos taken during the finale greeting today will be spread all over the world, you know.”

“Yeah, I will.”

“I think it would be more of a burden if I went early, so I’ll watch the collection on time and go backstage as soon as it’s over. Breakfast is on the table. Tell me when you’re done getting ready. I’ll be in the living room.”

Jaeseung smiled brightly and nodded in response.

What should I say? Unlike the last Fashion Week, he didn’t feel as tired.

It was only natural since he didn’t just focus on the collection stage rehearsal or rush around as if he was chasing time.

Throughout the past week, he had been watching the Fashion Week stages of other brands.

The aspect of the fashion world was really at a stage where he couldn’t grasp it at all.

Was it really as Geraldine said, that his intervention had changed all the trends and flows?

It felt like it was several years more advanced than the current point, and there were also some brands with originality that he had never seen before.

He even thought that knowing the future might not be of any help from next season onwards.

Jaeseung, busily picking out all the clothes he would wear today, immediately sat down at the living room table and began to eat the breakfast that Ashlyn had prepared.

Warm soup, crispy toast with sweet jam, fluffy scrambled eggs, and finally, a few pieces of fruit.

After eating everything, he felt quite full. Just before entering the bathroom, he glanced at the clock on the wall.

Ticking, ticking.

Time continues to flow.

In just about 12 hours, Wall Flower will once again present a new design on the large stage of Paris Fashion Week.

Although it is impossible to predict the exact results, well? At least he was confident.

Confident that he would not easily give up the throne he had held for half a year.

* * *

PM 5:50

Inside the performance hall located on the 10th floor of the Galeries Lafayette department store, which is the final collection stage of this 2015 S/S [Spring/Summer] season Paris Fashion Week.

Numerous people were sitting in the audience, watching the collection stages that were taking place.

The Fashion Week schedule was also coming to an end. There were only two brands’ collections left.

First of all, the next order was the turn of Lee Kang-jun’s brand, ‘Diamond Look.’

“Diamond Look… It feels quite large for a new brand?”

“Considering that they are announcing their start at Paris Fashion Week, we can’t ignore the scale.”

“I heard that they raised quite a lot of investment. There’s also a rumor that they received extra points because the owner designer is from Lee’s sub-designer [protégé/former assistant].”

A critic tilted his head and continued.

“Looking at the lookbook photos, it feels quite well-equipped. The Paris Fashion Week collection schedule itself was starting to get boring, but I just hope that there will be a lot of unique designs that only a new brand’s new designer can show.”

At his words, several people nodded in agreement.

What should I say about this 2015 S/S season Paris Fashion Week?

Compared to the other 4 major fashion weeks, it definitely felt more advanced.

However, because all brands have made remarkable progress, it also felt like there were very few outstanding brands.

Thanks to this, everyone was eagerly waiting for Wall Flower’s collection, which had caused such a response.

The expectations they had for Diamond Look were extremely simple.

‘No more, no less, just a popping design like a new designer from a new brand.’

Most of them believed without a doubt that all the glory would belong to Wall Flower.

While a faint sense of anticipation was prevalent in the hall.

Click-.

With a series of noises, all the lights went out.

This was nothing more than a sign that Diamond Look’s collection stage would begin soon.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time, Jaeseung, who was in the backstage preparing for the collection stage, was also eagerly waiting for Diamond Look’s collection to begin.

Although he couldn’t watch it properly with peace of mind, he was planning to monitor it from time to time.

As Jaeseung was watching the monitor screen with his arms crossed.

At the same time as music with an endlessly dreamy feeling began to flow, the audience lights slowly began to fade in.

Finally, the moment the first model appeared on the runway stage.

“Wow.”

Jaeseung couldn’t help but exclaim.

This made it clear. That Diamond Look is the biggest competitor for Wall Flower.

* * *

The situation in the audience was no different.

Most of those who were sitting in their seats were staring with wide eyes, taking the time to look at the innovative designs of the new brand that they had not expected.

At that time, an authoritative critic, ‘Phil Adore,’ opened his mouth quietly.

“This 2015 S/S season Paris Fashion Week seems to be a fight between Diamond Look and Wall Flower.”

He was convinced that if the owner designer of the new brand Diamond Look had not put a strong move from the beginning due to impatience, but had made some effort to have a beginning, middle, and end [cohesive narrative].

Even the clothes that the first model, who had just appeared on the runway, was wearing were in a state that was not at all lacking to capture the attention of the VIPs.