Black Label [EN]: Chapter 290

Black Label Episode 41

– Lee

His all-too-familiar alias appeared on the screen….

– Are you referring to Lee?

A familiar face began to appear on the screen.

Edin Thomas.

Within Parsons School, which could be considered the starting point of Hae and his career, he was like the most influential mentor to Jae Seung.

– I still vividly remember when I first received Lee’s application and the accompanying portfolio.

Professor Edin Thomas smiled brightly on the screen.

– A teenage boy had launched and was running a brand in his own country. Lee was the first applicant to submit his own brand as a portfolio.

He continued, reminiscing.

– According to the portfolio I saw, the first Wallflower was a restore shop in Korea, run by a kid, dealing with reformed second-hand clothing.

These were facts that were not widely known.

– Then, he started dealing with street products and gradually increased his fame in his own country….

– Later, he contacted Korean celebrities and released lookbooks using them as models.

– He even held a show at his own expense and invited Geraldine Saglio from *Vogue*.

– I believe you are well aware of this famous anecdote. Because of one email sent by a kid from the other side of the world….

– The story of how Geraldine Saglio of that high-nosed *Vogue* magazine flew for over ten hours to Korea.

Professor Edin Thomas added on the screen.

– This is the result Lee achieved even before entering Parsons. I think he would have become a successful designer no matter which school he went to, not just Parsons.

Then he added.

– Oh, except for F.I.T. [Fashion Institute of Technology].

The next moment, the screen switched and began to show Jae Seung’s back as he entered the brand house building located in Paris, France.

The narration echoed.

These were Jae Seung’s closest associates and those with high reputations in the fashion world, whom the documentary production company, Power Film, had difficulty in securing.

– Are you referring to Lee?

First….

– He is an excellent designer and an excellent manager at the same time.

It was Chairman Ardo, who had entrusted everything to Jae Seung and stepped down from the front lines.

– Watching Lee’s journey, I thought I should hand over all the management rights of the group, which I had built up throughout my life.

– Apart from its monetary value, LVMH [Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy] is my everything. Based on the wealth accumulated through the real estate business….

– I became convinced that I could entrust the fashion kingdom LVMH, which I had built up throughout my life.

When the reporter asked the reason….

– He doesn’t fail.

Chairman Ardo added.

– I think success and failure are just habits. A person who has a habit of succeeding repeats success, and a person who has a habit of failing repeats failure.

The reporter asked again.

– It sounds like you mean Lee is a person who has a habit of succeeding.

Chairman Ardo replied again.

– Has he ever failed?

Soon, articles about Jae Seung were broadcasted on the blackened screen.

[A rookie guest designer who rebounded Alexander King, who had been struggling with declining sales….]

[Savior of Christian Diom….]

[Karl Lagerfeld, “This season is infused with Lee’s aesthetic sense; it can be seen as the reincarnation of Coco Chanel.”]

[Wallflower, named the most influential brand in the world by *Forbes*….]

[Changes in the fashion world’s wealth ranking….]

[The genius designer who suddenly disappeared.]

[Predictions began to diverge with Lee’s reappearance in the fashion world after a three-year hiatus….]

[Wallflower successfully concludes Fashion Week. Lee’s value reaffirmed with record-breaking sales….]

[Wallflower’s Lee, appointed as the de facto manager of the LVMH Group….]

Watching the scene of several articles about his achievements flowing like a slide show, he felt inexplicably overwhelmed.

“Ah….”

In fact, he had been living with the thought that he could live like this thanks to the unbelievable phenomenon of regression.

Humility.

He had been desperately trying to maintain that mindset, but seeing all his achievements gathered and displayed like this….

“I don’t usually say this.”

Jae Seung said to Ashlyn.

“I think I’ve worked hard so far.”

“Anyone would think so.”

“Yeah, I think so no matter how I look at it.”

After that, several celebrities generously praised Jae Seung through interviews.

Starting with the general manager of Christian Diom’s brand house, Geraldine Saglio of Paris *Vogue*, and designers with whom he had quite a close relationship….

– You are close to Lee?

Even in England.

– Yes, that’s right.

The reporter quietly asked England on the screen.

– Would you mind expressing your intimacy with each other?

England said immediately without even a moment’s hesitation.

– I could die for him instead.

When the reporter chuckled at that….

– Does it sound like a joke?

England retorted, growling.

– Many songs have been nominated for awards at famous ceremonies this year, and there are plenty of regular performances, tours, concerts, and schedules, but….

England continued in a serious tone.

– After this interview, I will go back to the studio and write songs again. I believe that’s the only way I can repay Lee.

The reporter asked again.

– Repay?

England on the screen nodded.

– Lee is the one who gave me this fantastic life. He gave a kid who wanted to learn music a studio with amazing equipment and said….

Silence flowed.

– To rot like a cavity and eventually turn into gold. I rotted and rotted in that small room and became ‘gold’ as he said.

England smiled.

– His enemy is my enemy.

The screen slowly began to fade out, and the background music gradually became clearer.

It was England’s song.

‘look, rolls royce, lee, wins,’ which had recently topped the Billboard hip-hop chart, was playing….

– Don’t you ever feel pressured?

With the reporter’s question, the black screen faded in, revealing Jae Seung’s face sitting in a chair in front of his desk in his office.

– Not at all.

He felt strangely embarrassed.

– Some people seem to think that I have nothing left to show, but that’s a complete miscalculation.

Jae Seung on the screen looked at the camera lens….

– I’ve planned a great project.

He continued to explain in a serious tone.

– I’m planning to launch a new brand called ‘Cardo’ in time for the next season’s Fashion Week.

– It’s a brand that combines the advantages of the group’s brands that I inherited from Chairman Ardo….

– I’m thinking of showcasing high-end products by combining only the advantages of all the brands within the group.

Jae Seung added again.

– I think it will probably be a project that will go down in history. No one has ever pursued such a project before.

There had often been collaboration work between close acquaintances and some brands whose owner-designers were serving….

– I’m going to write a new history.

Jae Seung said again.

– It’s not a grand thing.

Silence flowed….

– It’s what I’ve been doing.

At the same time, the scene changed again.

From then on, Jae Seung’s repetitive daily life and routine were shown.

Going to work, working, leaving work, sleeping, the same process was repeated….

– This is the Cardo proposal.

Progress on Cardo was included sporadically.

– First of all, there will be many people within the group who will object. They may think that Cardo could potentially devalue the group’s brands….

– The brands within the group have always been maintained through friendly sales competition, so I think there may be people who feel resistant to cooperation.

At that, the reporter asked back.

– How are you going to quell the complaints?

Jae Seung on the screen answered.

– I’ll promise responsibility and then proceed. I’ll inevitably have to terminate contracts with designers who oppose it, but I’m thinking of paying reasonable compensation….

– If a situation arises where I have to persuade the group executives, I’m thinking of pushing ahead even if it means promising to resign, and then proving it through the results.

Soon, Ashlyn muttered lowly.

“Was that your day?”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t know it would feel like that.”

Jae Seung on the screen didn’t seem to leave his seat or do anything else at his desk.

He roughly ate each meal and spent the rest of his time reviewing documents, drawing diagrams, or writing documents alone.

During the rest of the time, he processed approvals for certain matters and occasionally had work-related conversations with employees.

“I’ve heard the stories, but….”

It just seemed much harder and more difficult than what she had heard from her husband.

“I really didn’t know you were spending such difficult days….”

At those words, Jae Seung answered lowly.

“It’s not hard.”

Meanwhile.

“Appa.”

Yul also stared intently at the TV screen and asked back.

“Is it hard?”

“No.”

“You know.”

Yul hesitated for a moment and then answered.

“Tell Yul when you have a hard day.”

“To Yul?”

“Yul will do Appa’s work instead.”

At those words, Jae Seung smiled brightly and responded.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

Anyway, the documentary had an overall lyrical feel.

It seemed to focus on the Cardo project, but….

That’s how it felt when Jae Seung’s daily life or routine was shown.

In the meantime, Jae Seung’s voice echoed softly.

– If you look into the lives of people you admire, the reality is likely to be not enviable at all.

– It’s not glamorous.

– The daily lives of people who have established themselves in their respective fields to the point of being admired are mostly boring and mundane.

In the meantime, Jae Seung’s appearance of choosing a dinner menu at a street stall in Paris was broadcasted….

– That’s how I lived to get to this position. I’ll probably have to keep living like this to maintain this position in the future.

– I don’t hate it.

– There was a time when I desperately wanted the days when I would be busy with my work. So, not just being busy unnecessarily, but living an efficiently busy life….

Jae Seung’s appearance on his way home was broadcasted.

– The important thing is that I’m pursuing a great work that will remain in this industry.

Was it slowly heading towards the end?

The first episode, which covered the introduction of Jae Seung and the explanation of Cardo, was coming to an end….

– How are you going to take responsibility?

The scene of confronting the executives was broadcasted,

Then, Jae Seung’s appearance of getting angry and saying something in a row came out….

– Great Fusion.

The documentary’s logo title was broadcasted again for a moment.

“Is it over?”

Just as Ashlyn tilted her head.

– Hello.

An awkward voice echoed in the blackened screen.

– I’m Yul. This is my favorite doll. And this is my favorite picture book….

Soon, Yul shouted.

“Oh, it’s Yul!”

Ashlyn shook her head….

“I know, it’s Yul.”

Jae Seung was just smiling brightly.

It was then.

The phone started vibrating….

“Huh? At this hour….”

Tommy was calling.