Black Label [EN]: Chapter 131

131. Award Acceptance Speech

“Lee, congratulations. Would you please come up to the stage?”

No sooner had Tom Carter finished speaking than applause erupted from all corners of the venue.

Alexander, who was sitting at a distant round table, was already on his feet, giving a standing ovation.

After sitting in a daze for a moment, I was almost pushed out of my seat and slowly began to walk towards the stage.

One step at a time. I moved forward slowly, lost in a dreamy mood, as if I were in a dream.

If you were to walk on clouds, would it feel like this?

Finally, the moment I stepped onto the stage.

Clap clap clap clap clap-!

The already magnificent applause grew even louder.

It was a fierce reaction, as if pouring oil on a blazing fire.

Soon, Tom Carter handed over a large trophy and plaque with a word of congratulations.

– We will now hear the acceptance speech from Lee, the Rookie Designer of the Year.

After speaking, Tom Carter pointed to the standing microphone and added again.

“Feel free to speak comfortably.”

I nodded once in response, then immediately bent down slightly and brought my mouth close to the microphone.

As soon as I let out a soft “Um…,” the noise filling the venue subsided.

Before opening my mouth, I first looked around at the audience sitting in the seats.

Everyone was sitting up straight, looking at me with eyes full of interest.

After taking a deep breath for a moment.

– Before I begin my acceptance speech, I must first apologize to Chairman Steven Cove, who is sitting in the glass booth. I am very sorry, but I think my acceptance speech will be a little long.

As soon as I finished speaking, laughter, both high and low, was heard from all over the audience.

– First of all, I would like to thank those who gave me the opportunity to stand here and helped me. Alexander King, a precious colleague and friend who entrusted me, who was very lacking, with the important role of ‘Creative Director.’ And to the board members of the Alexander King brand, and to the members of the atelier [a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer] who helped the stubborn me and worked hard throughout the season, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.

After speaking, I shifted my gaze and looked at Alexander, who was sitting far away.

Alexander, who had been sitting in a relaxed posture, winked playfully as soon as our eyes met.

– Actually, there was a minor conflict with the CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America] before the awards ceremony. In fact, it seems inappropriate to even call it a conflict. Strictly speaking, it was me making an unreasonable demand unilaterally.

Silence hung for a moment.

– It was a request to grant the designers belonging to my brand, ‘Wall Flower,’ the right to participate in this fashion award. In the end, thanks to the generosity of the organizers, including Chairman Steven Cove, I was able to share this glorious moment with my beloved colleagues. Thank you very much.

Then, this time, I looked in the direction where the Wall Flower employees were sitting and continued speaking.

– If you would allow me, I would like to invite the fellow designers of Wall Flower, who are sharing the joy of this moment with me, onto the stage for a moment.

Soon, the audience sitting in the seats responded by pouring out applause.

It was a clear expression of agreement. I turned my head slightly to look at the host, Tom Carter, who was standing next to me, and he nodded once and replied, “Of course, feel free to do so.”

Was it because the acceptance speech was being given in English?

Some of the design team employees were just tilting their heads in confusion, busy trying to understand the current situation.

Before long, everyone started walking towards the stage with expressions that seemed utterly bewildered.

The moment the entire design team came up onto the stage, the atmosphere in the venue was heightened once again.

Starting with applause, cheers and shouts, and even high-pitched whistles.

I raised my hand as if to calm them down, and after slightly calming the atmosphere, I continued speaking.

– The brand ‘Wall Flower,’ which I am currently running, started exactly three years ago. In fact, in the early days, all we did was sell reformed clothing using the blog system of an internet portal site. With the funds raised in that way, we started producing and selling our first self-produced products….

I trailed off for a moment.

– This moment, when I am standing on the stage of the prestigious CFDA Fashion Awards and giving an acceptance speech with my poor speaking skills, seems to fully represent our past times.

Again, there was a great commotion.

Originally, ‘success’ is an endlessly interesting and stimulating topic, isn’t it?

To make that topic even more simple and neat, I appropriately cut out and refined the moments of hardship and only pointed out the results, so it had no choice but to be more attractive.

– In fact, the reason why I dared to make an unreasonable request and decided to stand here with my colleagues belonging to my brand Wall Flower is very simple. There was a story that I definitely wanted to tell at this fashion award ceremony. Perhaps, it may be a slightly profound topic. First of all, I am going to talk about ‘farewell.’

I turned my head slightly and looked at the faces of the employees standing side by side behind me.

Everyone was unable to hide their nervousness and stood in a stiff posture, busy looking down at the audience with their eyes shaking violently.

Once again, I brought my face close to the standing microphone and began to speak clearly and forcefully.

– It would be nice if we could all be together forever, but there may come a day when we have to say goodbye. We may have to face an unwanted farewell due to unavoidable circumstances, or perhaps you yourselves may decide to say goodbye in order to pursue a new dream. If you ever decide to say goodbye to Wall Flower and to me for the sake of your new dream, I will humbly accept it and bless your future. It’s not because I have no regrets about my relationship with you. It’s just that no matter how much I love you, I can’t fulfill the dreams you have.

In fact, it could be said that these words were aimed at a few employees, including ‘Lee Kang-joon.’

Over the past few seasons, hadn’t I been releasing products in the form of modifying and supplementing the designs devised by the Wall Flower design team employees?

However, as time went by, I began to see nothing that needed to be modified or supplemented.

The efforts of the employees, who had been focusing on improving their capabilities by reducing their sleep in order to fill the void caused by my overseas activities, were slowly beginning to shine.

From Jae-seung’s point of view, the development of such employees only felt like an omen of the farewell that would come soon.

It could be said to be a similar context to how a chef has to taste and challenge various foods in order to create great dishes.

In order to become a great designer, you have to go through several brands and constantly challenge new genres and frames.

Completely changing jobs is one way to challenge, and signing a season-by-season creative contract with another brand and entering a temporary leave of absence is also one way to challenge.

Also, starting your own brand independently is also one of these ways to challenge.

In the end, parting ways with talented employees is like an inevitable fate that you will face someday.

It was necessary to prepare in advance.

It was necessary to prevent employees from forgetting how to dream new dreams due to feelings of belonging and affection.

It was necessary to prevent them from making irrational decisions due to the emotions listed above.

Also, it was necessary to establish self-esteem so that they could be sure of their bright future and move forward without hesitation when they decided to say goodbye someday.

– Proud, Wall Flower’s Avengers members. I hope everyone will raise their heads and take a close look at the scene in front of you. Since we dreamed of becoming designers, the famous designers we have been peeking at with admiration and envy are sitting in front of you. They are watching you standing here on the stage of the CFDA Fashion Awards.

Silence hung for a moment.

– This is the first fruit of the creative agony we have felt every day since we first met in an office of about ten square feet. Someone said, ‘Although the first time may be difficult, the second time is easy.’ You have already experienced standing on this stage once, so you will be able to get on it relatively easily next time. Even if that is after you leave the nest where you have stayed for a long time.

With a faint smile, I continued speaking.

– I will think even harder so that the career of being from Wall Flower can be of great help when you leave Wall Flower someday. I don’t know how long we can be together, but I hope you will do your best during the time we are together. Just like you have been doing so far. Thank you for your hard work, and I hope you will continue to work hard in the future.

After saying “That’s all,” I stepped away from the standing microphone and handed the trophy and plaque I was holding to Director Song.

Then, I immediately began to hug each of the employees one by one.

Soon, the audience, realizing that the acceptance speech was over, began to offer their congratulations in their own ways once again.

From the applause they were sending, the shouts, and the camera shutter sounds of the reporters and editors stationed in front of the stage.

The sounds that were more than enough to make my heart flutter gathered together to create a harmony that was endlessly pleasing to the ear.

The ‘2013 CFDA Fashion Awards’ of Jae-seung and the Wall Flower design team employees, which they will never forget, came to an end.

* * *

Soon after, the awards ceremony for the highly anticipated final category continued.

The final category to decorate the finale was the ‘Designer of the Year Award,’ which is given to the designer who has achieved the greatest success among the designers who have been active in the New York fashion world this year.

The winner of the Designer of the Year Award, which is undoubtedly the most prestigious award in all categories of the CFDA Fashion Awards, was surprisingly Marc Jacobs.

After the awards ceremony ended successfully, famous designers and fashion figures in the venue began to flock together like bees.

Not only those who had acquaintances, but even those who had no acquaintance at all.

Everyone came up first and began to offer words of congratulations as if they had made a promise.

Originally, one of the charms of such official events is in building new relationships, isn’t it?

Marc Jacobs and Alexander diligently played the role of stepping stones, and Jae-seung also worked diligently to make as many acquaintances as possible on this occasion.

Also, of course, countless attention was poured not only on Jae-seung but also on the design team employees.

While I was talking with the designers.

“Lee, I’m sorry to bother you while you’re busy, but could you spare me a moment?”

It was a question carefully asked in a soft tone by a middle-aged man of rather small stature.

Before Jae-seung could answer the question, Marc Jacobs, who discovered the middle-aged man who had asked the question, greeted him in an endlessly delighted tone.

“Goodness, Leo!”

Soon, the middle-aged man called ‘Leo’ replied quietly with a faint smile.

“Marc, congratulations on winning the Designer of the Year Award. I can’t remember if it’s the third or fourth time this year. Anyway, after eavesdropping on the editors’ conversations, it was really a mess. They said that Parsons’ ‘Old & Young’ duo took all the highest honors at this awards ceremony.”

While Leo was continuing his words, Jae-seung carefully examined his appearance.

He had a strong impression that did not match his small stature.

Just looking at the fact that he ran into him here at the CFDA Fashion Awards venue and that he was talking to Marc Jacobs without hesitation as if they were close friends, I thought that he would never be an ordinary person.

‘First of all, he doesn’t seem to be a designer….’

If he were a designer, I would know his name even if I didn’t know his face.

‘Is he a fashion magazine editor? A critic? A buyer? A big shot from an investment company? Or is he someone from an agency?’

While Jae-seung was constantly questioning like that.

Leo, who had been talking with Marc Jacobs, let out a soft “Ah!” once and immediately spoke.

“Lee, congratulations on your award.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Soon, Leo smiled brightly and handed over his business card, which he was holding tightly in his hand, and continued speaking.

“First of all, I should introduce myself. It’s a real honor to meet you. I’m Leo, an editor at Time magazine.”

The moment Jae-seung unknowingly asked back, “Yes…?” Leo brought up the main point in an endlessly serious tone.

“Actually, I was so impressed with Lee’s acceptance speech that I couldn’t help but come. In fact, I also value the value of ‘Friendship’ quite highly. To cut a long story short, I came to ask if I could include a column about Lee in the next issue.”

After finishing speaking, he immediately added without giving him a short gap to answer.

“So, to be exact, a column about Lee’s brand ‘Wall Flower.’ After listening to Lee’s acceptance speech, I had a desire to write a column that would capture all the processes and behind-the-scenes stories, from the establishment of the Wall Flower brand to the present.”