Black Label [EN]: Chapter 140

140. Press Conference

The next morning, Jaesung was up and moving quickly.

Before he was even fully awake, he took a cold shower and stood before his closet, contemplating his outfit for the day.

“Hmm….”

The closet was stocked with high-end brand clothes, meticulously sorted by type.

Naturally, everything was from premium brands within the LVMH Group [a French multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods].

Today’s choice required extra care.

It marked the start of the documentary filming and his first visit to the Diom House [likely referring to the headquarters or main atelier of Christian Diom].

First, he selected and put on a pristine V-neck cotton t-shirt.

It appeared to be a simple, albeit luxurious, cotton t-shirt, but it cost over 300,000 won [approximately $250 USD] solely due to the ‘Christian Diom’ label on the back of the neck.

Next, he donned a gray suit with a minimalist design.

“Good.”

After checking his reflection in the full-length mirror, he opened the watch case beside the closet.

Inside, watches from the group’s brand, ‘Tag Heuer,’ were neatly arranged.

After a moment of consideration, Jaesung chose his favorite watch and fastened it to his wrist.

Just as he finished preparing to leave, the intercom on the living room wall buzzed loudly, announcing a guest’s arrival.

It seemed the day was officially beginning.

* * *

“Lee, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

Tommy, a reporter from CNN STYLE, whom he hadn’t seen in almost a year, asked while carrying a 6mm broadcast camera on his shoulder.

Jaesung, who had been relaxing on the sofa, adjusted his posture and replied in a friendly tone.

“CNN STYLE, it’s been a while. I hope everyone’s doing well. I’ve been great, actually. I spent a season in Korea and worked on some interesting projects.”

Tommy continued, “I’m sure everyone is fine. Lee, can you explain the current situation?”

“I just arrived in Paris, France, yesterday for Christian Diom’s haute couture [high fashion]. First, I’ll attend the press conference scheduled for today, and then I plan to visit ‘Diom House’ for the first time.”

After speaking, Jaesung glanced at his watch and added, “I think it would be better to continue this conversation while we’re on the move.”

The filming method for the documentary was the same as during the 2013 Parsons F.I.T competition [a prestigious fashion design competition].

Every moment of the day, except for rest and sleep, would be captured on camera.

Leaving the penthouse with Tommy, he immediately headed towards the apartment entrance.

As expected, the limousine from the previous day was parked at the entrance with its parking lights on.

Seeing the limousine, Tommy clicked his tongue and said in a low voice, “You’re certainly being treated well.”

As he entered the car, the two people waiting inside greeted Jaesung warmly.

“President, did you have a good rest?”

“Lee, good morning.”

It was ‘Lee Kangjun’ and ‘Erica.’ Jaesung responded briefly to their greetings, took a seat, and spoke quietly to Lee Kangjun.

“You look great today.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Kangjun also seemed to have put extra effort into his appearance, a departure from his usual style.

He was wearing a sharp suit, something he hadn’t worn since the awards ceremony.

Erica, who was absorbed in the chart in her hand, began to outline today’s schedule.

“Lee, we’ll first head to the ‘Four Seasons Hotel,’ where the conference will be held. The conference is scheduled to take place in the hotel banquet hall for exactly one hour.”

Jaesung simply replied, “I see,” and closed the curtain on the car window. The sunlight felt unnecessarily intrusive.

“Even if you receive highly sensitive questions, never….”

“Shouldn’t react emotionally, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You don’t have to worry about that at all.”

The reason for her repeated reminders was Jaesung’s ‘age.’

Erica had worked with many designers, and more than half had embarrassed her in official settings.

Jaesung was also the youngest designer she had ever managed.

Therefore, she couldn’t help but worry that he might react emotionally to the harsh questions at the conference.

‘Was I worrying for nothing?’

Erica, lost in thought, smiled faintly.

Judging from Jaesung’s demeanor, she was confident he wouldn’t act impulsively or make problematic statements.

“Thank you.”

Erica replied concisely and returned her attention to the chart.

Was it just her imagination? She felt she didn’t need to remind ‘Lee’ of the precautions listed in the manual.

These were standard guidelines to avoid controversial behavior, such as excessive drinking, drugs, or prostitution, until the contract expired.

* * *

As soon as the limousine arrived at the ‘Four Seasons Hotel,’ the guards waiting at the entrance quickly approached the vehicle.

“Lee, we will escort you inside.”

As they entered the hotel lobby, everyone’s attention turned to Jaesung and his group.

Guided by the guards, they took their first steps into the banquet hall where the conference would be held.

Click, click, click-.

A barrage of flashes erupted.

Jaesung, who slightly frowned at the sudden burst of light, counted the reporters and exclaimed softly, “Oh.”

There were far more people gathered than he had anticipated.

Although it was his first time holding a conference of this scale, perhaps his previous experiences helped?

Jaesung acted with practiced ease.

He walked confidently across the banquet hall and took his seat at the front podium.

He even checked that the microphone was off and exchanged jokes with Erica.

How long had it been?

Erica, after testing the microphone, reiterated the rules announced by the LVMH Group.

The main point was to avoid personal gossip or overly provocative questions.

Soon.

“Now, I would like to introduce the creative director who will be responsible for the haute couture of the premium brand, Christian Diom. Designer ‘Lee.'”

As Jaesung stood and bowed to the reporters, flashes exploded once more.

“Are you aware that many people have doubts about Lee’s haute couture?”

As soon as the first question was asked, Erica glanced at Jaesung’s reaction.

Despite the somewhat pointed question, Jaesung answered calmly and without hesitation.

“Yes, I am aware. I think some concerns are reasonable, and some are not reasonable at all.”

The reporter narrowed his brow and asked, “Would you clarify what you mean by ‘unreasonable concerns’?”

“Since I haven’t officially proven myself in haute couture design, it’s natural to doubt my abilities. But, skin color is a separate issue, right?”

Erica smiled in satisfaction.

‘Better than expected…?’

It was clear that the reporters were aware that Jaesung’s haute couture design from the ‘Parsons F.I.T Competition’ had been nominated for the Haute Couture category at the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards [Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Awards].

Lee was now boldly dismissing his previous haute couture work as irrelevant to his current role, while simultaneously rebuking those who were simply prejudiced against an Asian leading Christian Diom.

After that, the conference proceeded smoothly, and even some of the reporters admired Jaesung’s poise.

‘Lee’ didn’t become flustered or unpleasant, even when faced with aggressive questions, unlike many young designers who achieve early success.

He maintained a poker face and delivered answers that wouldn’t damage his reputation.

‘Okay, just five more minutes like this….’

Only five minutes remained of the allotted hour.

Erica took a sip of her bottled water and paused, lost in thought.

She wondered, ‘Have I ever managed a conference this smoothly?’

She felt completely at ease, without a moment of anxiety.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the hall froze.

It was due to a question from the same aggressive reporter when his turn came again.

“Lee, it’s known that most talented male haute couture designers are gay. Are you aware of this?”

“Well? I don’t know about ‘most,’ but that seems like a hasty generalization.”

The reporter bit his lip and retorted, “Everyone is hush-hush about it, but it’s an obvious fact.”

Jaesung stared intently at the reporter without speaking.

Erica carefully said, “Lee…?” while partially covering her microphone.

She sensed contempt in Jaesung’s eyes.

Unlike his earlier calm responses to aggressive questions, he seemed to be losing his composure.

Perhaps it was because many of his close friends were homosexual designers.

“What do you want to ask?”

When Jaesung snapped back, the reporter shrugged and continued, “I want to ask if you’re confident you can present beautiful haute couture designs even though you’re not gay. Or, is your obsession with haute couture also because Lee is….”

Erica quickly interjected, “That’s an inappropriate question. I will not comment.”

A commotion erupted in the banquet hall.

Most of the reporters seemed to be rebuking the reporter for his offensive question.

It was a question with obvious malicious intent.

The reporter had been aggressive throughout the conference, but instead of provoking Jaesung, he had only embarrassed himself.

It was a blatant attempt to disrupt Jaesung’s composure.

At that moment.

Jaesung, after telling Erica, “It’s okay,” looked back at the reporter and said, “That statement degrades not only me but many people.”

“It’s not intended to degrade anyone.”

When the reporter answered slyly, Jaesung shook his head and replied, “I will create haute couture imagining clothes that enhance the beauty of the woman I love. There are no restrictions on pursuing and imagining beauty.”

After a moment of silence, Jaesung raised his head slightly and added, “But I hope some restrictions will be added to becoming a reporter. For example, having basic common sense….”

Jaesung trailed off and said, “Let’s go,” then immediately stood up and walked towards the exit.

It was exactly the time when the promised hour had expired.