Black Label [EN]: Chapter 143

143. Winds of Change

“Really….”

As his voice trailed off, everyone in the room turned their attention to Chairman Ardo.

After a moment of silence, Chairman Ardo gently stroked his chin and spoke the words he had been holding back in a low voice.

“It’s surprisingly beautiful.”

As soon as he finished speaking, various reactions erupted from all corners.

Some were busy wiping away cold sweat, others breathed a sigh of relief, and still others were intently observing Chairman Ardo’s reaction with faint smiles on their faces.

Jaesung took a breath and cautiously asked, “Chairman, what do you mean by that…?”

Chairman Ardo didn’t answer Jaesung immediately, but instead raised his palm as if to ask for a moment, and then began to examine the illustration again.

He tapped his temple lightly with his long index finger, staring intently at the illustration for a while.

“First, I have a few questions for you.”

Chairman Ardo said quietly, turning his head slightly to look into Jaesung’s eyes.

Jaesung nodded once and replied, “Yes, Chairman. Please, go ahead.” At that moment,

“Is this what a hanbok [traditional Korean clothing] is originally like? Or did you make some modifications at your discretion?”

“I’ve modified it to elevate it to the level of ‘haute couture’ [high fashion] without any sense of incongruity.”

After speaking, Jaesung took out a few more sheets of A4 paper from the file.

They were pictures of traditional hanboks that could be easily found with a quick Google search.

“This is the original hanbok that inspired me.”

Chairman Ardo frowned deeply and examined the hanbok photos for a long time, nodding his head several times.

There seemed to be an indescribable distance between the haute couture-style hanbok that Jaesung had modified and the traditional hanbok.

What should he say?

Should he say that what needed to be preserved was preserved, and what needed to be discarded was discarded in a desirable way?

Chairman Ardo returned the A4 papers to Jaesung and said quietly,

“Proceed as is.”

He said curtly, and before Jaesung could reply, he raised his index finger and added,

“It might be good to increase the scale even further than it is now.”

It was said in a calm tone, but it felt like it contained a sense of pressure.

Jaesung bowed his head once and replied, “Thank you.” At that moment,

Chairman Ardo placed his hand lightly on Jaesung’s shoulder and added,

“And, I apologize.”

“…….”

“I was too hasty.”

After speaking, Chairman Ardo gave a faint smile and slowly began to walk towards the conference room exit.

As he began to walk, the accompanying secretary and bodyguards also diligently followed behind him.

Jaesung stood still, watching Chairman Ardo’s back, and then a pleasant smile appeared on his face.

In his experience, there seemed to be one common trait that could be easily found in those who had succeeded in establishing a firm foothold in their field.

They have the ability to clearly distinguish between moments when they should be authoritative and moments when they should not be.

They can insist on their own opinions against the opposition of those around them, but when the moment of acceptance comes, they humbly accept it and have the flexibility to bow their heads to their subordinates.

As Jaesung stood there, Albert, the current CEO of Diom, approached and quietly continued the conversation.

“Lee, I think it would be best to resume the meeting first.”

Then, he pointed to his back with his thumb and added,

“Everyone seems to be eagerly waiting for the meeting to start again.”

* * *

Having succeeded in obtaining approval from Chairman Ardo, who holds the decision-making power, there was no need to hesitate any longer.

The meeting was immediately reconvened and proceeded in a serious atmosphere.

“So, you’re saying that there are ‘rules’ that must be followed in hanbok, just like in tailoring?”

Jaesung nodded once in response to a question from a designer sitting in the front row and replied.

“Yes, there are definitely rules. But those rules can never be a ‘restriction.’ We can follow those rules, or we don’t have to.”

After speaking, Jaesung smiled and added again.

“Isn’t this one of the biggest benefits of processing ‘classic’ with a modern feel?”

Every time Jaesung finished speaking, everyone at the meeting moved their hands busily.

Jaesung took a breath and began to speak again.

“First of all, it’s best to make one thing clear. Our ultimate goal is not to promote clothing that was popular more than a hundred years ago. Our only goal is to create ‘beautiful clothes.’”

After a moment of silence, Jaesung looked at the entire design team and continued.

“All you have to do is worry about ‘how can we create more beautiful dresses?’ In fact, time is quite short to just worry about that one thing and prepare for it.”

The employees of the Diom design team nodded as if they had made a promise.

Jaesung then looked at the staff of the atelier [a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer] and added.

“This seems to apply not only to the designers but also to the tailors at the atelier. You don’t have to worry about making it exactly as the design you received. If you have a brilliant idea, feel free to tell me at any time and then make ‘slight modifications.’”

Then, CEO Albert inadvertently let out a short groan, “Hmm….”

Jaesung’s request was nothing short of the opposite of what the directors had asked for.

The directors who had worked at Diom had all made requests along the lines of, “Please don’t damage the feeling I was trying to capture.”

On the other hand, what about the young designer ‘Lee,’ who was appointed as the creative director of this year’s haute couture?

He was subtly informing everyone that they could be involved in this haute couture design.

It is certainly too early to predict the success or failure of the season itself.

Whether Lee’s request will bring about a positive change of ‘true cooperation’ or a negative result, as in the saying ‘too many cooks spoil the broth,’ remains to be seen.

But one thing was certain.

‘This year’s haute couture will be a meaningful project for everyone involved….’

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the eyes of those attending the meeting were burning with enthusiasm.

Everyone was sitting up straight and listening to Jaesung’s story with a more serious attitude.

As Albert was examining the reactions of the audience, Jaesung spoke again.

“In conclusion, this haute couture is by no means my exclusive property.”

Jaesung said in a serious tone, and began to collect the materials he had prepared, declaring the end of the long meeting.

“That’s all.”

Soon, a murmur began to rise from all over the conference room. It seemed that everyone was stimulated by Jaesung’s remarks.

As soon as the meeting ended, the atelier staff began to discuss sewing methods, and the Diom design team staff gathered together to exchange their opinions.

As Jaesung was about to leave the conference room, CEO Albert approached and said in a gentle tone.

“Lee, you’re amazing. You seem to know how to make professionals work even more professionally.”

“Yes? Well, I think that’s an overstatement. I don’t really know how to do that.”

After speaking, Jaesung scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Albert gave a benevolent smile and spoke again.

“Anyway, I’m really looking forward to this haute couture. I’m sure everyone will be very enthusiastic.”

Jaesung nodded in agreement and looked around the room.

Everyone was talking enthusiastically, with eyes as bright as children, even spitting as they spoke.

The designers of the design team and the staff of the atelier are all members of the Diom House, whose reputation is so high that it would not be an exaggeration to say that it pierces the sky.

And they are maintaining such a progressive attitude. It was only natural to expect good results.

As Jaesung was lost in thought, reporter Tommy suddenly asked a question.

“Lee, can I ask how you feel about successfully completing your first meeting?”

It goes without saying, but even at this moment, the camera was turned on.

Jaesung tilted his head slightly and replied.

“I have a feeling it will be successful.”

“That’s a relief.”

“No, no….”

Jaesung trailed off, looking intently at the camera and continuing.

“Not a feeling, I’m sure of it.”

As soon as Jaesung finished speaking, Albert, who was standing right next to him, smiled deeply.

He, too, was predicting the success of this season.

* * *

Diom House is one of the most systematic places among all premium brands in the world.

First, the designers of the Diom design room receive the theme from the director and then start pouring out haute couture designs with a hanbok theme in as little as two or three days, or at most a week.

It is only then that Jaesung starts to move.

He has to look at dozens of designs submitted by dozens of designers one by one, and then go through the process of modification and supplementation.

Since all products will be released under the name ‘Lee,’ he must go through the process of completely transforming the designs they have submitted into a form that he likes.

The completed designs are then immediately handed over to the tailors of the atelier.

Only then does the ‘production stage’ begin.

Of course, from here on out, it is entirely up to the tailors of the atelier.

They would be engrossed in production, sewing each stitch by hand based on the design they received.

* * *

“Hmm, I think we can start production as is. Thank you for your hard work.”

At Jaesung’s words, a designer from the design team cheered.

It was a natural reaction, as they had barely managed to get a passing grade after repeated modifications.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Soon, several designers sitting next to him began to congratulate the designer who had received a passing grade.

“Congratulations! You’ve done it again this year, so you won’t have to empty your desk until next year, right?”

“You’re buying today. You’ve avoided being unemployed for at least this year, right?”

Jaesung, who was listening to the conversation between the designers, gave a bitter smile.

This is the other side of Diom House.

They must have joined the company after breaking through a huge competition, but the competition does not end even after joining the company.

If they do not achieve any significant results every year, they will naturally be pushed out. This is the cold reality of ‘Diom House.’

Jaesung, who had been silently listening to their conversation, carefully opened his mouth.

“I hope you will only worry about your own art. I know it’s a difficult request, but I hope you won’t stop trying new things.”

As the designers stopped talking altogether and stared blankly at Jaesung, Jaesung let out a groan, “Um….” and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“If you are let go from this year’s haute couture for failing to achieve results, you are welcome to come to my brand ‘Wall Flower’ at any time. Of course, I promise you more than you are receiving at Diom. If I am going to ask those who are spending each season with their backs against a steep cliff to make challenging attempts, it would be the right course to present this alternative.”

After a moment of silence, Jaesung bowed once and left the room again.

At the same time, the conversation between the designers began to continue.

The topic was, of course, about ‘Lee,’ the creative director of this season.

“I felt it from the Time magazine interview, but he seems to be a very attractive ‘Boss’ in many ways.”

“Time magazine interview? I want to see it too, does anyone have it?”

“I saved it to look at it over and over again. I thought there were things to learn from it. I’ll send you the link via messenger later, so read it slowly.”

“You haven’t seen it yet? Lee is the kindest person I’ve worked with in the last ten years.”

After Lee joined Diom House, the atmosphere within the company changed considerably.

If the previous atmosphere was just stiff and cold, now it has become somewhat softer.

The important fact is that everyone is very satisfied with this change.

Creative Director Lee was the ‘wind of change’ that came to Diom House.