Black Label [EN]: Chapter 170

170. Zero Gravity

‘Lee, it’s far more important to not forget what you’ve learned than to learn many things.’

That’s what Karl Lagerfeld suddenly said one day while we were sharing a glass of whiskey after a hard day’s work.

At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the meaning, but I nodded and pretended to agree.

Well, it was a plausible statement that was hard to argue with.

Anyway, it wasn’t until a few days later that I understood the true meaning of the advice I had heard back then.

As time went on, the lineup of products that Janel would be showcasing through the ‘*New Season* (2015 Paris Fashion Week)’ gradually began to solidify. However, the tightly packed schedule remained unchanged.

Why?

There were three reasons. First, Janel wasn’t just a brand that handled clothing.

New products in similar categories, such as perfumes, watches, and jewelry, had to be released concurrently with the new clothing line.

To put it dramatically, it was a brand destined to be perpetually busy from its inception.

The second reason was that Karl Lagerfeld wasn’t just an ordinary director at Janel, but the ‘General Director’ who oversaw all areas.

Karl Lagerfeld’s design spectrum seemed limitless.

He possessed extensive knowledge in all design-related areas, not just clothing, and participated in the design of every product released under the Janel logo.

He held intense meetings with product designers every morning and afternoon, successfully transforming the designs of various products into glamorous and captivating forms.

The third reason was that my ‘main task’ was to assist Karl Lagerfeld with his entire schedule.

As sub-directors typically do, I had to attend all meetings and continuously brainstorm ideas for new areas that I knew little about.

So, I started to ‘study’.

This was to properly understand the content of meetings related to other product categories, to avoid feeling guilty every payday, and also a necessary action for the future of Wall Flower.

Perfumes, watches, jewelry, etc…….

The unfamiliar areas I started looking into before going to bed after work were vast and extensive.

Some parts were easy to understand because they were similar to clothing, while others were so drastically different that they were difficult to grasp.

In any case, Janel was clearly a ‘helpful place’.

There’s always something to learn, but this was a place where you could learn a lot and were pushed to fully master what you learned.

I was convinced that Janel’s practical experience was far more valuable and helpful than most prestigious design schools.

As I immersed myself in the routine, my anxiety naturally dissipated.

After a considerable amount of time, when I had finished reading all the related books I had prepared to study,

And when I was no longer stumbling during meetings,

When I was filled with confidence and began to feel the ambitious hope that Wall Flower could also venture into areas other than clothing (*perfumes, watches, jewelry, etc.*) in the near future,

I briefly left Janel House and headed to California, USA.

* * *

“What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Song’s words snapped me back to reality, and I realized I was drenched in sweat.

I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead and replied vaguely, “No, just…….”

Jaesung was currently in a rented limousine, heading towards a towering hotel in the heart of California.

Even though the vehicle was traveling at a fairly high speed, the interior was quiet and smooth.

“Hey, CEO. Take care of your health. Isn’t it too hard to live a life where you only get to sleep in short bursts and have nightmares every time you sleep?”

“I’m still young, though. You’re the one who should take care of your health, Director Song. You’re at an age where any disease could come your way.”

Throughout the limousine ride to the hotel, Jaesung had various conversations with Director Song.

About what kind of person Karl Lagerfeld was, about the unique atmosphere of Janel House, about life there, and about the future direction of Wall Flower…….

Director Song seemed particularly excited when they were talking about ‘What if we prepare to launch perfumes, jewelry, and watches with the Wall Flower logo attached?’

“Of course, I’m all for it! It looks good, for starters, right? It’s also an area that any brand with a deep history is involved in.”

As they were talking, they arrived at the hotel.

Before checking in, Jaesung headed to the ‘banquet hall’ located on one side of the lobby floor.

As soon as he entered the banquet hall, those who were seated began to greet him as if they had rehearsed it.

All of them were staff members who would be in charge of various roles, large and small, in tomorrow’s lookbook shoot.

The reason for visiting the banquet hall before even unpacking was simple.

The filming location for tomorrow’s lookbook shoot is inside a Boeing 747 aircraft that has been modified for a ‘zero-gravity experience’.

There were several things that models and staff participating in the shoot were required to know.

The briefing that was about to begin was a time to hear a series of precautions from a representative of the travel agency that sells zero-gravity experience packages (from a representative of the travel agency that rented out the modified Boeing 747 aircraft).

About five minutes after Jaesung took a seat right in front of the podium in the banquet hall.

Soon after, a Westerner in a neat suit opened the door and began to walk towards the podium.

He brought his mouth close to the standing microphone in the center of the podium before speaking.

“Welcome, Brand Wall Flower. My name is Billy Joel from ‘GZ (Gravity Zero)’. First of all, we at GZ sincerely support your innovative and daring attempt.”

As he bowed slightly, applause erupted from various places in the hall.

As the applause gradually subsided, he began to continue his explanation.

“First, we will raise the Boeing 747 aircraft, which has been modified for zero-gravity experience, to an altitude of 34,000 feet at a steep angle of over 45 degrees.”

GZ representative Billy Joel made a bizarre sound effect, ‘Pshwoo-!’, as if he were a child playing with a toy airplane, and described the trajectory that the Boeing 747 aircraft would take tomorrow with his hand.

“Now, this is important. When the plane reaches its peak, it will maintain a brief level before rapidly descending. At that moment, the interior of the plane becomes a perfect zero-gravity space. This is the basic principle of creating a ‘zero-gravity space’.”

Soon, one of the staff members raised his hand and asked.

“If that’s the principle of creating a zero-gravity space, the duration wouldn’t be very long…… About how long does it last?”

“Good question. Although there are variations, you can expect it to last about twenty to thirty seconds.”

Billy Joel, who had finished his brief explanation, added his personal opinion.

“I heard that you rented it for the purpose of filming. Let me give you my personal opinion. Well, a photo shoot in a zero-gravity space is definitely innovative, but it will be a difficult task. It will be impossible to have a proper shoot until the staff gets used to the environment. You may not be able to get the level of work you’re aiming for within a day.”

Soon, a dark shadow fell over the faces of those who were seated.

It was a natural reaction, as it was like hearing a prediction that tomorrow’s shoot would not go smoothly.

“This is a big problem…….”

Director Song, who had spoken in a low voice, lowered his head slightly and fell into thought.

It’s not a good situation. They waited almost a month to rent the Boeing 747 aircraft for one day tomorrow.

If they can’t finish the shoot within a day, they will have to wait again for a similar amount of time.

The only thing they can do by putting their heads together is to hope that the shoot goes smoothly.

* * *

The next day, early in the morning, the staff members who were participating in this shoot all boarded the Boeing 747 aircraft.

The atmosphere inside the plane was quiet. The only sounds were occasional dry coughs or people talking to each other in low voices.

“Everyone seems tense, right?”

Jaesung nodded a few times at Song’s question and replied.

“I know. It would be welcome if the atmosphere was just a little stiff, but I’m a little worried about how rigid it is.”

“Everyone must be feeling a lot of pressure. The environment is so different from a typical studio…….”

The Boeing 747 took off in such a heavy atmosphere.

When the buildings that could be seen through the window became smaller and smaller, to the point where they were no longer visible,

An announcement began to play inside the plane. It was an announcement from the staff asking them to move to the ‘photo zone’.

The space where the shooting would take place was a place where all the ‘seats’ that should have been there were removed, and all four sides were finished with cushions made of soft material.

Everyone was busy looking around the hall with curious eyes when a staff member from the travel agency added a brief explanation.

“At the end of the zero-gravity state, gravity will momentarily act twice as strong. You may feel like someone with a similar weight is strongly choking your neck, or you may be bounced around. Of course, as you can see, all sides are made of cushions, so there won’t be any major problems even if you bump into them, but I think it would be a good idea to be careful not to collide with expensive equipment.”

There were those who were capturing even this moment on camera. It was the ‘cookie video’ [behind-the-scenes footage] and ‘trailer video’ filming team that would be released later.

For a dynamic picture, they ordered the models to stand side by side.

They wanted to capture the moment when they collapsed and floated into the air the moment gravity disappeared.

After the staff’s simple preparations were completed and the models stood in a row in the center of the photo zone and posed, an announcement was played again from the speakers placed throughout the cabin.

It was an announcement that they would begin the ‘first descent’ to adapt to the environment.

Soon, Jaesung and everyone else stood in place with tense faces and awkward postures. The Boeing 747 aircraft began to descend rapidly with a roar.

At that moment.

“Wow…….”

Jaesung couldn’t help but exclaim because of the sight unfolding before his eyes and the absurd sensation he felt all over his body.

The familiar feeling that had been pulling him to the ground had completely disappeared.

It was really a momentary thing. His body floated into the air and his lungs tickled.

The staff members who were standing with cameras on their shoulders and the models who were standing in a row with their postures. Everyone was floating to a height that almost touched the ceiling with surprised expressions.

They were just busy moving their legs wildly as if they were children kicking their feet with innocent expressions.

It was the moment when the limitation called gravity that they had felt throughout their lives disappeared.

Everyone had such happy expressions, and they couldn’t help but tremble from the new sensation.

The photographer, who was the first to come to his senses, pressed the shutter.

The clear shutter sound that rang ‘click’ and the flash of light that spread out.

Based on these two phenomena, everyone finally came to their senses. They realized that the unique lookbook shoot had begun.

At that moment, Jaesung felt a tremor that he could not describe in words. It was similar to the sense of being a pioneer that Louis Armstrong felt when he took his first step on the moon.

It was also similar to the strange tremor that Michael Jackson felt in the waiting room just before he first introduced the moonwalk to the world.

He was sure.

This is a ‘performance that will go down in history’.