Black Label [EN]: Chapter 44

Black Label 43

44. Rising Trajectory, Together

After that, the conversation revolved around work for quite some time.

Discussions about the concept and composition of the photos to be included in Wall Flower’s first ‘look book.’

Ryoo Seung-ho asked questions, and Jae-seung meticulously explained the ideas he had been planning.

“For now, I’m thinking of one male and one female model. I don’t think there will be any studio shoots; most will be ‘street style’ shots.”

“Street style?”

“Yes. I want to maximize the free and raw feeling. A ‘look book’ doesn’t necessarily have to be shot in a studio.”

Ryoo Seung-ho smiled at Jae-seung’s answer and quietly asked.

“Then, when should I expect the look book shoot to take place? I need to adjust my schedule.”

“The sample needs to come out first, so I think about two weeks from now.”

“Two weeks….”

Ryoo Seung-ho was lost in thought for a moment. Jae-seung glanced at Ryoo Seung-ho.

Just a few minutes ago, during their casual conversation, he seemed like an approachable and well-dressed ‘guy from the neighborhood.’ Because of that, they were able to talk without much awkwardness.

But after they started talking about work, he felt like he had completely transformed.

‘Professional’ is the word that comes to mind.

Soon, Ryoo Seung-ho spoke again.

“The ideas are great, and the schedule is perfect. I’m leaving for Italy next Monday and will be back before the week after next.”

“Ah, I see. But why Italy? Do you have an overseas schedule?”

“No, no. It’s not a schedule; I’m just going to meet some friends I haven’t seen in a long time.”

After finishing speaking, Ryoo Seung-ho glanced at the clock on the wall and handed over his smartphone, saying.

“Designer Lee Jae-seung, please take my number.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jae-seung, who received Ryoo Seung-ho’s smartphone, took a deep breath.

‘To think that the day would come when an entertainer would ask for my number.’

When Jae-seung typed in his phone number and returned it, Ryoo Seung-ho immediately pressed the ‘send’ button.

Soon.

Buzzzzzzz-!

Jae-seung’s smartphone, which had been placed on the side table, began to vibrate.

Ryoo Seung-ho smiled brightly and continued.

“I called, so save it. I think I should get going now.”

“Ah, yes!”

“If there are any changes or things to tell me, please feel free to contact me anytime.”

As Jae-seung replied with a faint smile, “Yes. I understand,” Ryoo Seung-ho laughed heartily and added again.

“Contact me when you want to chat or have a cup of coffee. It’s a shame we can’t have a drink together.”

* * *

After escorting Ryoo Seung-ho to the first floor of the office building, I immediately returned to the office.

As soon as I stepped inside, Lee Kang-joon jumped up from his seat and asked.

“Boss! Ryoo Seung-ho is doing the look book model, right?”

Everyone must have been pretending to be engrossed in their work at their seats, secretly listening to the conversation.

“Yes, that’s right.”

As soon as Jae-seung answered quietly, Choo Ji-hoon jumped up from his seat and shouted in an excited tone.

“Oh my gosh! Isn’t Ryoo Seung-ho a guaranteed success? Wouldn’t it be a guaranteed hit?!”

Starting with that, other employees also began to chime in.

“Shouldn’t we recruit additional employees?”

“Boss, is Ryoo Seung-ho coming to the company dinner after the S/S [Spring/Summer] season clothing release? Or not?”

“Awesome! If Ryoo Seung-ho is coming, I have to take a picture with him and upload it to Instagram.”

“I think he’ll come if the boss asks him to?”

The office was literally in a festive mood. That’s because Ryoo Seung-ho is by no means just another celebrity to Jae-seung.

He is a figure that everyone working in the ‘fashion industry’ has affection and admiration for.

While the employees were all excited and imagining things, Jae-seung slightly opened the office window.

‘Haa-.’

Perhaps it was because of the excitement, or perhaps it was because his body was feeling strangely hot. As soon as he opened the window, a cool breeze began to seep in from beyond the window.

The weather is too good for the end of January.

The weather is so good that it’s a shame to be stuck in the office.

Clear sky, warm sunshine. Pleasant breeze.

To get to spring, you’ll have to turn over two or three more calendars.

But at least the feeling.

Yes. As far as the feeling goes, it felt like spring was just around the corner.

* * *

After that, another week passed. In the meantime, the designs to be released for this S/S season have been finalized.

Unfortunately, among the design team employees, only Lee Kang-joon’s design was selected.

Monday morning. During the weekly meeting, he gave words of encouragement to the other employees who were feeling disappointed.

“The other employees, let’s look forward to the *’F/W [Fall/Winter] season’*. Try harder. I promise, the opportunity will always come back. If you are prepared, you will be able to seize it at any time.”

Everyone nodded, unable to hide their disappointment. He felt sorry for such employees, but there was nothing he could do.

Because he couldn’t create opportunities and give them to those who weren’t qualified yet.

He just hoped that they wouldn’t be discouraged by this and would steadily prepare for the next F/W season.

‘Okay….’

First of all, the types of clothing to be released in this S/S season are a total of twenty pieces.

Some products will have to be commissioned to President Song’s Taeyang Corporation for sample production, but at least he wanted to make samples of some of the main products he liked the most himself.

Of course, the same goes for the clothes designed by Lee Kang-joon himself.

“Ah! And Kang-joon.”

“Yes.”

“Starting today, stop working on other tasks and make samples of the clothes you designed yourself.”

At Jae-seung’s words, Lee Kang-joon widened his eyes and asked.

“M, myself?”

“Yes. Can’t you do it?”

“It’s not that I can’t….”

Jae-seung shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking.

“Kang-joon. Have you ever made clothes that you designed yourself, other than clothes made for school assignments?”

“No….”

“Then this is the first time you’ve made clothes that contain your beliefs and philosophy, but are you still going to leave it to a company?”

After a moment of silence, Jae-seung looked at the employees sitting around the side table and continued to speak.

“From the next F/W season, I will not accept illustrations. Please submit the design, work instructions, and samples of the clothes you designed yourself perfectly.”

As the employees looked at Jae-seung with wide eyes, somewhat surprised, Jae-seung continued to speak.

“Instead, all costs incurred due to sample production, such as fabrics and subsidiary materials, will be processed as expenses. You have a duty to grow further.”

After finishing speaking, Jae-seung stood up from his seat, looked around the employees, and opened his mouth.

“I hope there is no one here who doesn’t know ‘Christian Dior’?”

There probably won’t be.

Christian Dior.

It would be strange not to know; it’s such a prestigious brand.

“Some of the tailors belonging to Christian Dior’s ‘*Atelier [workshop]’ call themselves ‘Dior’s Children’. Do you know why?”

As silence fell again, Jae-seung smiled faintly and said.

“They actually grew up working in Dior’s tailoring room, and they earned the title of ‘master’ while working in Dior’s tailoring room. Now, let’s think about it. More than half a century has passed since Christian Dior passed away. But Dior’s clothes are still the same. The same goes even when the generations of employees are replaced and the head designer changes. Why?”

Jae-seung stood in front of the whiteboard and began to write on it.

Soon.

– ‘Dior’s Children.’

It was a phrase that Jae-seung had written on the whiteboard. Jae-seung shrugged his shoulders and continued to speak.

“I don’t force you to become ‘Wall Flower’s Children’. However, it is meaningless if only the brand grows. Also, it is meaningless if only the head designer grows. You must also grow together. Why? Because you are not ‘consumables’ but ‘pillars’ that support the brand.”

After taking a breath, he added the last words.

“I will work even harder so that you yourselves can feel pride in being affiliated with Wall Flower. In the future, when you leave Wall Flower and achieve success, you will be able to hear the words, ‘As expected, those from Wall Flower are different’.”

At Jae-seung’s words, some employees smiled. It was because they were able to realize the intention of the words that they would receive design entries as completed samples, not illustrations, from the F/W season.

“However, not only me, but you must also work harder. I will give you as many opportunities as possible, so work harder. Think more fiercely. I will process all the necessary fabrics, subsidiary materials, and sewing machines as expenses, so buy and use them as much as you want. Not for the sake of the group, but for the sake of each of you.”

Jae-seung clapped his hands and said in a cheerful tone.

Clap-!

“What if someone’s goal in life was to be affiliated with Wall Flower, and you were a famous designer from Wall Flower?”

A deep interest lingered in the eyes of some employees.

He just hoped that they would not feel that his words were just a boring speech but would feel a change of heart. Jae-seung smiled as if satisfied and said.

“That’s all for today’s meeting. Kang-joon, prepare to go out. You have to buy sample fabrics.”

“Ah, yes!”

“Then I’ll go out for a bit too. I think I’ll have to entrust some design samples to a company.”

Even though the meeting was over, the employees were sitting in their seats.

They seemed to have received a considerable shock and emotion from Jae-seung’s words. Nam Gwang-min looked at Jae-seung and said quietly.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Jae-seung smiled and spoke to the employees in a gentle tone.

“Okay, let’s get to work.”

The employees began to return to their seats one by one.

While Lee Kang-joon was packing his bags, Jae-seung sent a message to President Song.

– President, I’m leaving now.

Just as Jae-seung was about to leave the office with Lee Kang-joon, employee Choo Ji-hoon said with wide eyes.

“B, boss….”

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“P, please take a look at this.”

Jae-seung narrowed his brows slightly and moved towards the monitor that Choo Ji-hoon was staring at blankly.

The moment Jae-seung’s gaze reached the internet window floating on the monitor screen.

“Huh….”

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

It was because of the search term that was prominently ranked in the popular search terms.

1. Ryoo Seung-ho Airport Fashion (New)

2. Wall Flower (New)

3. Four Major Rivers Project

4. Ryoo Seung-ho Jacket (New)

5. 33 Chilean Miners Safe Return

While Jae-seung was staring blankly at the monitor screen, Choo Ji-hoon immediately opened an internet article related to Ryoo Seung-ho.

Click-.

A photo showing Ryoo Seung-ho busily moving appeared on the screen.

Surprisingly, Ryoo Seung-ho in the photo was wearing Wall Flower’s coated jacket and coated jeans that were released last time.

While staring endlessly at Ryoo Seung-ho in the photo.

Suddenly, the words that Ryoo Seung-ho had said in passing came to mind.

– Thinking about it, I think there are many things I can help with besides being a model.

– No, I think I have to. Somehow.

That voice seemed to ring in my ears.