Black Label [EN]: Chapter 99

Black Label 98

99. By. Lee

Just as Jaeseung was about to press the button on the switch machine, background music began to play again from the speakers, which had been silent.

The second track was ‘Merry-Go-Round of Life,’ one of the OST [original soundtrack] songs from the animation ‘Howl’s Moving Castle.’

As the aesthetically pleasing melody slowly filled the venue, the white-haired old man sitting in a VVIP seat muttered quietly.

“How vexing, making me so anxious…?”

It was Edin Thomas, the owner and designer leading the premium brand ‘Vermong’ and a professor at Parsons School of Design, who spoke.

Although the lighting equipment was still not working, he realized that the ‘major accident’ from just now was thoroughly intentional.

‘Lee’ may have attended his lectures only a handful of times, but wasn’t he the most concerning—and promising—student?

He had been anxious, thinking that his student’s debut stage was collapsing like this.

Soon, as he put on a satisfied smile, he began to watch the show again with focused attention.

– Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

The clear sound of heels began to cut through the calm piano melody.

This was not the actual sound of heels, but a sound effect inserted through a ‘mixing’ process.

The sound of heels, which initially echoed regularly as if one person was walking, gradually began to change erratically, eventually giving the impression that several people were walking.

– Clack. Clack. Clack.

– Clack. Clack.

– Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

At that moment, a faint light began to shine on the walls of the second-floor hallway of the show venue.

It wasn’t the lighting equipment installed on the batten, but a beam of light emitted from a ‘beam projector’ that began to illuminate one side of the second-floor hallway.

Perhaps because of the deep darkness in the venue, even though it wasn’t a bright light, it seemed to have no trouble capturing the audience’s attention.

Soon, as if the audience had made a promise, they raised their heads and began to look at the second-floor wall.

At that moment.

“…New York?”

Geraldine Saglio couldn’t help the goosebumps all over her body and uttered the word in a slightly trembling voice.

The beam of light emitted from the beam projector touched one side of the second-floor hallway of the show venue, depicting the entire scenery of New York City on it.

At that moment, when the audience’s attention was completely focused, models wearing Alexander King’s products from this season, head to toe, began to appear one by one in the empty second-floor hallway.

Unlike when they were walking on the runway stage, they began to stroll along the hallway with extremely free-spirited gaits.

Some hurried along alone, while others strolled leisurely, chatting with their companions.

Some stood still, reading newspapers; others pretended to talk on their smartphones; and some even stood leisurely, smoking cigarettes.

There seemed to be no rules or frameworks in the models’ actions.

The audience, who were blankly looking up at the scene, couldn’t help but think of New York City—the streets in front of Rockefeller Center, the streets in front of Times Square, the streets of Wall Street, and the streets near the Empire State Building.

At that moment.

– Tick… Tock… Tick….

The music flowing through the speakers gradually faded out, and the clear sound of a ticking clock began to echo.

The ticking sound, which had been echoing at regular intervals, began to repeat faster and faster.

And accordingly, the actions the models were showing also began to speed up.

– Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick….

What should I say? It felt like watching a ‘*flash mob* (a performance art in which an unspecified number of people gather at a set time and place to perform a given action and then disperse immediately).’

The models’ acting was quite solid, so the audience couldn’t help but feel like they were watching New York City on ‘fast forward.’

One really special thing was that the street of New York they were creating was, without exaggeration, ‘Alexander Street.’

Everyone walking through the New York City they created was wearing Alexander King’s products.

The scene was extremely dreamy and attractive. It was more than enough to draw out the desire to join that group from the audience.

Soon, the beam of light emitted from the beam projector faded, and darkness returned to the venue.

Silence filled the pitch-black darkness for a moment.

The brand’s logo began to be broadcast on the screen installed behind the runway stage.

[ Alexander King ]

After a brief moment of a few seconds, the brand’s logo being broadcast on the screen gradually blurred, and a new phrase began to appear.

[ By. Lee ]

At that moment, a quiet applause began to echo in the venue, which had been endlessly silent.

The sound, which initially echoed weakly, was gradually growing in size as time passed.

Clap clap clap clap clap clap-!

Clap clap clap clap clap clap-!

As the magnificent applause echoed inside the show venue, Jaeseung was hurrying through the backstage to give a final greeting to the VIPs.

Soon, the models who had finished walking and were waiting backstage began to offer Jaeseung and Alexander words of congratulations, starting with “Congratulations!” to “It was the best show!”

He wanted to express his sincere gratitude to each and every one of them, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the time.

Jaeseung bowed to them and continued to hurry along.

Soon, when Jaeseung reached the end of the backstage, near the entrance of the ‘runway stage,’ perhaps because the applause echoing from the audience seats was heard more closely, Jaeseung suddenly stroked his chest and took a long breath.

Soon, Alexander, who was standing next to Jaeseung, smiled and said quietly, “Lee, I guarantee you’ll never forget the moment you’re about to face.”

“I agree.”

“Let’s go.”

Alexander, who spoke briefly, put his arm around Jaeseung’s shoulder and added, “Everyone is waiting for the appearance of a ‘genius’ they hoped would appear from somewhere, right?”

Soon, Jaeseung began to walk towards the runway stage, which was covered in darkness.

The applause still showed no signs of fading and continued to echo. No, it was only getting louder.

Soon, all the lights inside the show venue would be turned on.

He was about to have his first encounter with the VIPs who came to this show. No, it might be more appropriate to say that he was about to have his first encounter with the New York fashion scene.

Soon, the moment Jaeseung took his first step onto the runway stage, all the lighting equipment in the venue gradually faded in, revealing the inside of the show venue.

“Waaaaa-!”

“Waaaaa-!”

“Waaaaa-!”

Jaeseung couldn’t say anything and could only look at the audience with trembling eyes.

“Wow….”

It wasn’t just because of the cheers and applause.

There was one thing he could realize as the darkness cleared: every single member of the audience was standing and sending him enthusiastic praise.

A standing ovation.

Wasn’t a standing ovation the best praise an audience could express?

As Jaeseung was staring blankly at the audience, Alexander nudged Jaeseung’s side with his elbow and continued, “Lee, enjoy it to the fullest. It’s the result of Lee’s efforts over the past few months, right?”

“Alexander, I didn’t know, but this is really….”

Jaeseung trailed off for a moment and added in a voice that seemed like he was about to burst into tears, “It’s incredibly thrilling.”

After speaking, Jaeseung forced a bright smile and began to wave his hand as he had practiced several times.

He was trying his best to pretend to be indifferent, but the corners of his slightly raised mouth were constantly trembling.

Among the many people filling the show venue, familiar faces seemed to be visible here and there—his mother with tears in her eyes, his father with a satisfied smile, his younger sister Seunghee with a refreshing smile, and Ashlyn, unable to contain her overwhelming emotions, shedding tears.

From the tailors of the atelier who had worked hard together, to the board members, and even the faculty of Parsons School of Design, all the audience, including them, were standing and sending him heart-wrenchingly beautiful applause.

In response to that sound, his heart rate was getting faster and faster.

It felt like his heart would burst at any moment.

His mind was hazy as if he was dreaming, but he could clearly feel that his eyes were getting hot.

Was it the result of his efforts over the past few months?

No, absolutely not. This is the result of a much longer period of time.

After a long and arduous time like a tunnel, he finally succeeded in taking his first step into the beginning of the life he had desperately dreamed of.

Soon, Jaeseung raised his head and began to look at the ceiling of the show venue.

It was an action he took because he wanted to push back the tears that seemed like they would burst out at any moment.

Right now, instead of applauding, some audience members were tapping on the keypads of their laptops.

They were the ones who attended this season’s show as journalists, critics, and columnists.

Some had even finished writing and posting posts related to this show.

* * *

– This Alexander King show was just the best. Everyone will agree when they see the lookbook that will be released at midnight today.

PM 4:00 Fashion Blogger, Martin Leger

– Alexander King’s F/W [Fall/Winter] season show was absolutely perfect. I’ll cut it short because I have to give a standing ovation, and I’ll update the column in the evening.

PM 4:01, Fashion Columnist, Tony

– This season’s Alexander King show succeeded in redefining the ‘standard of perfection.’ Artistry and commerciality coexisted, and the fashion show stage, which brought New York City as it is, felt like ‘another model who wasn’t wearing clothes.’

PM 4:03, Paris Vogue Editor, Geraldine Saglio.

– Some designers will regret it, and some designers will have to be wary. Other designers may resent his appearance. The moment the end credits rolled, I was sure. Finally, a real genius has appeared in the New York fashion scene, which has become boring in recent years.

PM 4:04 Ella Editor, Edward Ron

– The arrogance of the talented is bound to be called ‘charm.’ That’s exactly the arrogance of ‘Lee,’ who has just made a splendid debut in the New York fashion scene. I’ll cover it in detail in the column… By the way, I’m planning to purchase all of Alexander King’s new products this season.

PM 4:04 Fashion Columnist, Eddie Dana