Landing in Your Inbox

72 - glamour

February 9, 2017 9:00 AM
Hotel Hugo, New York City, USA

Seri gazed out of the window as a winter storm was dumping snow in the city. "It's not showing any signs of stopping."

"Of all the days, it had to be today." Seo Dan complained in front of the vanity mirror. "The first day and I have to go out wearing a plaid coat, snow boots and ski cap!"

"Just bring some clothes change at the venue." Seri said as she pulled the curtains close and sat on her bed while Seo Dan spun around with her coat. "Better to dress horribly than to slip on the pavement."

"Should I wear a belt maybe?" Seo Dan asked. "The thick one? The longer one?"

A flash of inspiration had Seri standing up and going through her side of the closet. She picked out a white Gucci belt and handed it over to Seo Dan.

"Wear this instead," Seri recommended.

Seo Dan smiled, "Very well, then. Whatever Seri chooses is best."

Seri smirked. "You wear it better than I do. When a street style photographer does scout you, what are you going to do?"

"Naturally, say yes...but I doubt if they'll be out in a snowstorm." Seo Dan was disappointed at that prospect as she wound the belt around her waist, making sure the Double G logo was visible as she locked it in place. "Let's go."

Despite Seo Dan's worries of being a fashion terrorist, she did turn heads enough to warrant a photo from one of the roving street photographers who are on the lookout for the hottest off-the-runway looks, blizzard or not. Seri was right not to sacrifice comfort over style as models took a fall in their stilettos, as those who dared to bare necks, arms and midriffs were exposed to cold winds and as sleek silky pants were getting drenched by slush.

A photographer took not just Seo Dan's photo but also Seri's, it was still in a style blog somewhere but it was only credited as Model Seo Dan and a friend.

They attended the New York Fashion Week as privileged socialites who could afford it and had the right connections. Seo Dan herself had modeling credentials which earned them show passes and coveted party invites that Seri enjoyed going to. Unfortunately, the snowstorm persisted that parties were either being canceled left and right or moved across states or even overseas. So when a party ran as scheduled, Seri went all out.

One such party was at the Bowery Hotel. It was getting late and Seo Dan was getting cranky, urging Seri to go home because she needed to call her boyfriend but the chaebol heiress was chatting up an Italian designer and he invited her to an after-party at a nightclub. Seri told Seo Dan to go ahead and left with that man. She would see him a few more nights until both women flew out of New York. When asked about what went between her and the designer, Seri would just shrug and say: 'Nothing happened. It was just a fling.'

Even though they attended the fashion week to be visible in one of the most glamorous and exclusive affairs on the social calendar, they were both there for inspiration, too. For their future businesses. Seri was looking into re-launching her company, giving it a new personalized approach. Seo Dan sought ideas and directions which she did not want to admit, leaned a bit towards Seri's because she admired how the woman predicted trends and got into the customer mindset. She couldn't help but try to think like Seri while Seri tended to use Seo Dan as a bouncing wall of ideas, because the woman had style and taste. Their one-year study abroad and spending time with each other was like that. Both women harboring mutual respect, a passion for fashion and dreaming big to be more than being women born into wealth so that they could make a name for themselves.