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Pharrell Williams' Louis Vuitton Men’s F/W24

  • Writer: JungYeol Kim
    JungYeol Kim
  • Feb 7, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 8, 2024




Before I show you the impressive photos.... Pharrell's Instagram is currently under comment attack. It seems to be because of his fundraising for the Israeli Defense Forces FIDF in 2018. Back then, $60 million was raised, which is now 8 billion won due to the exchange rate. So, the #freepalestine hashtag is getting a lot of comments. And watermelon is like a meme that insults black people... In the old days, watermelon (the cheapest) was almost the only fruit that black slaves could eat.


PS_ Anyway, if you look up Pharrell interviews, he talks a lot about God... He seems to have a fundamentalist faith (Zionism). You could say he's on the far right among conservative American beliefs.


Pharrell says he's not a designer, he says he's a director. If directors don't feel inferior to designers, this kind of result comes out. Especially in this Louis Vuitton 24 FW, there are many bags and shoes worth buying. Especially, this kind of work needs to be seen and held in hand to be scanned... I have to go and see it this fall.


Actually, this isn't radical. The radical thing is actually Marc Jacobs' graffiti. It's blowing a whistle at the dying tradition (radical) by smearing graffiti on Louis Vuitton's monogram. In this Pharrell show, the existing Louis Vuitton wasn't the target of reform, and the existing Louis Vuitton was just ignored. So, rather than feeling like he set a standard and reformed by grasping the standard (existing Louis Vuitton), it feels like he ignored that standard and just accommodated it.


Anyway, if you define this show in two words, it's this: western & work, or brown & black. For example.... Western boots & Timberland Yellow boots. Native American & black laborers (slaves) This theme has nothing to do with Louis Vuitton, and if you think about it a little, it doesn't have much to do with Pharrell either, which is the viewing point.

Anyway, there are about 80 styles in this show, with hats, bags, shoes, jackets... There were a lot of things I wanted to buy. If that's the case, this show might have been a great successㅋ.

Out of the total 80 styles, the clothes that appeared at the front were a bit intense. By the way, I have no idea why the ribbon was added to the neck. It feels like they added a useless genderless/feminine vibe, personally, I think it would have been better if they had removed that.




The biggest beneficiary of this show might be Timberland.





There are dozens of experts coordinating the final result in the Louis Vuitton design team, so it wouldn't be Pharrell's mistake. From what I see, it's probably because the chairman's daughter of the LVMH group (the chairman's favorite...) took over Christian Dior. I think it's part of the group's concept and restructuring process. Elevating Christian Dior to the level of Hermes (elegant and classic luxury), and spreading the strategy of Louis Vuitton taking over the lower market. Especially, looking at the bright yellow/bright red + golden chains, shapes reminiscent of Chinese mountain traditional shoes, etc., it seems deliberate to target the Chinese market. Also, looking at the campaign, they emphasize places where strong currents like submarines flow, because in China, people widely believe in the feng shui of big water currents (= flow of money). Also, the fact that Dior designers suddenly brought out the 1990s Dior archive and are doing retro classics can be explained by this.



pharell william
pharell william

 
 
 

Massive Isolated Red Deer Hunting Trophy

  • Writer: JungYeol Kim
    JungYeol Kim
  • Jan 31, 2024
  • 2 min read



Hunting trophies might arguably be one of the most traditional interior pieces. It's almost instinctual for humans to pursue beauty, hence nobody asks for it, yet we find ourselves painting pottery with patterns and hanging the dried antlers of animals in our living rooms.




This is an extraordinarily massive isolated red deer hunting trophy from an old firearms store. It's the first time I've seen one this colossal. While it might seem unfamiliar to Koreans with smaller homes and no hunting culture, it's quite a natural objet d'art for Westerners. You'll often find them adorning the walls of offline stores aiming for authentic vibes.


The typical scenario is this: a living room with a fireplace, above which hangs a hunting trophy. On the mantelpiece are framed pictures of grandchildren, and in front, there's a carpet and a sofa. Given the stark contrast in residential aesthetics between Korea and the West, one might wonder whose home would accommodate such a hunting trophy, but I trust whoever owns it will figure it out.


Objects like Joseon porcelain, hanbok, or wooden trays carry a quiet yet distinct aura. They're creations of nature shaped by humans and weathered by time. But then there are truly natural things, like rocks, you know? Things made by gods and aged by time carry a quiet yet powerful aura. What humans make turns to rubbish when they die, but what gods make remains even in death.




I'd personally donate this to RRL on Garosugil. Or perhaps, during the remodeling of a chic cafe, it could find its place behind the counter with a bang! Anyway, items in such pristine condition and of such immense size aren't readily available anywhere in the world, so please cherish it. Thank you always.


🍉 Isolated red deer hunting trophy

🍉 Dimensions: 113cm (width) x 120cm (height)

🍉 Price: 2,300,000 KRW

 
 
 

Vintage Hermès Watches in the 1930s Art Deco Style!

  • Writer: JungYeol Kim
    JungYeol Kim
  • Jan 31, 2024
  • 1 min read

hermes watches in the art deco style
hermès watches in the art deco style

Hermès is one of the few luxury brands that Soobaak deals with. While we do curate pieces from the 90s to the 00s when Margiela was the creative director, it doesn't mean we obsess only over those.


There's something about Hermès, perhaps because it's still a family-run business, that exudes both sophistication and wit. Especially in the late 90s and early 00s, Hermès had designs that intertwined contemporaneity and modernism, which we absolutely love.


Of course, vintage Hermès from the 1930s tells a slightly different story – very classic indeed. Yet, even then, they had an undeniable allure, producing rectangular watches of such grand size. Compared to the typical sizes of that time, they were about three times larger, quite a bold move.


During the 1920s, along with tonneau cases (resembling tortoise shells), rectangular cases were also in vogue, but such big sizes were exceptionally rare.


Last Saturday, I collaborated with a watch YouTuber I admire on the theme of 'Watches that don't seem budget-friendly but were bought based on taste.' So, what does that mean? It's not about saying, "Oh, you bought this because your budget was limited to $2000!" but more about realizing, "Wow, you bought this $2000 watch because it reflects your taste!" Buying according to budget is nothing to be ashamed of, but anyway... This watch falls into that category – it's not about market value; it's about personal taste!





🍉 1930s Hermès automatic (25mm x 40mm)

🍉 Art Deco style

🍉 1,950,000 KRW

  • made in Switzerland

 
 
 
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