Modelling in Seoul: Week 5 (halfway!!)
Week 5 was unfortunately unemployed and unfilled with jobs... but it was filled with a lot of solo coffee shop dates, a few castings here and there, and an absurd amount of exploring. I feel like Dora the explorer!
Naturally, I became outrageously productive. And when I wasn’t working, journaling, or trying some outrageous new yoga pose, I was on solo excursions. Either to 7/11 for a sweet treat, out to Nyu Nyu with Parker and Minna or on yet another Otto chicken run.
But the real highlights of my week included: Vintage shopping in Hongdae, a Chanel-inspired shoot, trying Korean BBQ for the first time! & closing the week on Friday by heading to the infamous palace!
Let's begin from Saturday shall we...
Saturday: Hongdae & Vintage-Induced Emotional Damage
Hongdae… an area notoriously known for its unfathomable clubbing norms is also secretly equally amazing for vintage shopping! The aim of the day was to find some unique and killer vintage thrift pieces - and that we did.
Our first stop was Root Vintage, which was enormous. Racks on racks on racks. Slightly overwhelming, but we committed and within ten minutes my arm was turning purple from how much I’d picked up!
By the time we tried on I had accumulated over 40 items… and spoiler alert, I only bought 2 because things either fit funky, were slightly damaged, or were extortionately priced.
There was one item in particular I’m still thinking about now! It was like seeing my soul in the form of a skirt. Full of character, whimsy, and enough floatiness to make you forget about all of life’s problems in one twirl.
Everything was rainbows and butterflies until I tragically spotted a major rip on the back side of said skirt. I genuinely teared up as I walked out the shop and I’m still thinking about it 6 days later.
We recovered, as all tragedies require, with tacos. Which worked immediately and added to my new found love for Hongdae.
After that, we hit two designer vintage stores. One felt like a curated temple for cool girls - very Charli XCX energy - but I left empty-handed.
The other was possibly the star, it was the size of a shoebox. Three rails, four-person capacity and had a perfectly curated selection of designer. Aoife, of course, found the perfect jacket which I’m SO jealous of, but finders keepers unfortunately... and of course what’s mine is yours applies.
And as we dared to carry on, I thought I’d found my dream leather jacket… only to discover someone had sliced the sleeve - I wish them misery.
At that point I’d mentally exited and my hip decided to join as I temporarily dislocated it somehow! So we scurried - or limped - home asap, but let it be known: Hongdae is not just for clubbing. It is THE place for vintage shopping in Seoul.
Sunday: Chanel-esque shoot, castings and a superbly calm morning.
Sunday was significantly calmer, and much needed. I had a rare peaceful morning - no roommates, no noise. I stretched (post-hip incident), practiced my headstand, and hit a new personal best: 1 minute 48 seconds.
Naturally, this was followed by a 7/11 banana milk coffee and a sunlit walk through Sinsa while listening to the Cocteau Twins on max volume. It was the perfect morning. I felt very free and calm as I settled into my current sewing project while I waited for my call time to head to my shoot of the day.
This shoot was my first “less day” in Seoul, meaning a 2 hour booking. Hair and makeup occupied one of those and they did the unthinkable… put mascara on me! So I felt more beautiful briefly until they began coating my straightened hair in oil. A ‘wet look’ supposedly but it looked more like I hadn’t showered in weeks.
The pieces were heavily Chanel-inspired - tweed, fringe sleeves, shoulder pads, and statement buttons. They didn’t even try to hide it; even the photo references were straight-up Chanel campaigns.
Posing-wise, they initially wanted sharp, editorial angles - very high fashion. So I delivered, busting out angles left right and centre. Bones were cracking because I was moving so much.
Then, abruptly, they asked for the opposite. Relaxed. Undone. Effortless. So I started slumping, leaning, hunching - and they loved it. Nothing like the reference may I add, even my translator was confused. Thankfully we found a rhythm, and it actually turned out really well. I think the final shots will be cool.
To top it all off Aoife finished her job, which was nearby, and came to meet me at the studio I was shooting at! Bless her when she showed up she was covered in more blush than I used to put on my barbies. But I was so locked in so I didn’t clock it until we were wrapped - and yet somehow she still was rocking it.
She’d come to my location because we had a rare weekend casting together so headed there together after I wrapped. It was so nice having her pick me up though because everything feels immediately less serious, and more light. Just frolicking around Seoul.
Tuesday: Korean BBQ with Aoife's family!
Aoife’s family had come to Seoul, and I was lucky enough to join them for Korean BBQ in Myeongdong on Tuesday - which was unreal. I cannot believe it took me a month to try it.
The restaurant itself was one of the more authentic Korean BBQ’s around, unlike some of the more tourist trap ones. I didn’t have a clue what most of it was but it was all delectable. We will 1000% be returning many times. I’m now addicted.
Below are a few pics from my week aside from days out...
And as for Friday, I had a completely empty day… which meant I finally took myself off to visit the beloved and beautiful Gyeongbokgung palace.
Friday: Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung palace is another world of beauty. The serenity I experienced while walking around the grounds allowed me to become so relaxed and gave me time to be more present. I was there for about 4-5 hours, over which I just walked and walked! It never ended.
Hundreds of people came dressed in Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) which made the day feel as if I had been transported a few hundred years ago. I was just in awe of the detail on each dress (and was also jealous I wasn’t wearing one!)
I adore history, and yet I’m always surprised by how much joy I get when I’m in and around it. Whether it be a temple, palace, shrine etc I always start thinking about the many people who have stepped there before me, the lives they’ve lived, who are they? Were we similar? What was it like?
History lets the mind wander, that’s what I love about it. So I spent a large portion of today reading off of the signs, learning mainly about the Korean Empire and the Joseon Dynasty.
One of the most interesting facts I learned was about its name! Gyeongbokgung means, ‘The Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.’ Which I think is fitting given how otherworldly the location is.
With Mount Bugaksan in clear view to the rear and Mount Namsan in the foreground, the site is somehow at the very heart of Seoul and yet feels completely derelict of the city buzz.
What surprised me most was how different it is to palaces within Europe. It was all very open, in fact I didn’t step inside once. You could look inside but none were decorated so it was hard to tell what its purpose was!
It was as if you were walking around a very ancient, beyond beautiful, neighbourhood of humongous buildings. Think if Buckingham palace got split into 15 separate buildings and placed 500 metres apart.
Each area was distinct in that there were differentiating parts, however the artwork was traditional which I love. It’s so immensely detailed. I just spent ages staring. I was walking around with a smile glued to my face just feeling an immense sense of calm and contentment.
The most tranquil of the palace grounds was Hyangwonjeong pavilion which looked out onto Mount Bugaksan. The area was open, filled with blooming cherry blossoms and the leaves were floating wistfully onto the water in the pond. I sat down on a bench here and just stared out onto the water for about 20 minutes.
I will definitely be returning to the palace, and next time I will be bringing my journal because I found myself with so much to say, my mind swirling with gratitude and appreciation as I was walking.
It’s times like that where I do get a bit upset that I'm seeing and experiencing this without my family, but at least I’m seeing it for us!
With love,
Mimi x
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