Every time I visit Seoul, I see big changes happening across all the landscape both physically and intellectually. Here it all happens very fast. New places opening, new ideas arrive on the street in fashion and attitude, new shops, galleries, music. Sitting at the 10 Corso Como Avenue L café, at the handmade ceramic tile table, we had an interesting afternoon talking about how fast the interest in design is growing here.  Almost taking over the same weight as fashion.

 Here, displayed at 10 Corso Como against a sculpture piece by Kris Ruhs, a flawless Dyson fan. The Dysons are like art pieces. Dyson has brought a revolution in heating and ventilation design and technology. The British  Company founded in 1993 by James Dyson is an incredible global achievement.Design mythology says Dyson created over 5000 prototypes before reaching what he considered the perfectly working vacuum cleaner.Whether this is true or not, it is perfection in design and working utility. Dyson’s link with fashion is special too. He collaborated with Issey Miyake in 2007 designing the set for a fashion show, with  wind on the catwalk .The fashion collection  that year had been inspired by Dyson’s vacuum design with the wand handle becoming a sleeve and the cyclone assembly becoming a skirt.

Here, Tom Dixon’s mirrored round lights are a magic must  today in Seoul. The light itself is a polycarbonate sphere vacuum metaled inside a most luminescent liquid bronze copper color.  This makes a double reflection from both the outside and interior surfaces.  At night it is as bright as fire.  A luminous atmosphere of serenity, perfect as the evenings grow longer. And forever beautiful.

 From the first time I met him with Giulio Cappellini in 1991, I have always liked Tom’s work.  Giulio was the first to recognize his talent and I was delighted to be able to offer a show at the newly opened Galleria Carla Sozzani.

This is the first Holiday season at 10 Corso Como at Avenue L and time  to introduce special holiday packaging that will be only for here,in our signature design. For many, I know I am not the only one, the holidays are never complete without small surprises wrapped beautifully in special packaging. All the festivities, all the excitement comes as much from the preparation of the the packages as from the events themselves,  enjoying the rituals of preparing the presents in boxes with special papers and ribbons.

Ready to be brought home right now and enjoyed is the Fornasetti red ribbon tray and Fornasetti candles.  Perfect presents to offer to the people you love, mixing the beauty of a great design with a functional purpose. Fornasetti was a visionary and his son, Barnaba now carries on the family’s traditions by transforming the decorative arts scene with his new collections and scented candles in the uniquely

graphic lidded ceramic jars.

All over the world, eyelashes have become a hit, but in Asia, and in Korea especially, it has become a must.I was wondering why a crowd of young girls had gathered in the beauty section of Lotte Department store and found the subject of their curiosity was a pair of red and black lashes from Shu Uemura – obviously a must have. The girls were actually queuing up for something more impressive  and I joined them to look as well – the  whole new collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura.

   The girl with crimson eyes is irresistible and her  image is on all the packaging of the wonderful make up goodies. She is staring, she has a short bob cut and is an immediate attraction. I had to buy, just to have my own Mon Shu girl!  And the story behind this collaboration is as interesting. Karl Lagerfeld has been using Shu Uemura’s pastels for his drawings for over 20 years. And the name he has given to the girl he designed is  Mon Shu , a word play on the french, mon chou, a name of affection and humorously used  to give life to a new heroine.

Vogue Korea did a story on Korean designers and included me in the pictures.  Here, they chose to sit me in the middle of the white mannequins, a fun location, but interesting choice. In the end, it is not the particular piece, but fashion itself that I love. We start from scratch every time, with many naked forms, all pure and empty, waiting to be covered with the untried, waiting to explore the human

form again – always fresh and clean and open to the new.

 These dress forms are the best presents I have received in a very long time.  From the 1950’s and about 1.50cm high, these two forms are made of a grey composition and have a great streamlined silhouette.No idea what I am going to do with them but they are really amazing.I wish I could sew because in fact this is their real purpose,especially for people who make their own clothing.