Catching Up to June
Seoul sneak peek, off-price shopping, and some work that I'm proud of.
Where did 2025 go? It’s exactly the midpoint and my mind still thinks it’s April. I guess that’s what happens when you’re juggling multiple jobs. Time flies by because the minute one project ends, another picks up. On the heels of the Asian American Girl Club campaign came the release of 10 Magazine Issue 04, which holds a special place in my heart. I worked on quite a few stories for this issue — it’s the entire reason I was in Seoul back in January!
I’m honestly so terrible at promoting my own work, which I know is a bit absurd considering how much time I put into it. But one story within the pages of our issue that I loved working on was a piece on brand fans. The idea came about after the Rick Owens show back in September 2024. Despite the torrential rain, the skies cleared for Rick and the diehards came out in looks. That’s my favorite part, seeing how these fans style their pieces and revel in their outlandishness. Runway Rick isn’t for everyone nor should it be, that’s what makes his work so special. Dora, 10 USA’s editor-in-chief, and I got to talking in the car about how much we loved the community that developed around the designer and so it turned into a story that I casted, styled, and wrote.
Besides Rick, it also featured other brands with distinctive fan bases: Chopova Lowena, Eckhaus Latta, Issey Miyake, Chloe, and Schiaparelli. Notably absent is the CdG family but for good reason: Their following is so well established that you already know about the community of obsessives with their massive collections (cough, me, cough). I loved casting everyone from Fiona & Michael, pictured above, who met via Instagram DMs over their shared love of Rick to Rebecca, who has a room dedicated to her Schiaparelli collection to Arianna, who stores her Issey in her couch. Read more here.
Another project that I didn’t get a chance to share is that I got to work on a press tour for Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors. The first season just wrapped up and they’re currently working on season two. John Hamm stars as a hedge fund/finance guy who loses his job and resorts to robbing his ritzy suburban community. There’s a dead body, infidelity, rich people behaving badly, and of course, designer items galore. As for my involvement? Styling Eunice Bae, who plays Grace Choi, one of the neighbors. For her slate of events, we stuck true to her sensibilities — minimalist but with some sort of design element that gives it interest. Eunice was so fun since she genuinely loves fashion and design. It felt collaborative and her instincts were dead on. Honestly we had so many backup looks but below, some of my favorites from the ones that made the cut.
First up was one of her press day looks which featured a Self-Portrait top worn with an Ashlyn skirt, and Veronica Beard sandals. Accented with Lady Gray earrings and PD Paola rings, I loved how simple it was and bonus points for not only photographing well but also being extremely comfortable for a full day of interviews. For the NYC premiere, we landed on a Beaufille dress from their Resort 2025 collection, which actually had sleeves that we twisted and pinned to create this silhouette. With statement Misho hoops, Lady Grey ring, and a Christina Caruso cuff along with Roger Vivier sandals, it struck the perfect note for her big red carpet moment without being too flashy.
And finally, for the NYC tastemakers screening, Eunice loved this House of Dagmar dress, which was in this super flattering muted gold. The red Scarosso pumps added color and it was finished off with Bliss Lau earrings and Mociun bracelet. Special thanks to Bliss Lau who introduced us and recommended me for the gig and the team that made these looks happen: Ashley DiSarro on makeup, Yuhi Kim on hair, and Martin Romero who took these photos.
Seoul Sneak Peek
Speaking of Seoul, I found myself back there two weeks ago for a work trip with Puma. While some of my time there was wrapped up with work, I did get a chance to explore including finally going to Gyeongbokgung Palace. It was a gloomy day but the overcast skies made for really cinematic photos on my new camera. Like so many others I’ve fallen for the Fujifilm x100vi. I’m still learning how to use it but I loved having it while exploring the city. During my free moments, I went all out buying skincare at Olive Young, getting a K-pop idol makeover at Bit.Boot, as well as exploring Hannam and Seongsu. And of course, I tried out Rejuran, arguably one of the more painful skin procedures, for an upcoming story I’m writing for an outlet so I can’t share too much just yet.
Rejuran, for those who aren’t familiar, is a treatment that involves injecting polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) into your skin. Dervied from salmon sperm, it can be administered in a number of ways, although being the masochist that I am, I opted for the most painful method: a dermatologist hand injecting the molecule over 100x across my forehead, cheeks, and jawline. Honestly, it was fine. I have a high pain tolerance and the thought of doing anything beyond topical numbing is TERRIFYING so I’d rate it a 6/10 with lidocaine applied to my skin. As for the results and healing time, again, take my experience with a grain of salt as my skin is very thick and turns over quickly but after six days, it was completely healed and glowing. Would I do it again? I’m curious to see what the long term effects are before committing to another treatment. Again, this has nothing to do with the pain, more so I wonder if this is the best bang for my buck or is there something else that’s more effective? TBD!
Shopping wise, the bulk of my money went straight to Olive Young where I picked up a slew of products after going down rabbit holes on TikTok. There was the requisite sunscreens, toner pads, and sheet masks but what I really wanted was the makeup, namely budge proof eyeliners and lash clusters that come with adhesive. Reviews of my favorites to come along with a few fashion spots that I enjoyed browsing, even if I didn’t buy anything. My two picks? Recto, which is a minimalist favorite that can be found on SSENSE and is best known for sleek, Phoebe Philo-esque heels and interesting basics like this asymmetrical tank. The other is Moth, a concept store in Seongsu that literally opened up the week before I went. Curated by the team at Dazed Korea, the selection of designers was incredible — very much avant-garde, exciting, and even some brands that were new to me. I’ll definitely break that down in my Seoul newsletter.
Thom Browne, Here I Come
Last weekend I headed out to Belmont Park Village, which is the latest addition to the Bicester Collection of off-price shopping destinations. I know they’re a huge deal in London but they’re new to me. As someone who has spent quite a bit of time at Woodbury over the years, I love luxury pieces for less but I also don’t drive so getting there sucks. Yes, I know there’s a bus but I also get car sick fairly easily. Belmont Park happens to be accessible via the LIRR and it’s a direct 30 minute ride from Atlantic Terminal, which I live within five minutes by walking. Plus, they have shuttles running to-and-from the station so it’s super easy. But what really sold me on going was the fact that they carry two brands that don’t exist elsewhere at the likes of Woodbury and others — Thom Browne and Vivienne Westwood. So when the team at Bicester invited me to explore, I definitely wanted to check them out.
First up is Thom Browne, which despite being a brand that I love, I own none of. Their Belmont Park location is 50% off retail, which is still on the pricey end but you can definitely find some good pieces if you’re looking to splurge a little. I was torn between the longer skirt on the left and the shorter on the right but being that one was $1,600 and the other was $750, the clear winner was the cheaper one. And looking at these photos, the mini works better on my short frame. I also loved the cardigan, which has a completely sheer back — very Sacai vibes but I know I’d get more wear out of the skirt. They also had a very good selection of classic pieces in a slew of sizes although if I had to choose, the menswear side was a tad bit better — there were some great jackets as well as a skirt that would be so cool on the right person.
Another spot unique to Belmont that I loved exploring was Vivienne Westwood. They had an incredible selection of marked down jewelry as well as plenty of corsets. Also in the window was a plaid blazer that’s a version of the one made famous in the anime Nana. I definitely tried on a few corsets but sadly they did not fit me quite right. I think I needed to embrace the uncomfortable feeling of being cinched in tightly and probably wore ones that were too big on me. But I LOVED the way they looked on the salesgirl — she looked super cool in a plaid one. And in retrospect, the pearl necklace was so fun. Go there if you want jewelry or corsets, it’s probably one of the best designer deals at Belmont Park and by far the most popular boutique.
At the moment, they’re still filling out their brand partners but come fall, it’ll be much busier. The likes of Brunello Cucinelli, Valentino, Ganni, A.P.C., Self-Portrait and Charlotte Tilbury are slated to open this year. Based on what their other locations carry, I’m hoping that a Snow Peak and a Sacai, both at their Shanghai village, makes an appearance here. Consider this my formal ask to the universe. I forgot to mention, one nice touch is that they offer hands-free shopping so everything you buy can be delivered to their concierge center. Also as a germaphobe with severe bathroom issues (I literally cannot pee anywhere that is not a clean toilet), I really loved how clean their restrooms were. Like, Tokyo levels of clean, which is the one thing I really miss in New York City. If you’re a Vivienne Westwood fan, definitely check them out because they sell those corsets super fast but if you like the other brands, head there later this year.
On that note, I’m so glad to be back on Substack! See you on Sunday where I’ll deep dive in Seoul. In the meantime, if you have questions about Seoul from treatments to products, please let me know in the comments.
Requisite disclaimer here: If you click on a link, I may get a small commission which helps support this newsletter. Also, sharing is greatly appreciated!
I made a pilgrimage to the UK Bicester Village specifically to go the Vivienne Westwood, and it was so glorious, I had palpitations! I also WhatsApp the store and ask them to check stock for certain things that are no longer in the main store/website and I've managed to get some older classics!!!!