Although she travels to Korea yearly, Jenni Lee’s latest go to was extra explicit. The founder and designer behind sock and loungewear mannequin Comme Si travelled to Seoul—alongside along with her husband and toddler in tow—to have enjoyable and showcase her collaboration with USM Modular Furnishings. Impressed by standard Korean hanok construction, the gathering comprises explicit model loungewear and eight custom-designed furnishings objects, just a few of which incorporate Comme Si’s signature textiles. Below, Lee walks us through her journey, from the surprise merchandise she picked as a lot because the ‘80s-themed restaurant she often known as her “favorite.”
Costly ITG,
I’m writing to you after spending 10 days in Korea. I keep in LA, nonetheless as a baby, I went there every summer season to go to family. This time spherical, I went to showcase my {{custom}} furnishings assortment for USM in Seoul at 10 Corso Como. USM makes plenty of the best modular furnishings spherical (if I do say so myself). My assortment was impressed by Korean architects and traditional hanok designs, after which I personalised the objects even extra by using linen from the company I primarily based, Comme Si. We debuted the furnishings assortment in New York, but it surely absolutely made numerous sense to showcase it in Korea, too. So when the possibility came about, my husband and I decided to utilize the journey to introduce the nation to our toddler.
We significantly deliberate a daytime flight on account of we didn’t want to hazard our son not sleeping on a red-eye and disturbing all people else. The flight was a whopping 13.5 hours, nonetheless we landed throughout the night time. That’s actually an excellent trick for jet lag on one of the simplest ways there on account of we went to mattress as rapidly as a result of the plane landed, after which we’ve got been capable of go the next day. Coming once more is a singular story though…
Sooner than I journey, I usually do my nighttime skincare routine regardless of the time on account of I do realize it’s going to be extra dry on the plane. The first star is Aestura’s Atobarrier 365 cream. It’s been the first winter cream in Korea for six years straight. I purchased it on my ultimate journey to Korea actually. It’s excellent. And I’ve considerably exhausting case bundle that I always take with me. It has Beekeeper’s Naturals propolis throat spray so that you just don’t get sick, Laneige lip balm, Tamburins hand lotion, Purell, and Huxley face mist. I moreover had my Improbable factor about Joseon Discount Photo voltaic Aqua-Up to date SPF, Sulwhasoo Clarifying Masks, Medicube, and Aestura Atobarrier 365 Hydro Cera-HA Ampoule with me.
We stayed throughout the Yongsan district, which is near downtown Seoul, for the first half of the journey. It’s good on account of it has a direct path to the Mount Namsan cross and forest. There’s considerably little one’s forest, too. After a handful of days we moved over to the Grand Intercontinental Parnas Resort throughout the Gangnam house on account of we wished to be near 10 Corso Como. The lodge is certainly related to the COEX Mall—well-known for its massive library and aquarium—so you can go immediately from the lodge to the Hyundai division retailer inside. In Korea, malls have each little factor from groceries to garments. Additionally they have a meals court docket docket and proper efficient consuming consuming locations. You’d spend the complete day in them in the event you occur to wished to.
In truth the surprise buying in Seoul was next-level. There have been so many good merchandise that I acquired overwhelmed. Rejuran’s face and neck cream is totally well-liked correct now. It has salmon sperm DNA, which people have been injecting into their pores and pores and skin, too. Truly, after I went to at the very least one pharmacy, the pharmacist was large blunt and instructed me that it is not going to magically change my pores and pores and skin. ‘It’s merely one different cream,’ he instructed me. I ended up exhibiting him additional merchandise and he’d inform me within the occasion that they’ve been worth it or not. I did buy just a few bottles of pharmaceutical D-Panthenol’s diaper rash cream. Similar to the Aestura moisturizer, it’s really good for dry or chapped pores and pores and skin. And there was quite a bit at Olive Youthful, a nicely being and surprise retailer, too. I acquired a bunch of lip merchandise from Hince and a cushion foundation from Fwee for my mom.
I acquired some facial laser treatments correct after I acquired to Korea. Since I had the Corso Como launch, I couldn’t do one thing that was going to depart my face raw or unseemly, nonetheless I acquired Onda and Titanium. They goal explicit layers of the dermis to tighten and elevate. You’re imagined to do them in repetition for the perfect outcomes, nonetheless I solely had time to get them carried out two situations. They instructed me I’d see a distinction about two weeks later and that was undoubtedly the case. I merely regarded refreshed and brighter.
We ate quite a bit in the middle of the journey. We went to numerous hole-in-the-walls. I beloved how the consuming locations didn’t have massive menus, merely six or seven devices which have been all excellent. My favorite was Nanpo, this ‘80s-themed restaurant. I took my mom with my son, and he or she saved commenting how nostalgic the meals was. Oh, and I was ready to try Ashotchu, a most well-liked drink that has a shot of espresso with considerably little little bit of iced peach tea. The combination of the sweetness from the tea and the bitterness from the espresso was so yummy.
I try to go to Korea pretty ceaselessly, and it’s always fascinating to see how quite a bit points change, even throughout the span of a yr. The retail environment is so progressive and it strikes so quickly, so for me, it was really fulfilling to see of us in a singular market react to Comme Si and the exhibit normal. I didn’t develop up in Korea—I solely visited—nonetheless I’ve a love for the conventional construction and translating that into the furnishings and having people who keep there say that my perspective is a recent interpretation was really, really excellent.
Love,
Jenni Lee
—As instructed to Daise Bedolla
Footage courtesy of Jenni Lee and Comme Si