Bad World is an occasional column by Toni Thai Sterrett, a filmmaker, futurist, and founder focused on the intersection of fashion and technology. Seoul, South Korea is not just a vibe—it’s a lesson. In an era in which inflation is skyrocketing and global unrest is palpable, there’s a sense of ease in embracing minimalism, a lesson we might want to borrow from Seoul’s fashion scene. In September, Toni traveled to South Korea for an event at the Avalanche House, which included a fireside chat about the future of fashion with Legitimate CEO Calvin Chan, moderated by Tiffany Lai of Ava Labs. One revelation was that Seoul’s fashion wasn’t about extravagance—it’s about essence. Seoul’s embrace of minimalism and comfortable clothing suggests a way of living not dictated by excess, but by meaningful choice. Toni’s biggest takeaway was that Seoul does not have a “bad bitch culture.” Instead, they embrace loose-fitting clothing as an embodiment of comfort, function, and style. Everywhere Toni looked, there was a focus on monochrome outfits, which exudes a sense of calm and stability. This has been further highlighted at events like Frieze Seoul, which embraces the intersection of fashion, technology, and art more robustly than the Fashion Week organizers. Toni believes we should take a cue from Seoul and leverage technology to break free from traditional confines of consumerism. In these times of inflation and unrest, the fusion of modesty, technology, and sustainability can guide us towards a more harmonious and conscious existence. #SeoulFashionWeek #KoreaBlockchainWeek #FashionTechnology #MinimalismLifestyle
You can read more about this topic here: Decrypt: Fashion Dreams of Tomorrow as Art, Crypto, and Style Collide in Seoul
