'Squid Game' director is the creative genius behind Louis Vuitton's vision for the women's pre-fall show 2023

Once the sun set on Seoul’s Hangang River on April 29, Louis Vuitton’s runway show, revealing its women’s Pre-Fall 2023 collection unfolded on the iconic double-decker Jamsugyo Bridge, right in the middle of South Korea’s capital city, which has long served as a muse for the luxury goods giant. Louis Vuitton is known for staging fashion shows at architecturally significant landmarks around the world—from a dockside show in Shanghai to a cruise show at a famous museum in Rio de Janeiro. 

In a string of firsts, it marks the bridge’s debut as a venue for a fashion show, and it also happens to be Louis Vuitton’s first-ever Pre-Fall show. Nicolas Ghesquière, the artistic director of women’s collections at the fashion house, has collaborated with renowned film director Hwang Dong-hyuk, known for his hit Netflix series Squid Game, to be the creative advisor by working on the show’s scenography. Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game is a worldwide phenomenon and became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows in history when it released in 2021.

The brand has had a longstanding and successful association with Seoul—the first LV store opened in the city in 1991. Since then, the metropolis has been a major source of inspiration—from the “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibition in 2017, to being the setting for the Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul. Presently, LV has 35 stores in South Korea, of which 18 are in Seoul.

Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, expressed his excitement at the show being held in the city. He said, "I am thrilled to have Louis Vuitton’s first-ever Pre-Fall fashion show in the vibrant capital city of Seoul, showcasing artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière’s vision for the collection. A cultural hub that continues to draw global attention, Seoul shares a common spirit with Louis Vuitton for pioneering the future, reimagining creativity, and nurturing savoir-faire.”

This is only the first in a series of initiatives by the French brand and the Korean government to promote the Hangang River, a lifeline to the city’s residents—it provides water to the majority of South Koreans. Simply called the Han by the locals, it also serves as the pulsating heart for Seoul’s cultural activities—its banks are lined with pedestrian walkways, buzzing restaurants, public parks, and more. 

LV plans to add river attractions to the Seoul edition of its popular Louis Vuitton City Guide, install a book kiosk during the Jamsugyo Bridge Walking Festival, and participate in several short-term and long-term projects to promote biodiversity and preserve natural resources.

This plan is in line with the fact that 2023-24 is the Visit Korea Year, with the Korea Tourism Organization planning events, attractive travel packages, and promotional campaigns over the next two years.