A Korean Magnificence Tour With Comme Si’s Jenni Lee

Though she travels to Korea yearly, Jenni Lee’s newest go to was further particular. The founder and designer behind sock and loungewear model Comme Si travelled to Seoul—together with her husband and toddler in tow—to rejoice and showcase her collaboration with USM Modular Furnishings. Impressed by conventional Korean hanok structure, the gathering contains particular version loungewear and eight custom-designed furnishings items, a few of which incorporate Comme Si’s signature textiles. Under, Lee walks us by means of her journey, from the wonder merchandise she picked as much as the ‘80s-themed restaurant she referred to as her “favourite.”

Expensive ITG,

I’m writing to you after spending 10 days in Korea. I stay in LA, however as a child, I went there each summer season to go to household. This time round, I went to showcase my {custom} furnishings assortment for USM in Seoul at 10 Corso Como. USM makes a number of the finest modular furnishings round (if I do say so myself). My assortment was impressed by Korean architects and conventional hanok designs, after which I personalized the items even additional by utilizing linen from the corporate I based, Comme Si. We debuted the furnishings assortment in New York, however it made numerous sense to showcase it in Korea, too. So when the chance happened, my husband and I made a decision to make use of the journey to introduce the nation to our toddler.

We particularly deliberate a daytime flight as a result of we didn’t wish to threat our son not sleeping on a red-eye and disturbing everybody else. The flight was a whopping 13.5 hours, however we landed within the night. That’s truly a extremely good trick for jet lag on the best way there as a result of we went to mattress as quickly because the airplane landed, after which we had been able to go the subsequent day. Coming again is a distinct story although…

Earlier than I journey, I often do my nighttime skincare routine whatever the time as a result of I do know it’s going to be further dry on the airplane. The primary star is Aestura’s Atobarrier 365 cream. It’s been the primary winter cream in Korea for six years straight. I bought it on my final journey to Korea truly. It’s wonderful. And I’ve a little bit onerous case package that I at all times take with me. It has Beekeeper’s Naturals propolis throat spray so that you don’t get sick, Laneige lip balm, Tamburins hand lotion, Purell, and Huxley face mist. I additionally had my Great thing about Joseon Aid Solar Aqua-Recent SPF, Sulwhasoo Clarifying Masks, Medicube, and Aestura Atobarrier 365 Hydro Cera-HA Ampoule with me.

We stayed within the Yongsan district, which is close to downtown Seoul, for the primary half of the journey. It’s good as a result of it has a direct path to the Mount Namsan cross and forest. There’s a little bit child’s forest, too. After a handful of days we moved over to the Grand Intercontinental Parnas Resort within the Gangnam space as a result of we needed to be close to 10 Corso Como. The resort is definitely hooked up to the COEX Mall—well-known for its large library and aquarium—so you may go immediately from the resort to the Hyundai division retailer inside. In Korea, shops have all the things from groceries to clothes. They actually have a meals court docket and correct fantastic eating eating places. You might spend the entire day in them in the event you needed to.

In fact the wonder procuring in Seoul was next-level. There have been so many good merchandise that I acquired overwhelmed. Rejuran’s face and neck cream is admittedly standard proper now. It has salmon sperm DNA, which individuals have been injecting into their pores and skin, too. Truthfully, once I went to at least one pharmacy, the pharmacist was tremendous blunt and instructed me that it is not going to magically change my pores and skin. ‘It’s simply one other cream,’ he instructed me. I ended up displaying him extra merchandise and he’d inform me in the event that they had been price it or not. I did purchase a few bottles of pharmaceutical D-Panthenol’s diaper rash cream. Just like the Aestura moisturizer, it’s actually good for dry or chapped pores and skin. And there was a lot at Olive Younger, a well being and wonder retailer, too. I acquired a bunch of lip merchandise from Hince and a cushion basis from Fwee for my mother.

I acquired some facial laser therapies proper once I acquired to Korea. Since I had the Corso Como launch, I couldn’t do something that was going to depart my face uncooked or unseemly, however I acquired Onda and Titanium. They aim particular layers of the dermis to tighten and raise. You’re speculated to do them in repetition for the very best outcomes, however I solely had time to get them performed two occasions. They instructed me I’d see a distinction about two weeks later and that was positively the case. I simply seemed refreshed and brighter.

We ate a lot through the journey. We went to numerous hole-in-the-walls. I liked how the eating places didn’t have huge menus, simply six or seven objects that had been all wonderful. My favourite was Nanpo, this ‘80s-themed restaurant. I took my mother with my son, and she or he stored commenting how nostalgic the meals was. Oh, and I used to be capable of attempt Ashotchu, a well-liked drink that has a shot of espresso with a little bit little bit of iced peach tea. The mixture of the sweetness from the tea and the bitterness from the espresso was so yummy.

I attempt to go to Korea fairly ceaselessly, and it’s at all times fascinating to see how a lot issues change, even within the span of a yr. The retail setting is so revolutionary and it strikes so shortly, so for me, it was actually fulfilling to see individuals in a distinct market react to Comme Si and the exhibit total. I didn’t develop up in Korea—I solely visited—however I’ve a love for the standard structure and translating that into the furnishings and having individuals who stay there say that my perspective is a contemporary interpretation was actually, actually wonderful.

Love,
Jenni Lee

—As instructed to Daise Bedolla

Pictures courtesy of Jenni Lee and Comme Si