“What are your favorite shows for men?” I asked one of the students I had spoken to the day before. “Song Zio for sure because of its masculinity and manliness,’ said Cha Do Ri, with his Mohawk hair and wearing a black side buttoning coat, grey long t-shirt , black slim jeans, leather lace up boots and a leather handbag strapped to his shoulders.

“Definitely General Idea and Song Zio. It’s a mixed of vintage and classic reworked,” said Kim Yang Hoon who was wearing a black tailored jacket-coat, a black boat neck t-shirt, a brown leather belt, dark blue slim jeans, and black leather boots.

“What about you? Who would you wear?” I asked Lee Ji Hoon, who was in a blue wool jacket, a brownish red sweater, a brown and light blue plaid button down shirt, black slim pants, khaki Timberland boots, and a black leather messenger bag. “General Idea of course. It’s neat and slim fit.”

“What did you order?” I asked Michael Dovan from the Traffic store in Los Angeles. “We are looking at three lines, including CY Choi. We have an appointment to see what prices the goods will be.” Prices seemed to be an obstacle to sell these collections abroad, as they have to compete with the other international designer collections, at least at the retail level where they should hang together. “The profiles of the designers here have to be raised on par with other international designer so that the prices can be comparable,” I said. The designers who have invested in taking their collections abroad to Paris or New York–like Song Zio, Choi Bum Suk of General Idea, and Juun.J–have benefited from the exposure to fashion on an international level where they have to compete with other designer brands small or large. Maybe that’s why all the modeling students only mentioned their brands when I asked them about their favorite collections this week.

“Sales of Juun.J and Song Zio have increased a great deal over the past year since they have done their fashion show in Paris,” said Imad Fradj from the MC2 showroom in Paris one morning over breakfast of oyster noodles and beef mushroom soup. Mr. Fradj has represented both collections since their arrival to Paris: “It makes a huge difference to get people familiar with your name and your collection and this does not happen overnight.” Raising these designers’ profiles abroad is a long-term commitment for the few collections that can actually compete in the global arena.