Alexander McQueen and Vogue Korea Birth 'In the winter of 1950, in Jongno' AOC Fashion

Anne of Carversville is impressed. ‘In the winter of 1950, in Jogno’, published in the January 2025 issue of Vogue Korea, sets a new high bar in luxury-sponsored editorials. In this case the ‘wow’ goes to Alexander McQueen creative director Seán McGirr, who collaborated with models Sunghee Kim and Seungchan Lee, Vogue Korea senior fashion editor Kihoh Sohn [by Son Ki-ho above], and photographer Less Kim Tae Kyun [IG].

Perhaps they shoot movies here? I’ve been in Jogno years ago, but don’t remember these buildings. Much of Jogno is 21st century modern today, while maintaining important historic sites. Whatever the execution strategy, the result is fantastic — especially when you read the commentary by Seán McGirr woven into the fashion story presentation on Vogue Korea online, and published in the print magazine. It’s much more specific and conversational than in the typical PR interview.

The Alexander McQueen pre-spring 2025 collection featured multiple renderings of Diego Velázquez’s portrait of the ‘Pope Innocent X [1650] executed in a silk twinset and the collection’s centerpiece – an asymmetrically draped dress that focuses on Pope Innocent’s right hand clutching a letter addressed to him by Velázquez, featured above.

What is clear is that multiple silhouettes designed by McGirr in his pre-spring or resort 2025 collection resonated with the Vogue Korea team as being totally harmonious with the Jogno district of Seoul in 1950. That dialogue accompanies the images, reinforcing my comment that this is not your typical PR designer interview.

The production all feels very handcrafted and tailored for a specific audience — and that is a beautiful quality for a fashion story to have. We are the voyeurs appreciating the South Korean connection in Vogue Korea.