DAEGU — Korea’s fashion legends who have contributed to shaping the K-fashion industry of today and their iconic works are on display in southeastern city of Daegu, a city known for the rich history of its textile industry.

A special exhibition titled “Fashion Designers: People who Lead Culture,” currently underway at the Daegu Textile Museum, offers a glimpse into the world of Korean fashion icons from as early as right after the 1950-53 Korean War until the 2000s when K-fashion rose to global prominence, fueled by hallyu, or the Korean wave.

This exhibition focuses on the role of fashion designers in shaping the evolution of contemporary fashion culture. The first part of the exhibition 토토 features the designers of the 1950s who persevered and cultivated fashion culture despite the harsh conditions following the war.

“While the nation was struggling with poverty amid the devastation of the 1950s, Myeong-dong was already witnessing the emergence of fashionistas donning fur coats and women working as dressmakers in small boutiques. Modern fashion culture had begun to take shape,” said Moon Jae-eun, curator of the Daegu Textile Museum.

“This was a period when Europe, recovering from the World Wars, was introducing revolutionary styles like Christian Dior’s New Look. Remarkably, even in the impoverished and tumultuous Korea of the 1950s, fashion designers were present and receptive to European trends.”

As the epicenter of Korean fashion, Myeong-dong was where global trends converged. It was home to the first generation of Korean fashion designers who, together with cultural influencers, introduced international styles to the public. The rise of dressmaking shops cemented Myeong-dong’s status as the heart of 20th-century Korean fashion.