Dosan Park – The Unexpected Face of Evolving Southern Chic

Trendspotting

Scores of clinics dot Dosan Road, although many?plastic surgery clinics, dental clinics and dermatology clinics?are more for accommodating the trends du jour than for healing illnesses. If you approach the memorial park from the Dosan Road side, you may find the area rather dull at first, as the big road looks barren but for a few foreign car exhibition spaces and office buildings.
When you start exploring the smaller roads leading to the park, however, flagship stores for such familiar designer names as Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, and Ann Demeulemeester appear, as well as some local brands like Kolon FnC?s Series Corner. True, the number of design shops here pales in comparison to those nestled in nearby Cheongdam-dong, but the fact that these shops opened here within less than a year testifies to up-and-comingness of the area. These flagship stores often house cozy caf?s or artsy galleries alongside quality displays, so if you can overlook some irritatingly unaffordable price tags, windowshopping in this area could be quite a fulfilling experience.
Maison Herm?s Dosan Park, which opened way back in 2007, may deserve a special mention. It is reportedly one of a mere four such comprehensive stores worldwide for the global brand. Herm?s commands a loyal following among Korean women with its fashionable purses and scarves, and its maison is located on the road leading up to the main gate of the Dosan Park.
The brand has established itself as a sort of Maecenas, too, giving away annual art awards to a crop of talented contemporary Korean artists. The winners? works are on display in a gallery on the third floor. At the basement level, Caf? Madang offers shelves of books from various countries, including a corner for children?s books.

Brunch Paradise

The Dosan Park area first gained a reputation as a brunch heaven rather than a fashion street. The caf? ?Walking Slowly,? which has now moved closer to Cheongdam-dong and opened branches in northern Seoul as well, started the trend here with its ?slow food? menu. In the wake of the caf? came a horde of brunch and dining places?Gran Ciel, My Ssong, Ceci Cera and Bless Kitchen, to name but a few. While slightly varying in their main dishes and atmosphere, these places have a few things in common: sophisticated interiors that somehow create a quirky European feel, and pricey menus that invariably come with 10% V.A.T. on top.
Also of special note is the restaurant Gorilla in the Kitchen, which is owned by actor Bae Yongjoon. Bae has been known and worshipped as ?Yonsama? by Japanese women since his appearance on the hit Korean TV drama ?Winter Sonata,? and his popularity seems to have cemented the restaurant as a must-go destination for Japanese tourists on pilgrimage. Some could actually be seen wandering into Dosan Park after coming out of the restaurant, since the restaurant is located directly in front of the park?s main gate. An accidental visit to the Dosan Memorial Hall inside the park may provide an unexpected history lesson as a result of the Korean Wave.

Evolving Taste

Apgujeong-dong, the first apex of southern Seoul?s luxury triangle, had Rodeo Street, which served as a hangout place for the ?Orange Tribe?? a term coined by the local media in the mid-’90s for rich kids spoiled by their nouveau riche parents, sporting fancy cars and ?foreign? tastes acquired from their experience living overseas. Then came Cheongdam-dong, which was known for its boutique shops and fancy dining places with a cooler minimalist atmosphere.
The Dosan Park area is to some extent an evolving extension of both areas, in spirit as well as geography. The appearances are far less pronounced, with some of the boutique shops or art galleries almost hiding in corners behind scarcely visible signs. A look over the menus of restaurants and caf?s reveals that most items are derived from European cuisines of sophisticated varieties?though a styled-up version of fish and chips selling for almost 20,000 won might be an exception. The trend here is largely aimed at the organic and ?wellness,? with a bit of chic added in and some well-loaded purses.