Jean-Louis Breguet and Cha Hee-ju (1)
Haesol Textile, President’s Office.
Jung Seung-hyun stared absently at the glittering invitation card lying on his desk.
Invitation to the Motion-X NEW S/S Showcase
“Should I go…?”
To be honest, Seung-hyun did not feel like going at all.
He already had his hands full dealing with Jean-Louis Breguet, who was currently enjoying snacks on the sofa in the president’s office.
Besides, Antoine Arnault of Loro Piana had specifically asked him to look after the man, and Seung-hyun had plenty of other work to handle.
Still, they had gone so far as to collaborate with Hanil Global and develop the fabric together, so if he skipped the event just because he was busy, that would bother him too.
“Do you have something on your mind?”
After acknowledging the GyeolBit bedding line once, Jean-Louis had settled into the sofa as if he had never once made that sulky face.
Though the snacks had come from a department store, he seemed to have taken a liking to Korean treats as well, wearing a satisfied smile as he ate.
“It’s not a big problem. Just something a little annoying.”
“Something…?”
“Actually, our Haesol Textile produces a fabric called Aero Coolbreeze, and a golfwear brand made with that fabric, Motion-X, is holding an event.”
“Oh, really?”
Seeing that he seemed interested, Seung-hyun asked, “Are you curious?”
“I’ve seen the Aero Coolbreeze fabric. The level of the functional fabric is quite impressive. I can’t help being curious.”
After hearing his opinion, Seung-hyun immediately sent Hanil Global a message.
[Would it be all right if I brought one person with me to today’s event? He is not from Haesol Textile.]
The message went out, and a reply came almost at once.
[Of course.]
“Vice President, would you like to come to the event with me?”
“Oh, may I? I’d be delighted.”
Seeing the expectant look on his face, Seung-hyun felt sure he would have been disappointed if he hadn’t been invited along.
The place they arrived at was CONNEXT Hall, a large event venue in the middle of Gangnam.
A banner announcing the Motion-X showcase decorated the entire outer wall of the venue, and the lobby glittered with a sleek panoramic display.
Seung-hyun stepped out of the luxury sedan and walked along the red carpeted entrance beneath the soft lighting.
Jean-Louis Breguet followed beside him, glancing around as if stretching his senses to take in everything at once.
Even after finishing a long business trip earlier that day, he still cut a refined figure in a sharp suit, with quiet confidence written all over him.
And yet, because he was entering a Korean fashion brand’s event as a VIP guest, he still seemed faintly out of place, his steps a little stiff and unnatural.
As soon as they entered the venue, a massive stage and dazzling spotlights that rivaled a fashion show seized his attention.
On the central stage, clothing suited to Motion-X’s golfwear line was arranged in a row, bright in color and striking in functionality.
On the right side, a casual line seemed to be on display as well, with minimalist pieces that would not look out of place as everyday wear.
Here and there, large panels stood with the brand logo and the words NEW S/S Collection.
The background music was lively yet luxurious, while brown-toned stage pieces and video screens kept cycling without pause, as if to emphasize that this was the front line of fashion trends.
“Wow, it’s flashy.”
Seung-hyun let out a quiet exclamation, and Jean-Louis gave a faintly puzzled remark.
“The production is more sophisticated than I expected. For a simple golfwear brand event, this scale is impressive.”
“Yes, I hear Hanil Global threw everything it had into this season.”
Since he was not especially interested, his explanation came out sounding almost soulless, but just then someone approached them.
“You’re here.”
The first to greet Seung-hyun was Executive Director Kim I-su.
He glanced at the foreigner standing beside Seung-hyun and tilted his head slightly.
The man looked vaguely familiar too.
Ever since being caught off guard by Gabriel Moreau once before, Kim I-su did not let his guard down in the slightest. He greeted the foreigner as well and handed over a business card.
“I’m Kim I-su, Executive Director of Hanil Global.”
“Jean-Louis.”
Seeing Jean-Louis avoid naming the company, Seung-hyun tilted his head.
It did not seem like he was deliberately hiding it. Maybe he just couldn’t be bothered?
He did not know the reason, but since it was not his problem, he let it go and asked, “Who’s taking part today?”
“Professional golfers Jo Jumin and Joo Heejin.”
Even Seung-hyun, who did not know much about golf, knew those names.
“Oh, I see.”
“As for entertainers, comedian Byun Du-seong, who appears often on golf channels, came as well, and actor Noh Seong-jin is participating too.”
“Yes… But there really wasn’t any need to include me, was there…?”
At the question, Kim I-su gave an awkward laugh.
“Actually, the president personally asked that you come.”
“President Jeong Man-sik?”
Hanil Global’s President Jeong Man-sik was looking for him?
It was not exactly ominous, but it was a little curious.
“Yes. He’s in a meeting with people from the group headquarters right now, so you should be able to meet him soon.”
“Does he have something he wants to tell me?”
When Seung-hyun clearly showed that he found it burdensome, Kim I-su felt a little dumbfounded inside, though he kept it out of his face.
“Well. I wouldn’t know.”
It was absurd enough that the president of Hanil Global had asked for a meeting, and yet the man openly looked displeased. Still, the level of Haesol Textile’s technology was worth recognizing; even so, it was only a mid-sized company, so wasn’t that a little much?
“All right. We’ll look around for a bit, then.”
“Please do.”
After Kim I-su walked away, Jean-Louis asked, “I heard you have quite a refined eye for fashion.”
It was an unexpected comment.
“Did Antoine tell you that?”
“No. Camille did.”
Thinking of Camille, who carried herself with the elegance of a noblewoman yet looked like Antoine Arnault’s secretary, Seung-hyun nodded.
“Ah. I wouldn’t say I’m especially knowledgeable, but I’m interested.”
Jean-Louis pursed his lips and carefully examined Motion-X’s products.
Seung-hyun also looked over the new pieces arranged throughout the booth. Under the lights, the leggings and golfwear tops gleamed, their neon accents and high-tech materials combining to draw the eye.
In another section, casual jackets with assorted graphic patterns, crop tops, oversized pants, and lightweight jumpers were lined up in a way that made them impossible to ignore.
Seung-hyun’s curiosity pulled him in, and he began touching the clothes one by one.
As always, he gauged the weave and fabric density with his fingertips, and then that familiar sensation of a subtle status window opening in his mind would follow.
For example, when he lightly lifted a flashy printed golf top, he saw:
Completeness = 91%
Fabric Quality = A-Grade
Durability = 87.0%
Product Value = 71.2%
“Huh?”
Seung-hyun was startled.
The piece was so well-made that its completeness reached 91 percent and its fabric quality was listed as A-Grade, yet its product value was only 71 percent?
Unable to make sense of it, Seung-hyun studied the garment for quite some time.
“Why? Has something caught your interest?”
At Jean-Louis’s question, Seung-hyun tipped his head slightly and said, “Interest isn’t quite the word. I mean…”
“…”
Seung-hyun bit his lip lightly, did not finish the sentence, and moved on.
Intrigued by the reaction, Jean-Louis followed behind him.
As Seung-hyun kept walking, he picked up a pair of functional pants on display nearby.
Completeness = 90.4%
Fabric Quality = A-Grade
Durability = 89.0%
Product Value = 75.2%
Seung-hyun grew puzzled.
The design and quality themselves seemed good, so why was the product value stuck in the seventies?
“What exactly are you looking at so seriously?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just… since these are clothes made with our fabric, I’d like them to sell well, but…”
Jean-Louis’s eyes widened, and a teasing expression crossed his face.
“Oh, so you’re predicting poor sales?”
“I’m not saying it necessarily will be, but I don’t think the sales volume will be tremendous.”
“Hoho. The more I learn about you, the more curious I become. Is that why Antoine likes you? Hmm… Then let me ask you one thing. Could you pick just one design here that you think will sell best?”
His question was a little sharp.
If Seung-hyun picked one design, he could no longer speak in broad generalities. It would also reveal exactly why he had made the claim he just did.
Seung-hyun was, naturally, confident.
As soon as he touched the fabric, the product value would appear.
“All right.”
And the more he impressed him, the better it would be for Haesol Textile, so there was no reason to refuse.
After touching one piece after another, Seung-hyun finally found a golf top and bottoms set in a fairly plain color with a comfortable fit, tucked in a corner.
Completeness = 88.4%
Fabric Quality = A-Grade
Durability = 87.3%
Product Value = 88.2%
At last, he had found a product in the upper eighties.
But although the outfit was pretty, its design was more ordinary than the pieces displayed up front, and it was not even made with Aero Coolbreeze fabric.
Wondering why its product value was so high, he studied it for a while before suddenly checking the price tag.
[130,000 won]
Could it be that?
Seung-hyun checked the price tags on the other clothes just in case and found that most of them ranged from 200,000 to 300,000 won.
So the factor that determined product value was the price.
If consumers could easily find cheaper or similarly high-quality alternatives, then even a high level of design completion would not suddenly drive sales upward.
But his curiosity did not end there.
He had heard that this year’s golfwear was not especially more expensive than last year’s. So why were consumers feeling it was expensive only this year?
While Seung-hyun was deep in thought, Jean-Louis, who had been watching him carefully from beside him, spoke up.
“Have you made your decision?”
At the question, Seung-hyun quickly collected himself and pointed to the light-green top-and-bottom set with the most ordinary design.
“I’ll take that one.”
“Are you serious? You think that’s the best-selling item here?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
For a moment, Seung-hyun found himself at a loss for words.
He could not exactly answer that it was simply because its product value was the highest.
Then, suddenly, the people passing outside the venue caught his eye.
Most of them would glance inside with curiosity, then move on after deciding there were not even many celebrities worth noticing.
Only then did he remember the news about how the economy this year had frozen far more than last year.
“Because consumers have it harder now.”
“Hm? You really think so? Golfwear isn’t targeted at the average consumer. It should be aimed at the middle class and above, no?”
Meeting his doubtful gaze, Seung-hyun answered calmly.
“That’s true. But the golf market has been declining little by little, and since last year there’s been a record-level recession. Aero Coolbreeze is an excellent fabric, and Motion-X’s designs this year are strong, but fundamentally Motion-X is golfwear aimed not at people in their forties and older, but at people in their twenties and thirties. I imagine the number of young people enjoying golf this year has dropped sharply. And if they’re going to buy golfwear anyway, then that design is probably the best choice, since it’s pretty and clearly marks itself as a new item for this season.”
“Hoho. Impressive. You didn’t choose it from a design perspective, but by predicting this year’s market and domestic demand… You’re clearly more suited to being a businessman than a designer. In that sense, I can’t help admiring Bernard and Antoine’s judgment once again.”
“My choice could still be wrong.”
“Of course it could. But the fact that you considered consumers’ wallets before making your choice is enough to make me trust your decision-making.”
“I appreciate you saying that.”
Seung-hyun smiled faintly, then asked, “Then what design did you choose, Jean-Louis…?”
This time, as Seung-hyun was asking his question, there was someone watching them from about five steps behind.
A middle-aged man of ordinary height and ordinary looks, but with a sharp gleam in his eyes.
It was Han Se-gyeol, the executive director, a man who could stand before President Jeong Man-sik without flinching and say exactly what he had to say.
‘That’s the one that’ll sell best?’
And Han Se-gyeol had just heard Seung-hyun’s words and begun to sink into thought.