Korean Fashion Designer Rejina Pyo’s Guide to Seoul

Synonymous with her modern, off-kilter and playful twists on everyday dressing, London-based Korean fashion designer and tastemaker Rejina Pyo grew up in Seoul and returns there each year. She lets her hair down at Kockiri nightclub, people watches at 10 Corso Como and finds noodles are best shared at Woo Lae Oak.

My parents are based in Gangnam, an incredibly busy part of Seoul, so this is where I stay when I’m in Korea. We also have a little cottage in Icheon, among rice fields in the middle of nowhere. It’s very peaceful – the antithesis of Gangnam.

I think of Seoul as the New York of Asia, with an energy that’s palpable and a sense that anything’s possible. This has become even more evident in recent years with the surge in popularity of all things Korean, from cinema and music to beauty products and, of course, the delicious food. Every time I return to Seoul I come away feeling inspired.

Best place for authentic Korean food? Woo Lae Oak is an old-school place serving Korean barbecue and cold noodles. There are two types of noodles: one is a mild icy soup and the other is fiery with a spicy sauce, and it’s always a dilemma, so when we go we share half and half.

What I crave most when I arrive in Korea is tteokbokki and twigim, a street-food snack of rice cakes in spicy sauce served with prawn and vegetable tempura. You can find them in high-end food halls as well as street food carts dotted around the city. Just pull up a stool or prop yourself up at the counter and enjoy it.

If you’re in the mood for a party, Kockiri nightclub is fun, with a young hipster crowd and great DJs, so it’s always good for dancing. Itaewon is also a cool area to check out, famed for its great for bars and clubs.

For the best fashion in the city, I love Beaker and 10 Corso Como, they’re right beside each other and good spots for people watching too. There’s also amazing vintage shopping in Seoul, for this I love Gwanjang Market.

My favourite hotel? Rakkojae is a beautiful han-ok, carefully refurbished to preserve all its original features. It’s an oasis of calm amid the intensity of the city. A morning spent enjoying one of its traditional tea ceremonies is a truly wonderful experience: magnolia tea served in beautiful bowls in the style of those originally used in the Joseon dynasty, alongside handmade traditional Korean desserts.

Something a visitor can’t leave without seeing? The palaces of Seoul are a must. Gyeongbokgung is enormous, with a museum attached that gives you a sense of what it might have been like to live in Seoul in times gone by. The Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza is also impressive – and it’s home to Seoul fashion week.

It’s hard to beat the views from the top of the Namsan Tower, even though it’s touristy. For first-time visitors to Seoul I always recommend it, as it gives you a great perspective over the city.

Sharing food is non- negotiable to Koreans, so to immerse yourself in true Korean culture, you need to fully embrace the sharing culture at mealtimes and forget about the western ideal of ordering one dish for yourself.