Capturing the “backstage” behind the “glamour” of the fashion industry, The Fabulous threads on a story of dreams, love, and friendship.
Set to premiere on December 23, The Fabulous stars Chae Soo Bin, Choi Minho, Lee Sang Woon, and Park Hee Jung. They portray four friends who ignite their passion in the fashion industry filled with challenges and humiliations.
Luxury brand marketer Pyo Ji-eun, photographer Ji Woo-min, designer Joseph, and supermodel Ye Seon-ho strive hard to protect the colleagues they work with
as evident conflicts arise.
Albeit the harsh realities they face to withstand the pressure of their careers, they get by with the genuine friendship they share with each other.
Before the official launch on Netflix, the lead stars and Director Kim Jeong Hyeon meet the press to disclose more insights about the series. In true fashion industry vibe, they were also interestingly introduced by strutting on a catwalk.
Spectacular Creative Process and Preparations
Conveying his thoughts, Director Kim Jeong-hyeon said that after reading the script of The Fabulous he felt that it was a simple but hip series that broke away from the conventional feel of the romantic comedy
genre.
“I gained inspirations from fashion documentaries and videos, and focused the directing on the right harmony and balance of reality and drama. I conducted research and interviews in advance with people from various fields who are engaged in the actual fashion industry, and embedded their passion and pride that I felt firsthand.”
In particular, Kang Ji Hye, who has worked in the fashion industry for approximately 20 years, taking on many different jobs ranging from an assistant at a fashion magazine to a creative director, participated as the creative consultant for the series.
Creative consultant Kang Ji Hye made the best efforts to recreate the fashion industry that not only consists of just the splendor but also involves those who are bustling backstage for the work they love, and the genuineness of those people who are working backstage.
Director Kim added, “Since the script is based on the stories of those who are actually working in the industry and not based on an outside-in perspective, while it may be adapted to a certain extent, it would mostly include stories that are more realistic than any other drama series.”
Notably, Director Kim Jeong-hyeon discovered the “passion for the fashion they are pursuing, pride for what is beautiful, and self-confidence” in the fashion people that he met through interviews, and reflected these traits in the characters who appear as a marketer, photographer, designer and model in the series.
A Story of Friendship, Love and Chasing Dreams
The Fabulous follows the everyday lives of four friends who are ‘passionate’ ‘fashion’ people who want to succeed in both their career and love life, and at the same time, the series presents diverse and interesting stories that involve various types of people such as stylists, editor-in-chief, influencers, famous designers, and VIP clients.
The four friends, who get up twice after falling once, are maturing in the process amidst people with sharp uniqueness and a flood of work, and they will represent and encourage everyone who lives fiercely every day.
Taking turns to describe their characters, the lead stars were revealed to be shy at first when they first got together.
“She is a luxury brand manager. She likes pretty things when she was young. She got to work in the publicity team. It was hard but she never lost her passion.” – Chae Soo Bin
“He’s not eager and does not have a lifelong goal but has a lot of thoughts inside his head. He resembles Minho except for a passionate heart. He has everything but a passion. As he meets with Ji Eun, he witnesses some personal growth.” – Choi Minho
“Joseph is an innovative and lovable designer. He has brilliant ideas. He believes in himself, is courageous and a go-getter.” – Lee Sang Woon
“She is a supermodel loved by the fashion industry. She is a work-hard-play-hard type. A lot of models are envious of her. But she has a reliable squad.” – Park Hee Jung
What To Look Forward In The Series
Working on their character, the actors were able to pick some lessons that would reflect on the messages of the story.
Choi Minho relays that he learned a little bit about photography for his role in The Fabulous. As he had worked in front of the camera all the time, it feels home for him. But being behind the camera is quite comfortable for him as well. He had fun portraying his character.
“After I learned photography, I had so much more respect for the photographers.”
Along with the friendship, expect romance to bloom in the series.
“My character felt difficult because he could’ve been frank towards Ji Eun. he wants to be courageous but he couldn’t pull up his courage for her. So sometimes he can’t really do anything about Ji Eun but they felt at home being together. – Choi Minho
“They are each other’s first love but they were not frank to their feelings.” – Chae Soo Bin
Praising her co-star, Chae Soo-bin adorably quips what to anticipate in their pairing.
“This is my first time working with Minho. He was so energetic. He’s always looking for others. I feel at home with him. It wasn’t easy. I hope everyone watches the show but not my family and friends. I hope they skip the steamy part.”
When asked what story he wanted to pick on the drama with the characters, Director Kim responded with a profound answer.
“As we carry on with our lives, rather than butterflies in the stomach, we need true friendship. When we have a rocky relationship or a hard time in our careers, these are the moments when having friends who will have our back really matters.”
With regard to exploring a career, Chae Soo Bin shared a meaningful thought.
“We don’t start as veterans and start as novices in our career. We all face the growth in terms of building it.”
The Fabulous exclusively premieres on Netflix on December 23.
Team KDRAMADIARY extends gratitude to Netflix for the invite to the press conference.
All photos courtesy of Netflix
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