Vogue korea celebrates female agency with 'women by women' exhibition
Seoul becomes a focal point for a global conversation on female empowerment as Vogue Korea and PhotoVogue unveil "Women by Women," a powerful exhibition and leadership event exploring the multifaceted concept of agency. The initiative, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the PhotoVogue Festival, centers on showcasing the perspectives of women from diverse backgrounds, challenging conventional narratives and redefining feminine expression.
A platform for self-definition
The event, running March 27-29 at Layer Studio 20, builds upon Vogue Korea's annual Leaders event, evolving its focus each year. From the solidarity of "Woman Now" in 2024 to the exploration of "Women and Work" in 2025, this year’s theme, "Agency," directly addresses the power women wield in shaping their own identities and narratives.
Vogue Korea’s March issue sets the stage, featuring profiles and interviews with 17 women – including trailblazers like Nora Noh, Korea's first Fashion designer, alongside film directors, actresses, K-pop musicians, and models. Each woman reflects on the choices and sacrifices required to forge their own paths. These stories will be accessible both at the event and within Vogue Korea's print and digital platforms.
The core of the event is the "Women by Women" exhibition, a global initiative by PhotoVogue to champion emerging female photographers. Launched following a call for submissions – “the gaze of women looking at women” – the project garnered nearly 100,000 entries from 149 countries. This unprecedented response underscores a widespread desire to reclaim agency through visual storytelling.
“Expression is never neutral, and who makes the image still matters,” explains Alessia Glaviano, Global Head of PhotoVogue. The submissions explored a vast spectrum of themes – identity, sexuality, violence, spirituality – demonstrating the depth and complexity of female experience. The selected works, displayed at the PhotoVogue Festival in Milan, presented a vibrant tapestry of female perspectives, rejecting monolithic notions of femininity.
Francesca Allen, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Korea, emphasizes the exhibition's role in showcasing inclusivity. "This is a sharing of Vogue Korea’s inclusivity and diversity—in honor, one might say, of the women of humanity," she states. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the multifaceted realities of women worldwide, captured through the eyes of women photographers.
The event includes talk sessions on March 28th and 29th, featuring eight prominent women leaders sharing their experiences. Admission to the exhibition is free, with no reservation required, encouraging widespread participation. The exhibition runs from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on March 28th and 29th at Layer Studio 20. The showcase offers a powerful testament to the ongoing evolution of female agency, a force reshaping cultural landscapes globally. The sheer volume of submissions – nearly 100,000 – speaks volumes about the collective yearning for self-representation.