If, like us, you’re obsessed with Seo Ye Ji in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (because frankly, who isn’t?), then for sure you pay close attention to every little detail of her fashion-forward OOTDs. Since the beginning of the series, her character, Ko Mun-yeong, hasn’t faltered when it comes to showing off her signature sartorial prowess. In fact, in as early as Episode 2, she made our jaws drop with her dramatic entrance wearing an iridescent vintage Dior dress and a pair of red pumps—inarguably one of her most powerful fashion moments in the show.
Mind you, though: There’s actually more to her choice of footwear than just your average pair of high-heeled pumps. The title of the episode itself is “The Lady in Red Shoes,” which is very telling of its significance in the story. It symbolizes Ko Mun-yeong’s obsession and the hankering to obtain something at all costs once she sets her eyes on something that she so desires. (Warning: Spoilers ahead! Turn away now if you haven't seen Episode 2 yet.)
While descending from her car, sauntering in the rain, and finally walking towards Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo Hyun), Ko Mun-yeong narrates The Red Shoes, a fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen:
“The little girl wore her red shoes everywhere she went, even to a God-fearing church. Once you wear those shoes, your feet start dancing on their own. And you can never stop dancing or take off those shoes. But even so, the little girl never gave up on those red shoes. In the end, the executioner had to cut off her feet. But the two feet that got cut off still continued to dance in those red shoes. Some things can’t be torn apart no matter how hard you try to do so. That is why obsession is noble and beautiful.”
She then comes face to face with Gang-tae, looks at him in the eye, and declares: “I have finally found my red shoes.”
Just so you know, these aforementioned red shoes aren’t just any red shoes. The exact pair Ko Mun-yeong wore in this goosebump-inducing scene is in fact from Italian luxury fashion house Prada. However, this design—a pointy-toed platform pump with red patent leather—has already been phased out.
Now, if you’re really determined to cop Ko Mun-yeong’s style, the closest style Prada currently has in its women’s shoe lineup is a square-toed patent leather pump with column heel and buckled ankle strap. Interested? It costs $850 per pair or approximately P42,000.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay tells the story of Moon Gang-tae and Ko Mun-yeong, who develop an unusual romance while healing each other’s emotional and psychological wounds. It's now streaming exclusively on Netflix and airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
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