Instagram/@hunterschafer
Hunter Schafer gave a must-have account of first impressions of Seoul, including a visit to the Gentle Monster exhibition space, Haus Nowhere. A dramatic photo taken by the Euphoria star of her visit to the studio-exhibition space, exemplifying the surreal aura hanging in the air, with a tag to the eyewear luxury brand. The post garnered much attention from followers around the world with tens of thousands of likes and comments shortly after being shared.
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The image boldly and profoundly features Schafer standing in a sleek sculpture-studded ambiance. She dons a strapless, beige, form-fitting dress combined with modern spectacles and a metal bracelet. Behind her is an arresting installation with huge abstract shapes in blue and white, lending a soft artistic vibe-wrought through Gentle Monster’s innovative aesthetic. Another visitor appears to be interacting with the art in the background, which further emphasizes this immersive experience.
Simply captioned “first time in Seoul! at @hausnowhere 👾 thank youu @gentlemonster” followed by more hashtags, Schafer’s post received a flood of compliments for her looks, somewhat shedding light upon some disturbing trends in online discourse.
Many comments focused on Schafer’s looks: “you never fail to look so beautiful 😭❤️” or “I aspire to be this pretty.” The praise crossed the English-language barrier, with Spanish-speaking followers chattering, “Hola? La chica más guapa del mundo mundial???,” which means, “Hello? The most beautiful girl in the entire world???”
The post also drew a response that contained negative energy from transphobic souls who expressed their disdain. Many comments misgendered or questioned her identity; one commenter said, “You is a man btw,” while another stated, “Its a GUY you dumb people.” These comments were immediately countered by several other followers, one of whom defended Schafer with, “Bigot trash working overtime being absolute garbage in the comments…. You pathetic is your life?”
The debate swiftly moved on to discuss the representation within the photograph itself, with a few users backing up the side claiming the dress appeared differently in person than on the image. An Indonesian comment went something to the effect of “Jadi ini warna dress aslinya,” which translates as “So this is the original color of the dress.” In contrast, another user backed the opposite position, saying “That Korean photographer did her dirty 😭,” insinuating that the photo may have been over-processed.
Among prepared for the ambiguous reactions are many continued to give staunch support to Schafer’s work and presence. One witty comment said, “U keep evolving like a Pokémon,” affirming her continual evolution as an artist and a public figure; another lamented pastel missed casting opportunities, saying, “We could’ve had her for Zelda 😢,” insinuating that Schafer might have been a fitting choice for Leonardo’s video game adaptation.
This visit to Haus Nowhere marked yet another fashion moment for Schafer with her singular sense of style and collaborations with luxury brands. Gentle Monster, with its uppity brand of creative eyewear and an ability to create immersive retail experiences, ought to be a good match for someone with Schaefer’s artistic leanings.
By and large, these are mostly positive and supportive, notwithstanding the occasional wave of negativity in her comment section. Schafer’s capacity to hold her own when faced with unwarranted criticism while openly sharing her career-development journey speaks to her ability as a public figure. Considering the enthusiastic backing of her worldwide fan base, the Hollywood coverage of her first visit to Seoul seems clearly engaging professionally and personally fulfilling.
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The trip represents another chapter in the continuing career of mixed reactions to her post. This indeed speaks about the advantages and disadvantages of being a visible transgender public figure in the digital age.