Superstar Visits Spur Fashion Fuss in Korea

Though the stars flew out of Korea on Sunday, the apparel that adorned Paris Hilton and Beyonce Knowles while they were in the country is just taking off. Arriving a day before the pop diva, Hilton donned Fila brand clothing and accessories at all her official events, faithfully carrying out her duties as a Fila spokesmodel.

Rumor has it that the gold and pink padded Fila vest that Hilton was wearing on her arrival and during her press interviews nearly sold out in Korea over the weekend. Dubbed the "Hilton vest," the mid-W100,000 (US$1=W913) vest is likely to be the "it" fashion item for some time.

Paris Hilton (left) poses for reporters at a press conference in Seoul's Grand Hyatt Hotel on Friday. Beyonce Knowles smiles for her fans during a fan meeting at Hyundai Department Store in Seoul on Saturday.

Hilton's Samantha Thavas bag with the number seven sewn on top was designed by her sister Nicky, and Paris -- famous for not wearing the same thing twice -- carried the bag with her more than once, apparently displaying her affection for her sister.

With its vivid color and shiny material, the bag has already become a popular item in Japan. It can be purchased online or through unofficial importers and many Koreans are hustling to snap up this "affordable" bag, priced around W200,000 to W300,000.

Beyonce’s fashions are no less popular than Hilton’s. The jeans that accentuated the songstress' voluptuous thighs were House of Dereon, a brand Beyonce set up with her fashion designer mother Tina Knowles. The jeans aren't yet available in Korea but her visit prompted a deluge of queries on the Internet as to where they might be found.

The shiny handbag Beyonce carried to offset her modest outfit of jeans and a simple shirt on her first day in Korea was the Marc Jacobs' Stam bag. It's available in Korea for around W2 million to W2.5 million depending on the material. Beyonce’s Stam bag was made of snakeskin and is said to cost about W10 million. Importers say they've been getting three to four phone calls a day since the singer's visit from people asking about the bag. The costly price has the bag off official importers' lists for now.