Season 1 of Fashion King premiered on March 19, 2012.

A third-rate designer who makes and sells counterfeits in Dongdaemun, previously unable to put his formidable talent to proper use, at a certain special opportunity becomes a big shot in the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Lee Ga Young, after losing her parents who had been successful designers in Dongdaemun and even losing their shop, having spent her life in a small room only sewing, tries her utmost to come out of a life of poverty. Two young people struggle to come out of difficult circumstances and on the other hand, the heir of the country's top fashion industry conglomerate Jung Jae Hyuk won't stop at any means to keep his position.