Two themes that stood out in womenswear at Seoul Fashion Week’s 2016 Spring/Summer collections were holiday glamour, reminiscent of the beach and the marina, and intricate prints inspired by both the exotic and the familiar.
Luxurious getaway
From left: pushBUTTON, Andy & Debb, Steve J & Yoni P, Jain Song (Seoul Fashion Week)
A handful of designers chose glamorous holiday looks for their collections this season.
“I imagined a rich girl, married young, and her family away on vacation, at a cruise party.”
This image of the young and wealthy was what drove designer Park Seung-gun to create his resort-themed collection this season, featuring white sundresses and straw hats -- all the while adding a pop of color with
pushBUTTON’s trademark houndstooth printing, this season in bright, canary yellow.
While pushBUTTON has until now opted for the “cheap-chic,” the brand is attempting to add “something more high-end” to its existing image, Park said.
Andy & Debb, helmed by veteran designers Kim Seok-won and Yoon Won-jung, also highlighted the holiday look this season, their polo shirts and collared chiffon dresses adding color and a modern, baggy twist to the country club classic.
Steve J & Yoni P’s collection bore the theme “naughty princess,” according to its press release. Beloved by K-pop stars, the punk-contemporary brand showcased gingham two-pieces, spangle dresses, vivid strips of color and summery floppy hats.
Jain Song went for a “Californian glamour” for the warm season, bringing the city-chic together with the free-spirited beach look in the brand’s elegant and effortlessly tailored collection.
Prints -- exotic, colorful, fun
From left: Big Park, J Koo, Baemin x Kye
Other designers greeted the spring-summer season with intricate prints.
Inspired by a garden he had visited during a trip to South America, designer Park Yoon-soo of
Big Park decorated his show with exotic flower prints and vivid stripes. “I minored in landscape, so I’ve always been fascinated by plants and gardening,” he commented after the show.
His collection experimented with different textures, juxtaposing flowing silk dresses with pleather ensembles, all emblazoned with vintage prints. Big Park’s girls evoked at once a girlish innocence, a romantic nostalgia for the 1970s and the outlandish wilderness.
Over at
J Koo, red, green and blue watercolor prints and dainty white lacing were incorporated into the brand’s contemporary silhouette this season, making for a modern elegance.
International buyers in particular raved over the J Koo show, calling it one of the most memorable of Seoul Fashion Week. Founded in 2010 by designers Choi Jin-woo and Koo Yeong-joo -- who both studied menswear at London’s Central Saint Martins -- J Koo is gaining acclaim for mixing traditional British tailoring with the contemporary casual.
Baemin x Kye featured a collaboration between a local food delivery app and designer Kye Han-hee. The project was inspired by and sought to promote Hangeul, the Korean writing system.
Large, colorful prints of random, witty phrases -- such as “Sorry to cause a disturbance on the road” or “Children are riding in the vehicle” -- written in Hangeul covered various pieces showcased by Kye, from the designer’s trademark oversized sweaters to bomber jackets and long dresses.
By Rumy Doo (
bigbird@heraldcorp.com)
