Seoul Fashion Week is becoming an increasingly dynamic event on the global fashion calendar. New designers are emerging from the mega-city to challenge the established big four fashion shows of Paris, Milan, London and New York. In this segment, Fashion One captures some of this emerging talent on the Korean catwalk.
First is womenswear label J. Apostrophe, co-created by Lee Jiyeon and former Miss Korea Lee Ji-sun. J. Apostrophe mixes avant-garde cutting and a strong sense of minimalism with an extremely feminine silhouette. High collars encircle necks, wrap skirts were created in leather, while slashes of fur provided drama and accent.
New label Jarret also made a strong impression on the catwalk. The label, a favorite of both male and female K-pop stars, saw voluminous and futuristic cutting, oversized jackets and form-defying shirts, styled to dramatic effect on both male and female models. Large monochromatic and geometric prints added to the effortlessly futuristic feeling of the presentation.
Founded in London in 2010, J Koo from designer Choi Ji-Woo was dominated by vibrant explosions of prints and color blocking segmentation.
Studio K, designed by Hong Hyejin, released a chic unisex collection that saw male and female looks transformed and reconfigured in wearable sophisticated fashion.
Another favorite of K-pop stars is young label KYE from London/Seoul-based designer Kathleen Kye. The men’s line reworked American hip-hop shapes and styling with luxe references with golden Band-Aids and shimmering metallics to create edgy, unpretentious streetwear, but possessed of enough drama to suit the most frenetic video clip.
