By Benoit Martinengo
The 23rd edition of Seoul Fashion Week, the most important fashion week in Asia, revealed a surprising characteristic that sets it apart from other major fashion weeks on the global map: In Seoul, the menswear collections are a lot more memorable than the women’s.
Korean brand MVIO opened the ?rst day of menswear presenting the “plastic man” collection that conjured up a laboratory environment. Meaning, we saw a mix-and-match parade of coats inspired by lab gowns, white suits, and sun caps that could have been props from a science ?ction movie. Nevertheless, MVIO’s spring/summer collection had a casual vibe with pastel colours, ankle length pants, striking neon details and eye-catching accessories.
Designer Ko Tae Yong of the brand Beyond Closet went with a more comforting theme—a botanical garden. The collection was presented in room resembling a greenhouse, with birds chirping in the background and trees spread around the space. The safari feel that emerged from the use of beige and khaki, and the leaf camouflage patterns in the details was a highlight amongst the looks presented. As in the previous collection, bags played an important role in the show both in terms of size and fabric.
Choi Bum Suk, designer of the brand General Idea that we already loved during the New York Fashion Week showed a St. Tropez themed collection entitled “Garçons de la plage.” General Idea favoured a striking colour palette, mixing materials like knit and cotton on shorts and shirts. The geometric shapes and details of Gingham check completed the collection’s romantic and comfy feel.
Designer Jehee Sheen on the other hand found his inspiration a little closer to home. The wide-legged pants, high shoulder jackets and china-collared pieces refer to the traditional clothes of Buddhist monks. A model opened the show walking barefoot on a white-cobbled catwalk, reminding us that the road of life is indeed rocky. The use of light materials such as linen or jersey and tones of black, white and sand with roomier shapes gave the collection a real peaceful yet powerful feel. With collections always more sophisticated each season, Jehee Sheen is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Established brand Songzio, which also shows during Paris fashion week, delivered a strong and re?ned spring summer collection using mostly linen and jersey with sharp and modern cuts. Perfectly tailored suits, china-collared jackets, trench coats and other draped pieces of loose fabric paraded in tones of black and white conveying the image of Asian virile beauty.
Featuring Geta-like footwear (Geta are traditional Japanese shoes), shades of grey, black and white, clean cuts and futuristic silhouettes, Groundwave’s show was by far this season’s biggest crowd pleaser. Tailored from materials such as wool, traditional Korean cotton and more surprisingly Hanji, the traditionally handmade Korean paper, this spring/summer collection was perfectly balanced between tradition and modernity. Add to that a perfect casting and a soundtrack from Meredith Monk and you get one of the best shows of this fashion week. (Pictures at the top)