SEOUL FASHION WEEK SS16 DAY 5
Hera Seoul Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016 is underway at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. MUTZINE has exclusive coverage of the runway shows this season featuring top models, celebrity cameos, and of course, the latest fashions. We look back on day five's runway highlights. Review what happened on days one, two, three, and four.
Words Cessi Treñas, Photos Michael Hurt, Ana Fernandez & Gissella Ramirez-Valle
D.GNAK
With two fashion lines under his belt, Kang Dong Jun, who won the title of Best Designer at Seoul Fashion Week, presented collections for both D.GNAK and DBYD at his Spring/Summer show. Having been showcased in New York earlier this year, DBYD opened its segment with a bang. Bright yellows and tropical prints were sent down the runway to the tune of a live rap performance. Primarily made up of sweaters, t-shirts, and jackets, topped off with sneakers or sandals, DBYD served up a selection of modern casual wear.
The dimming of lights and striking of a drum signaled a transition to D.GNAK, DBYD’s avant-garde older sibling. Predominantly achromatic, the collection featured a combination of street wear, formal wear, and subtle references to Korean traditional attire. With dazed-looking models walking slowly to the raw sound of instruments and low chanting, Kang Dong Jun delivered an experience that was both cultural and dream-like. The show came to a close with a silken robe and a jeogori-inspired embroidered jacket, both in a dark shade of opulent purple.
KYE
An organized kind of chaos took over the runway at Kathleen Kye’s Spring/Summer show, where serpentine prints and bright colors eased the blow of the show’s theme of hate. Graphic sweaters, bomber jackets, and the indulgent inclusion of sparkle made for a steady build-up to the show’s end, which featured model Irene Kim leading the pack in a show-stealing skirt of chartreuse and black. Beanies and wide-brimmed hats offered casual edge to the vivid collection, while dual-tone sunglasses and gold sequins framed models’ eyes. Pale pink lips provided a stark contrast against the label’s show last season, where vampy lips took center stage.
There was no shortage of celebrities in the audience: KARA’s Goo Hara, 2NE1’s Sandara Park, and SISTAR’s Hyorin were among the many household names who graced the front row.
MISS GEE COLLECTION
Perhaps it was the drama that lent itself to “Path of Life”, Miss Gee Collection’s perfectly orchestrated feast for the senses, that made the show feel akin to a silent romance film. A sober palette of khaki and taupe opened the show to a sensual saxophone melody, followed by a transition to an overcast motif of dark grey and barely-there pinstripe. Tinsel-like material and gold appliqués embellished a selection of palate-cleansing dresses reminiscent of The Great Gatsby’s iconic aesthetic. A line-up of floor-length gowns made up the show’s last stretch, where a white, peasant-sleeved number that highlighted designer Gee Chunhee’s vision of feminine elegance culminated the collection.
Unmistakably more mature than the label’s previous collection, Miss Gee’s Spring/Summer 2016 designs highlighted relaxed fits, graceful silhouettes, and a curated selection of accent colors: wine red, moss green, ocean blue, and carnation pink. The far-reaching collection’s unifying factor lied in its constant use of shoulder-grazing earrings and its staple make-up look of orange cheeks and streaked white eyeliner.
LOW CLASSIC
Designer Lee Myeong Sin is no stranger to subtle seduction: skirts with teasing slits were the star of her last Spring-Summer collection, while unconventional cut-outs turned heads at her Fall/Winter show last year. This season was no exception to the designer’s streak for Low Classic —think plunging necklines and generous thigh exposure. A scribbly collaboration with artist Minzo King set the tone for the collection with slip dresses and a modern rendition of the blazer, two pieces that made multiple appearances throughout the show.
Easily traversing the full style spectrum, Lee Myeong Sin’s line-up of black, white, and jewel tones went from dressed up with structured separates and coats, to dressed down with pajama sets and oversized t-shirts bearing cheeky graphics. Minimalist bolo ties and makeshift chokers paired with the hard-hitting simplicity of virginal pink lips provided an understated accompaniment to the ensembles.
METROCITY
Spunky jet setters decked out in combinations of tulle, denim, and undulating hemlines charmed the audience at Metrocity’s show, themed “City of Angel”. The collection was a crossover of contemporary glamour and hippie quirk, with both ruffled gowns and separates with lace trim and appliqué flowers. Bold choices in the form of mid-thigh shorts for men, gossamer-thin skirts for women, and fringed sandals — an option seldom chosen over sneakers and towering heels — filled the runways in abundance.
The Metrocity Spring/Summer show was a display of models’ personalities as much as it was a showcase of a new collection. Models were free to wink, pose, and blow kisses as they please, a departure from last season’s cold gazes.