Concept Korea S/S 2013

By: Devin Cole
Images by: Rebekah Schott

Concept Korea is a collaborative project organized by the Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. The aim of the project is to introduce other countries to the culture of Korea. The theme for Spring 2013 was Five Korean Traditional colors and their meanings: red (fire), black (water), blue (tree), white (iron), and yellow (ground). The show began with a performance by five dancers from the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. Then the designs of CHOIBOKO, CRES. E DIM., KYE, Lie sang bong, and SON JUNG WAN walked onto the runway and the models posed on platforms beneath the names of the designers.

After the show I spoke to Phillip Bloch, celebrity stylist and host of TV show Cause Celeb on ABC News. Bloch was also one of the people tasked with choosing the designers for Concept Korea.

Choiboko

When asked what makes Korean designers different from those of other countries, he replied: “I think Korean Fashion is bold, it’s unique, it has a great attention to detail, I think the textiles are very rich. They’re not concerned with selling, they’re more concerned with the creativity and artistry of fashion which I think is always really fun.”

CRES. E DIM.

On the impact that the project is making on the fashion industry: “I think Concept Korea really brings Korean designers to the forefront because we are very familiar with Japanese designers like Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto and this is a way for America to understand that there is a fashion community in Korea as well. One more fashion stop on the global trek!

Lie sang bong
 

What did he keep in mind while selecting designers for Concept Korea? “We wanted each designer to have their own unique spin on it and their own unique brand and I think we’ve really done a very good job. From the bright, bold patterns to the antique romance, to the very 40s feel-kind if a Gibson girl, to the more modern and architectural; I think each one has their own style.”

Son Jung Wan

Why is it so important to bring Korean fashion to America? “I think that anytime we get a chance to see something new and something different it’s exciting and that’s what fashion is about. It’s about a fusion and bringing different concepts and ideas together and breaking a little bit of the rules and I think that the Concept Korea designers have really broken rules. I think American fashion sometimes is a little too safe so it’s good for us to see other designers in other countries and have a crosspollination. You know if you think back to 1973 with Versailles where they brought Steven Burrows, and Anne Klein, and Halston; and they competed, so to speak, against Yves Saint Lauren and the designers of Dior, this is a modern day version. There’s no competition but it’s interesting to get that fusion.”

KYE

Well if this is what Korea has to offer I agree with Bloch. The Concept Korea show definitely infused New York Fashion Week with a fresh air of excitement. I think that Korean designers are poised to become heavy-hitters in the fashion world!