Suntold me about her friend Misun Jung, designer and founder ofNohke Jan upcoming brand of South Korea (in fact i notice her this summer inNazine magazine). I exchange a few mails with Misun, trying to find time to meet each other during my week in Seoul but our schedules were so full that we couldn’t made it.
The show was one of the most exciting of the week, full of energy without being theatrical, even if the place was crowded, not suited to take pictures and dimly lit…
The outfits are a permanent contrast between fragility (mesh, silk) and strenghs (leather). Note the alternative-rock attitude given by the garments, the colour (mostly black and white) and the wet hair look.
This feminine collection is a sort of unfinished-work in progress, but easily wearable. The fabrics are in a battle, the leather is wrinkled, the silk is ruched. Straight lines and curves are crossing in a chaotic way, creating geometric shapes or inserts of fabrics on the dresses or on the few pants. You can have the edgy look without being disguised regardless your age.
On this pants, the insert of mesh is like a laser cut
It’s the collection of a young designer and perhaps(?) we need one or two really strong pieces to vamp the show.
Above all these, the collection is very coherent and very pleasant. Misun Jung keeps the spirit of the previous collection, her savoir-faire (especially the cuts) and withdrew, for next summer, what was burdening the shape, allowing more sensuality.
With her skills in cutting and tailoring we can’t wait to see the evolutions and new proposals she prepares for the next shows.
A fashion show is an event where lighting, stage, music and the garments are converging to illustrate a designer’s universe, causing an emotion.
On my way back to the press room, I heard a few notes of one of my favorites song « Bela Lugosi’s Dead » by Bauhaus, a batcave group of the late 80’s. It’s through the music that I came to see this show.
Jey Park and Jiha Park met and studied fashion in Paris (Studio Berçot and Esmod). In order to produce easily, the duo returned to South Korea and created the brand Tache a year ago and a half with the objective of returning to Europe to spread their brand.
Dark and noisy music on the runway, in contrast, walking in line, girls were wearing fluid and transparent clothes. Using mainly silk this season, the duo were also inspired by the trench coat.
The collection is experimental, influenced by the guitarist Glenn Branca. The dual color range is like an independent rock music song: nude and black.
In fact the collection is not as rock and roll as Jey and Jiha said, but rather soft, accessible and very feminine.
For the Lie Sang Bong party we found ourselves at club Eden near of hotel Ritz. A fabulous night after a full day of fashion shows…
A bit cheesy… There was this girl, a K-Pop singer (here after her set with an hip-hop crew).
Then this H.I.P-H.O.P-Break dance battle
However very connected, the seoulites seems sometimes very nostalgic. During the fashion week, some shows were showing vintage inspiration (from the beginning of 20th century). This were a bit annoying in fact, because it was nothing new, like khaki bermudas and polos…
Below are two beautiful connected ladies with a 1920′-1930′ inspiration.
And no this is not a Wong Kar-Wai movie…
Today, in the middle of the crowd, with our mobiles phones we are not « alone » anymore. Stay connected!
Seung Gun Park, créateur de la marque pushButton, à d’abord connu le succès en tant que chanteur avant de revenir à la mode, son premier amour. Il a eu l’amabilité de nous recevoir afin de lui poser quelques questions sur son style et sur la mode en Corée du Sud.
pushButton un style punk-poétique?
J’aime cette définition. Au vu de mes premières collections on peut penser que je suis provoquant, que je ne cherche qu’à choquer. Mais au fond de moi réside une certaine forme de mélancholie. Cette ambivalence est, me semble-t-il, commune à tous les artistes.
Cette collection à surpris car elle est très très différente de la précédente
La réaction à été positive jusqu’à présent. Ici on dit que c’est vraiment mon style. Mes deux défilés précédents, ont reçus un accueil plus mitigé alors qu’à New York on les avaient jugés intéressants.
Ce défilé était programmé, il fait partie d’une suite que j’ai planifié depuis que j’ai commencé à créer des vêtements. Je me suis donc préparé à tout type de réactions.
Je veux dévoiler petit à petit l’ensemble de mon univers, c’est la raison pour laquelle on peut être surpris et penser à un changement de style, en fait il n’en est rien, il s’agit juste d’une autre facette de ma personnalité.
Futurs projets?
Suite aux salons Bread & Butter ou PureLondon où l’accueil fut bon on a constaté que la marque était confrontée à un problème de prix de vente trop élevé. Je suis donc en train de redéfinir l’ensemble de mon projet qui s’articulera autour de trois gammes:
– pushButton reste le haut de gamme, sélectif et aspirationnel.
– Dress Monster que j’ai créé récemment est une seconde ligne , casual et destructurée, plus accessible.
– push secondButton, qui sera lancée en 2012 sera positionnée plus street.
D’où vient le nom pushButton?
Cela n’a pas de signification particulière, le nom vient d' »Hollywood » une chanson de Madonna où elle dit « Push the button/Don’t push the button/Trip the station », j’aimais bien le son des mots, j’ai juste retiré l’article.
Par quels artistes es-tu influencé?
Je suis assez sensible à l’univers des clips vidéos, mais je ne suis pas spécialement influencé par des artistes dans mon travail. J’aime bien Kim Wansun (la Madonna coréenne) ou dans un autre registre Eva Peron pour son action au travers de sa fondation.
Mode occidentale et mode coréenne
La mode occidentale à des racines anciennes, mais la mode est un cycle. En Asie la mode à des origines plus récentes, elle est en devenir, dynamique et s’est beaucoup développée ces dernières années, il faut suivre son évolution car son heure est venue.
Gun Seung Park, creator of pushButton enjoyed success as a singer before returning to his first love: fashion. During Seoul fashion week, he was kind enough to receive us. We ask him some questions about his style and fashion in South Korea.
PushButton: punk-poetic?
Yes i like the term. With my first collections people think I just trying to shock. But inside me there is some kind of melancholy. However, this ambivalence, I think is common to all artists.
This collection was a surprise because it is very very different from the previous one
The reaction has been positive so far. Here people say that it’s my real style. My two previous shows have received a more mixed reaction. In New York they had found them interesting.
This show was scheduled, it is part of a series I planned since I started making clothes. I am prepared for any type of reactions.
I want to slowly reveal my entire universe, so it is not a change of style, this is just another facet of my personality.
Future projects?
I’ve got good returns after the Bread & Butter and PureLondon, but the brand faced a problem of selling price too high. Now I’m redefining my whole project, it will consist of three ranges:
– PushButton is the high-end, selective and aspirational.
– Dress Monster I created recently is a second line, casual, more accessible.
– secondButton push, to be launched in 2012 will be more streetstyle.
Where does the name PushButton come from?
No special meaning, the name comes from « Hollywood » a song by Madonna. She sings « Push the button / Don ‘t push the button / Trip the station, » I liked the sound of the words.
What artists influenced you?
I’m pretty sensitive of music videos, not particularly by artists in my work.
I like Kim Wansun (the Korean Madonna) or completely different, Eva Peron for his work through his foundation.
Western fashion and Korean fashion
Western fashion has ancient roots, but fashion is a cycle. Asian fashion is very dynamic and has grown significantly in recent years, following its evolution is a must.
Very excited to discover the work of Seung Gun Park, designer of pushBUTTON, so i ran backstage before the show, to try to capture the essence of the show. I will post photos of the show and an interview with the designer in the next post.
Many personalities and stars, including the famous Dal Shabet (K-Pop group) reflect the popularity of Kiok. The show begins with a performance directed by a dancer.
The garments are less daring but interesting. A lot of fluidity, prints inspired by nature, a work on the shoulders, sometimes folded edge, sometimes carved rounded. Most interesting, but not new, is the work with torn denim mixed with printed chiffon pleated, playing on the contrast between the two materials.
Nothing fundamentally new to western people. An offer that awareness, I am sure, the middle eastern (buyers were presents on her booth). No aggressive colors, suggestion only (muslins are opaque, torn denim shows nothing …).
No specific theme emerge from this collection, many proposals that almost collide (jeans, fluid materials, two-piece perforated leather, a Chanel like tailor , printed fabrics) but a mechanism that appears well rehearsed.
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Trente ans que Kiok Kang officie en Corée avec sa marque Kiok autant dire que c’est presque une institution ici.
La créatrice est en pleine confiance chez elle, c’est une star et les nombreuses personnalités présentes, dont les fameuses Dal Shabet (groupe de K-Pop) en sont le témoignage. Spectaculaire, le show débute par une performance, réalisé par un danseur survitaminé qui exécute une descente de catwalk avec un déhanché pour le moins… vertigineux.
Le défilé est lui moins audacieux mais néanmoins plaisant. Beaucoup de fluidité dans les matières, des imprimés inspirés par la nature, un travail sur les épaules, tantôt pliées en pointe, tantôt sculptées en arrondi. Le passage le plus marquant visuellement reste alors son travail sur le denim lacéré qu’elle marie avec des robes en mousseline plissées ou imprimées jouant alors du contraste entre les deux matières.
Rien de fondamentalement nouveau pour un occidental dans le style de Kiok. Mais une offre qui sensibilisera, j’en suis sûr, une clientèle moyen-orientale (très présents sur son stand) de part ses choix. Pas de couleurs agressives, de la suggestion mais pas de révélation (les mousselines sont opaques, le denim lacéré ne montre rien…).
Une collection faite pour être vendue sans modifications, où l’on ne voit pas se dégager un thème précis, mais plutôt de multiples propositions qui se télescoperaient presque (du jean, des matières fluides, deux pièces en cuir perforé, un tailleur « à la Chanel », des imprimés), bref une mécanique qui semble bien rodée.
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