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Concept Korea IV
Concept Korea is a design competition: the presentation that was held during New York Fashion Week was organized by the Korean Creative Content Agency for the five winners who were chosen to unveil their collections to the Fashion Week attendees at the Avery Fisher Hall.

Son Jung Won’s collection, called The Power of Fusion, included beautiful shades of blues and silvers that created a simply chic and fashionable effect. Son Jung Won has been established in Korea since 1989.

Lie Sang Bong established his company in 1985. He is known as ‘the McQueen of Korea’ where clean cuts, vibrant colours, and intricate details greatly highlight artistically innovative elements in his designs (right).

Doho was founded in Korea in 1998. The collection revealed an exceptionally feminine appeal with light colours and modern cuts. The balanced tints of whites with purples and greens provided an incredible effect within each creation.

Resurrection by Juyoung is a menswear line known for its men’s skirts, the brand’s signature piece. While designers such as the legendary Yves Saint Laurent revealed early on how alluring a woman can be in a pair of pants, Juyoung reveals how masculine and fierce a man can look in a skirt. There were profound colours of green, red, blue and orange, which created a balancing effect to the manly image the designer has portrayed. The word that defines Juyoung’s spring–summer 2012 collection is ‘contrast.’

Steve J and Yoni P is a design duo, Steve Jung and Yoni Pai, who founded their own label when they moved to London. Their spring–summer 2012 collection was fun, sporty, playful and creative. The colours were lively and the patterns were exceedingly original. Every look was accompanied by a remarkable pair of dark, round-shaped sunglasses, an extra accessory that almost seemed as an essential part of each ensemble.

 
Narciso Rodriguez
Narciso Rodriguez’s designs continue to be outstanding feminine and elegant creations.

The American designer launched his own label in 1997 and is known to create chic and elegant look. He rose to fame and his career as a fashion designer sparked when he designed Carolyn Bessette’s wedding dress, a former Calvin Klein employee who wed the former president of the US’s son, John F. Kennedy Jr.

Rodriguez wonderfully elaborates on the idea that simplicity highlights a woman’s beauty. The new season’s collection appeared on the bright white runway. The models wore their hair tightly gelled back in a bun, with streaks of either white, yellow, purple, blue and orange combed through.

The bare-back tops, the delightfully tailored pants and the layering of materials provided a breathtaking effect on the catwalk. The show began with light colours of blacks and whites and it came to end with shades of reds and various hues of blues. A beautiful black coat with interior red lining portrayed a magically balancing effect to the rest of the ensemble.

 

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Malan Breton

Malan Breton is a Taiwanese-born fashion designer based in New York.

Breton certainly surprised spectators with his unique and beautifully classical opening to his spring–summer 2012 fashion show. As a harp, a violin and a cello’s strings were plucked, a melody was created, revealing a ballet dancer who twirled her way on the runway. Once the dancer’s story came to an end the music stopped, and our attention was once again directed to the fashion aspect of the show. Ensembles for both men and women appeared. Womenswear provided a prestigious appeal, with large hats, bright gold and glossy silver colours, princess-like gowns and tightly trimmed waist lines.

Menswear was daringly and boldly elegant; it was very much aimed to men who are not afraid to convey a fashion statement. From gold, blue and bright yellow blazers, the runway certainly sparked and glimmered.

Candela

Once one walked into the Candela presentation, it was as if one had stepped out of New York City and automatically entered a garden with the feel of the tropics. The designer and visionary behind Candela is Gabriela Perezutti. What started off as a career in modelling in her early 20s transformed into a career as a fashion designer in 2004.

Perezutti presented 12 looks surrounded by such an exotic destination. Shorts, mini- and long dresses, jackets as well as detailed sleeveless tops, stood out amongst the trees. The delicate fabrics of silk, cotton and suede were mixed and matched with flamboyant tints of yellow and orange; there were also very detailed and colourful prints that evoked an artistic feel. Perezutti beautifully applies much of her Uruguayan culture in her work.

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Concept Korea IV


Narciso Rodriguez


Malan Breton

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Publisher’s choice J. Mendel Mike Coppola/Getty Images If it’s classic, American spring gowns you were after, J. Mendel had plenty of elegance for the VIPs. Inspired by interior designer Dorothy Draper, Mendel used geometry to good effect, and we have to admit to being fans of bias cuts and asymmetry. Hervé Léger by Max Azria Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Another name we’ve watched for years, Max Azria, took over the duties at the Hervé Léger label some years back, and spring’s warrior and gladiator look brought a refreshing change to New York catwalks. Plenty of gold foil and patterns, showing that Azria isn’t afraid of breaking free of conventions.—Jack Yan, Publisher

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