Last night I went to the opening of the Style Sharing exhibition at the Korean Culture Centre. The exhibition explores the relationship between Korean and British styles and showcases a number of upcoming designers. It highlights the influence studying in Britain has had on these Korean designers, and how the two cultures overlap through fashion. Whenever I think fashion has run out of steam or I'm in a creative rut, I always look to Asian designs to prove me wrong and inspire me. This was one of those times.
I was immediately drawn to these draped silhouettes by Hyunsoo Heather Park. This collection was inspired by the way people express themselves in states of suppression. She incorporated elements drawn from the indie rock band Art Brut, criminal tattoos and prison uniforms. I like the fact she used a 'happy' colour palette despite the darker themes of the collection.
A particular favourite piece of mine was the above white leather jacket by Heowan Simulation. I think the contrast between the white leather and lace is really interesting, and I've never seen something like that before.
Jinhee Moon's creative use of colour and texture was fantastic. Each piece was very much its own, but they were still all cohesive as a whole collection.
Designer Rok Hwang used this timeless camel colour and fabric to create these classic yet contemporary pieces for his label rokh.
I loved the short films by Eoin Glaister which accompanied certain collections. They really reflected the digital world and how it can tie into fashion and these two cultures.
Nayoung Moon's unorthodox yet impressive structures and shapes.
After looking around I had a chat with Tory Turk, a curator of the exhibition, about her inspiration. She said that she wanted the exhibition to show the overlap of the life and culture of both Korean and British styles, and not just the fashion. If you look carefully at each creation you can see elements of both cultures and the impact living in London has had on the designers.
Overall the innovative designs showed the rich and diverse creativity which stemmed from South Korea, and developed further in London. The exhibition is open until April 4th and you can find more details HERE.
-Lexi xo
