New York City, NY. – During this New York Fashion Week, the Guild Magazine team attended the celebration by The Daily Front Row and The Selects for the Fall-Winter 2020 collections of the top ten emerging Korean brands: Beyond Closet, BMUET(TE), Hidden Forest Market, HEOHWAN SIMULATION, KYE, LEYII, LIE, NOHANT, WNDERKAMMER, and SWBD, at The Selects showroom at 62 Greene Street, in SoHo. This showroom has become one of our favorites in New York City, showcasing innovative pieces by the designers they represent.
Each designer represented by The Selects has been meticulously chosen for their creativity and talent in design. Aiming to provide these designers with maximum exposure to the US market, The Selects has created an experience where those in attendance can enjoy more than fashion, with the implementation of special events, artist collaborations, pop-up stores, and exhibitions. Backed up by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), The Selects has become the “go-to” location to experience Korean Culture in the heart of New York City’s most fashionable district. – GM
THE DESIGNERS
LIE
Designed by Central Saint Martin’s graduate Chung Chung Lee (pictured above, left), LIE masterfully blends geometric patterns, sculptural shapes, bold color, and playful textures, championing female individuality, expression, emotion and strength – qualities central to the brand DNA.
WNDERKAMMER
A play on the classic “wunderkammer,” or cabinet of curiosities, WNDERKAMMER refers to designer (pictured above, left) Hye Young Shin’s own unique collection of objects which hold special meaning to her and serve as a source of inspiration. Crafted in natural and eco-friendly fabrics, designs are versatile, pragmatic, and sophisticated.
LEYII
A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Seunghee Lee has shown contemporary brand LEYII at Seoul Fashion Week since 2010. The collections are the ultimate celebration of femininity, emphasizing the beauty of the female form with minimal structural lines and meticulous, delicate draping.
Beyond Closet
Tae Yong Ko first decided to pursue a career in design after attending Fashion Week. Inspired by a preppy, Americana aesthetic, Beyond Closet is informed by the designer’s belief that what people have in their closet reflects their personality and lifestyle.
SWBD
SWBD, or Sewing Boundaries, is a unisex brand created by Dong Ho Ha, who is not one to shy away from experimentation. As each collection’s design direction continues to evolve, Ha aims to use fashion to bridge the gap between genders and generations.
NOHANT
Giving his customers a new way to look at unisex essentials, Noah Nam incorporates Parisian elements of modernity and elegance to everyday wares while maintaining focus on distinctive design, enduring style, and uncompromising quality.
Hidden Forest Market
Husband and wife duo Ji Hyun Hwang and Sung Jun Cho launched their line, Hidden Forest Market, in 2012, to give women the freedom to tell their stories through their own personal style with effortlessly sophisticated pieces. The couple’s new collection translates the sweetness of summer nights into fashion.
KYE
Kathleen Kye’s eponymous label offers designs that are deeply personal, often reflective of her own reactions to the current state of global, social, and political affairs. Kye approaches such subject matter with a sense of humor, wit, and optimism, offering women designs that are in a vibrant mood, colorful palette, and elaborate detail.
BMUET(TE)
Sharing the same aesthetic and vision, Byungmun Seo and Jina Um launched BMUET(TE) in 2015 to challenge preconceived notions of fashion through their own creative direction, which they describe as “weird but beautiful.”
HEOHWAN SIMULATION
Educated in history, Hwan Heo blends aesthetics and craftsmanship from the past with his visions for the future in his London-based label HEOHWAN SIMULATION. The newest collection explores luxury and casual wear from the 80’s and 90’s through a sustainable lens.
ON THE SCENE
Images courtesy of The Selects.
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