London-based designer Sohee Park loves items with a past.
“I always love very old things that have been neglected and I find beauty in them,” said this self-confessed magpie, who has amassed all manners of antique tchotchkes over the years.
She channeled this into a spring collection where she translated mother-of-pearl jewelry boxes, a traditional Korean headpiece, precious vases decked in opulent floral décor and even old tiles into richly adorned sultry silhouettes.
“Seduction is being oneself and being confident,” she said backstage before her sophomore Paris show. “It’s not to seduce the other sex.”
Save for a puffball skirt or two, Park’s spring was all about hugging and highlighting the female form, finishing off dresses with dramatic backs cut at times so low they hinted at another type of cleavage.
Mermaid dresses were plethora, here with a corset element visible at the waist, there a blush-toned tulle number embroidered in a cascade of flowers. There was even one made of a bodysuit with a skirt that looked like a tumble of lilac tulle had just been wrapped around the hips.
Among the standouts were her bridal-like opening look; a racerback dress with its bodice embroidered with myriad geometric designs that looked like accumulated petals that finished in a flow of light gray tulle; a sparkling midnight blue column featuring a golden collar plastron that made it look regal, and three bejeweled clasps holding it closed at the hip.
Handbags and fans were created in collaboration with South Korean artisans, using Hansan Mosi, a fine ramie-style weave that is made from hemp and is one of the country’s heritage textiles.
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Source: WWD