With K-pop and K-movies taking over the world’s pop culture, K-fashion may be the next to benefit from the craze.

At least, the up-and-coming Korean designers who will be showing off at New York Fashion Week on Sept. 13 believe it will plummet.

“With so much Korean culture currently trending around the world, fashion is a bit behind music and movies. Lee Sung-Dong said, as part of Concept Korea, he will showcase the Spring 2023 collection: “We want to be part of what makes K-Fashion more successful.”

Concept Korea is a global fashion program sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and sponsored by Korea Creative Content Agency to support up-and-coming Korean designers. After a pause due to the pandemic, the 12-year Concept Korea program returns to the fashion week calendar, giving designers a highly visible global platform.

At Ul:kin, Seongdong’s Spring 2023 collection capitalizes on a pastime that has grown in popularity during the pandemic: fishing. And he uses it to give the line a sustainability spin at the core of the brand.

“Recently, I heard that there is a type of fishing called magnet fishing, which involves catching debris in the water… I thought it would be one of the concepts for this season, as the brand is based on recycling and eco-fashion,” said Sondong. rice field. “Some looks are based on fishing and camping, as well as upcycling, which we have continually shown in our collections.”

The item resembles a traditional multi-pocket fisherman’s vest, but is crafted into a skirt, with netting adding texture and seaweed serving as inspiration for the pattern.

And don’t miss the opportunity of K-pop, and the trend of sending celebrities as well as models down the runway, Korean boy band iKon’s Kim Donghyuk walks the Ul:kin show.

According to Seong-dong, his NYFW debut will be an opportunity to showcase K-fashion’s clever balance of practicality and wearability, without leaving behind not only his own brand but also his artistic vision.

“What Koreans do and what Koreans wear is K-fashion itself, and I think that’s what we should show the world to make it successful and global. ….K-fashion is what we wear right now.It’s what K-pop idols wear now, not the past,” he said. “Fashion is part of culture. [of South Korea] Therefore, we believe that fashion, like other parts of the cultural industry such as film and music, can be global. ”

Contrary to Ul:kin’s new-age workwear vibe, Cahiers brings romance.

All ruffles, soft shapes and traditionally feminine silhouettes are the result of designer Kim Ah-young’s 10 years living in France and traveling the world. During her time in France, she completed her master’s degree at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

“What I personally feel about the place and its historical image [from my travels] I try to capture them in my work,” she said. [spring] 2023 collection decided [focus on] Toledo, ancient city of Spain. If you think about Toledo’s characteristics, there are Judaism, Islamic culture and Christianity.

It’s all about “the beauty of coexistence,” she said.

“Korean women are very interested in their fashion,” said the designer, who is showing off for the first time at NYFW. [South] Korea including how to dress top celebrities. “As a result, Korean fashion is trend-conscious and creative.

“Korean fashion and Korean designers can lead the world and influence the world.”

For Besfxx, who calls itself an “experimental fashion house” and describes its aesthetic as “bespoke but messed up,” NYFW is not just for new audiences, but also for existing buyers, including Bergdorf Goodman, to see what’s new. It will be an opportunity to show what is provided. 2023 season this spring. It will be the brand’s first show in the US, and the show at NYFW next February is also scheduled.

Designed and produced by Seoul this season, Besfxx “reimagines classic garments based on current trends,” says designer Jae Hyuk Lim.

Taking classics such as 50s balloon skirts, smoking blazers and trench coats for which the brand is known, Lim creates new tailored silhouettes.

“It was a very interesting process because the balloon skirt is a skirt. You can think of long balloon skirts and short balloon skirts, but we wanted to do a crazy hybrid, inserting balloon skirts into classic garments like blazers and trench coats. It’s an expression of clothing, so it’s like a coat and a skirt combined, and it’s completely wearable,” he said.

And that hybrid design element is, more broadly, what Korean designers are good at, he said.

“Korean design is great at finding a balance between craftsmanship and commerciality,” Lim said. “People who attend Seoul Fashion Week can make high-quality clothes at reasonable prices. I felt that they were very skilled and reasonable in their handling of quality.

“There is no doubt that Korean design will rise in global business,” he continued. “But things take time.”

In the meantime, the three Concept Korea designers will debut their collection at an invitation-only show on September 13th at 7pm at the Spring Studios gallery on Varick Street in New York City.