Concept Korea S/S 2018

Grace Halio, Editor-at-Large

Highlighting two emerging designers — LIE and Greedilous — Concept Korea’s Spring/Summer 2018 show at Skylight Clarkson Square buzzed with excitement before the lights went down and a video montage of floral graphics and phrases like “perfectly imperfect” flashed across screens flanking the runway.

Horns sounded as if to announce the arrival of royalty, white light spilled across the space and percussion beat ushered in the models for LIE’s “Perfect Beauty” show. 69-year-old Maye Musk, mother of Elon Musk and professional senior model, opened the show as cool, subtle tones of white and pale blue were given a pop with accents of peach and lime green. Some models sported thick headbands with “believe” on the side in thin white letters, adding an accent to the natural hairstyles models sported.

Each look seemingly consisted of several types of fabrics — from silk, to cotton, to mesh, there was no shortage of texture on the runway. Chung Chung Lee, the designer, cited flowers as his inspiration for “the structures, the shapes, the silhouettes and the colors.” Two styles stood out —  the silky, billowing ruffled pieces in blush and pale tones, and the more electrified, colorblocked sporty looks. They highlighted the dichotomy between ultra-feminine silhouettes and the functionality and power in athleisure.

“I think nobody is perfect, but that is the real beauty,” Lee said. “We don’t have to think about  stand-out beauty, or a beauty contest. I want to talk about real, natural beauty.”

And in highlighting a range of colors, shapes and energies, he succeeded.

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As the lights dimmed after LIE’s collection, an explosion of botanic patterns in bright hues appeared on the screens to introduce Greedilous’ “Botanic Exotica” collection. A departure from solid colors and stripes in LIE’s collection, the tessellating patterns seen on-screen came to life on the runway. Bold greens, pinks, blues and oranges captivated the audience as they danced in their seats to the Calvin Harris beats playing.

The cheerful, patterned collection channeled a tropical rainforest vibe that could have been all-too-familiar — but designer Younhee Park presented anything but predictable looks. Jacket lapels were lined with fabric that’s color could only be described as electric banana, while several pairs of high-drama flared pants in ruby red, lavender and a collage-esqe flower pattern had guests whispering and pointing excitedly.

Park describes the way she manipulates the patterns as creating a “supernatural hallucination effect,” and viewers were entranced. Maye Musk closed the show in an oversized, ruffled multi colored dress that was grounded by impeccable tailoring. When asked what she thought of the experience, she said, “Did you see how happy I was to walk in this show?”

Email Grace Halio at [email protected].