Cotton candy & candy canes in Son Jung Wan’s delectable designs

Son Jung Wan’s 11th NYFW collection flaunts eccentricity.

Lieko Dadaille, Contributing Writer
September 12, 2022

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The Son Jung Wan 2023 Spring/Summer Ready-to-Wear collection was a flurry of neon pink, cyan and lavender gowns, mini-dresses and well-coordinated tops and shorts. While the veteran New York Fashion Week designer elevated the pieces in her latest collection to fashion’s ever-changing landscape, Son Jung Wan maintained her creative independence.

Son, one of South Korea’s leading designers, has seen her pieces featured in a number of popular Korean dramas. Her garments are typically worn by actresses of the ingénue type, showing her innate ability to capture youthful femininity.

A female model walks in a blue-and-purple reflective dress with balloon sleeves and white heels.
(Samson Tu for WSN)

The first piece to grace the runway, a double-toned purple and yellow holographic dress, would have found itself at home in Son’s past collections. Stitched florals and blanketed textures transformed solid hues. As the stream of models continued, the clothing shifted into striped and polka-dotted patterns with neon green, yellow and pink accents.

A female model wearing white stockings and heels walks in a blue and green polka dot dress with rainbow-striped accents and a blue pocket.
(Samson Tu for WSN)

Of the featured looks, one where the model was wearing a deep purple puffed sleeve button up with a bow at the bottom, a wrapped ballet-style skirt in a similar purple shade and sheer white socks with platform shoes seemed to encapsulate the playful and youthful style Son has come to be known for.

A female model wearing white stockings and heels walks in a reflective purple blouse with a ribbon at the waist and a dark purple skirt.
(Samson Tu for WSN)

All models were nearly bare-faced in a “no makeup-makeup” look. All female models wore high heels or platform heels. Hairstyles sprayed in a fashion reminiscent of the ’80s featured traditionally voluminous straight and long hair. Male models were few and far between but made the rare appearance dressed in shorts and a top. They wore identical white sandals complemented by white nail polish.

A male model walks in a semitransparent flowery bright yellow shirt and a reflective golden pair of pants with a pair of flowery yellow sandals; A female model wearing white heels walks in a gold-and-purple striped dress with neon purple accents at the hemline; A male model walks in a blazer and a pair of shorts. Above the waist of the blazer is a leafy light green pattern. Below the waist of the blazer, the pair of shorts and the pair of sandals are of a neon green reflective color.
(Samson Tu for WSN)

The pieces contained traces of Son’s past styles, with one look partnering a featherlike sequined black fabric with white stripe details. The black-and-white color-blocked pieces were interspersed with candy-striped dresses. Varied fabrics from leather to silk transformed the otherwise basic reds and whites.

A male model wearing a pair of white sandals walks in black-and-white zip-up jacket and a pair of white shorts; A female model wearing white heels walks in a red-and-white striped dress; A female model wearing white heels walks in a black furry dress with a white furry collar.
(Samson Tu for WSN)

While some designers have a chameleon-like habit of transforming their collections to fit the current era, Son has shown that she can reinvent her use of textures and colors while staying true to her style and not losing her distinct flair to current trends.

Designer Son Jung Wan dressed in a white blouse, black pants and black heels bows to the audience.
Designer Son Jung Wan walks out to thank the audience after the show. (Samson Tu for WSN)

Contact Lieko Dadaille at [email protected].