Glowing crystal archways, sprawling floral arrangements and orchestral music greeted guests as they entered the show. While most New York Fashion Week shows featured rows of seating along the runway, Andrew Kwon’s Spring/Summer 25 show on Sept. 10 invited audience members to tuck away into the cozy booths of Korean restaurant COQODAQ. The spot, best known for its elevated fried chicken, was transformed into an intimate, ethereal space.
The show was nothing short of jaw-dropping. The collection consisted of 11 gowns and one pantsuit constructed in pastel and floral fabrics. Entitled “ephemeral,” the show sought to build a world of its own. It is truly impressive to see what Kwon was able to put together for the show given that his atelier opened just a few months ago.
“It’s timeless, it’s ethereal, it’s really creating a world of Hollywood glamor meets sci-fi movie fantasy,” Andrew Kwon said in an interview with WSN.
The show opened with a white gown, embellished in colorful flowers and featuring a tulle bustle, cascading down the runway. A corset top layered over the dress provided a nice contrast, adding structure to an otherwise flowy garment. What truly stood out in this look, however, was the styling. Glistening flower petals adorned the model’s arms and decolletage, extending the design beyond the garment.
The second look — another white gown with a corset top, but featuring an effortlessly draped skirt — perfectly captured the show’s fantastical approach. Though the gown did not include any pastels or florals, the simplicity of the drop-waist silhouette and cream-white color was reminiscent of an outfit suited for a fairy.
“I was really tying in the seasons — winter, summer, spring, fall — and trying to translate that into this world that I wanted to create of these sort of nymphs and mystical creatures,” Kwon said.
Within the gown-dominant collection was one uniquely constructed pantsuit. Crafted from light-green jacquard with billowing chiffon sleeves, the look embodied the same sense of floral fantasy as the gowns of the rest of the show. However, the inclusion of one suit among 11 gowns did feel out of place. Perhaps the incorporation of more pantsuit designs could help even out this disparity.
Still, as each model walked into the room, it became clear that this was meant to be an immersive experience. Models took to the runway one at a time, giving each design time to command the space through distinctly characteristic walks. Instead of walking straight ahead on the runway, models would often stop to acknowledge the audience with dance-like movements.
“When you’re looking at these girls, it’s like you’re walking into a universe or a galaxy that’s so beautiful but also dark in some way,” Kwon said.
From the venue to the designs, Kwon’s SS25 showing spared no detail. The designs were fantastical while still maintaining a sense of familiarity, and the show’s space itself proved no different, with audiences seated comfortably in intimate booths, surrounded by ethereal glowing archways and flower displays.
“This is probably one of my most exciting collections we’ve created,” Kwon said. “I got so much more creativity out of really cutting the actual dress, pinning it, cutting it again. It felt much more of like a true couture atelier experience.”
Contact Shiphrah Moses at [email protected].
