Son Jung Wan Spring 2016

Korea's favorite designer Son Jung Wan was inspired by the "Gentle beauty of nature" for her New York Fashion Week show for spring 2016. Specifically, her muse was the gorgeous, volcanic island of Jeju in South Korea.

I couldn't immediately see the connection with the aquatic treasure and nature. The fabrics had pretty pastel and metallic finishes. The cuts were sleek and angled for many of the looks. I soon realized that the asymmetric silhouettes were more of an abstract reference to the volcanic structures on the land. I found some photos of the island that showed the delicate flowers that grow there. There were a few looks where the petal embroidery emulated that:

The frosted pink shade and sharp cuts of both the long and short dresses that they were designed for perfectly embodied Pantone's Color of the Year of Rose Quartz. Deeper green and blue hues took their muse from the surrounding island sea and foliage.

While most of Son Jung Wan's fan base is in Korea, she is quickly gaining some famous fans Stateside. The star model of the runway was Ireland Baldwin while Gossip Girl's Kelly Rutherford ran up to give the designer a supportive hug in the finale.

I love how Son Jung Wan's collection always looks sophisticated and feminine without being girly. She can bring in the pastels and embellishments but executes them in a mature way so that grown-ups actually want to wear them. I don't know why that's such a surprise, I think I have had too many bad shopping trips in Asia where high-pitched salesgirls try to bombard me with too frilly bows and pink. Spring 2016 is for the lady, not the baby.

photos by Mariana Leung