Asia - with Tokyo and Seoul at the forefront - is known for hi-tech and technological advancement in... well, just about everything, and that includes clothes. But this is Paris, home of the elegant, land of the suave, capital of chic fashion. Having come here with a with a sartorial foundation somewhere between those two train of thoughts, it seems that South Korean brand Wooyoungmi this season decided which one of the trains to jump on. The Autumn Winter 2012 collection was not a continuation of last season's neoprene detailing but rather the first page of a new (look)book. Showing a long and slim silhouette, framed by oversized coats with fur collars, either worn over an elegant suit or hung like a cape on the shoulders of a model carrying a hat or an umbrella.
"We saw an image from Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawk' and we wanted to portray the solitude of urban men through the clothes"
There was a distinct feeling of pre-war Europe in the 1930s. Double-breasted jackets, belted coats, cropped trousers, pinstriped bomber jackets... all of them worn with a sort of casual sophistication. Focused on burgundy, grey, navy the collection was on the a sombre side bar a few colour injections á la a burnt orange knitwear jumper. A few of the coats and jackets came out sleeveless which maybe betrayed the idea of living in interwar Paris, but epaulet shirts and a gorgeous cropped RAF-style pilot jacket in Harris Tweed convinced everyone that Wooyoungmi's train finally was on the right track.
"The idea was to focus more on the silhouette rather than details - we wanted to create a city camouflage"
Dazed Digital: What was the starting point for A/W12?
Wooyoungmi: We saw an image from Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawk' and we wanted to portray the solitude of urban men through the clothes.
DD: Normally you always put hi-tech sportswear on the catwalk, this was very elegant and formal...
Wooyoungmi: Yes, the idea was to focus more on the silhouette rather than details - we wanted to create a city camouflage!
DD: What kind of silhouettes are you referring to?
Wooyoungmi: There's more volume, round shoulders and bigger shapes
DD: There's a strong 30s, 40s feeling to the collection...
Wooyoungmi: Yes, there are elements of 1930s, 40s military garments in there, like the RAF-style flight jacket.
DD: Is there a stand out piece for you?
Wooyoungmi: All the Harris Tweed pieces!
