The Standout Mens Shows
Jehen Sheen is one of the few designers who prefers an intellectual approach to his presentations; this season his show was grounded in the serenity of Buddhism. You could hear the sound of the white round pebbles that comprised the runway, grinding against each other as the models stepped on them with leather open-toe lace up boots. To complete the look, a cotton cape shirt-jacket and charcoal linen pants. Han Sang Hyuk of MVIO incorporated sports elements in his Plasticman show. A fuchsia rubber tank was worn under a white double-breasted suit, topped off with a with plastic mask. When the actor Cha Seungwon opened the Songzio show in a ankle-length lean linen double-breasted coat and cuffed linen pants, he set the tones for Mr Songzio’s signature high-tech tailoring coupled with a romanticism of a bygone era.
And like their pop stars counterparts these men’s designers have also found a new export market: Japan, China, Taiwan, and Thailand. Many of the pop acts are releasing albums in Japanese and are now big in Japan as well. “Asia is now a biggest markets for these designers much more so than Europe because of the economic situations,” said Benoit Jutel of MC2 showroom, who represents Ji Choi, Cy Choi, Juun J, SongZio and Wooyoungmi worldwide. “There are fewer and fewer stores in Europe except for the big marquee stores.”
