NYFW Spring 2015: An interview with Son Jung Wan

Backstage, before the runway show: South Korean fashion designer Son Jung Wan’s Spring 2015 collection hangs on racks, ready to be worn. (photo by Angela K. Hom / Meniscus Magazine)

Angela K. Hom: So you usually pick a place, or an artist as your inspiration. What is your inspiration for this season?

Son Jung Wan: I got inspired by dualism theory, and yin and yang theory. I tried to express the counterbalance. Harmony between contrasting elements, such as minimalism and maximalism, softness and hardness, and masculine and feminine. I mixed…Oriental softness and Western minimalism.

And I used too, [a] lot [of] texture and fabrics and softness, silhouette dress to express dualism. You can call it “Yin and Yang.” I made my unique style using accents [and] colors: cool mint, magenta, and opal and other various colors.

Wow, it sounds like it’s going to be a very pretty collection to watch. You recently opened e-commerce. Do you feel like this mixture of Orientalism and Westernism – is that kind of a reflection of you expanding globally now, especially with e-commerce?

I think so, yeah. Mmm.

The Son Jung Wan Spring 2015 offering reimagined elegance through an airy and carefree lens. (photo by Angela K. Hom / Meniscus Magazine)

Do you see a difference now, with your customer base? Do you see people, buying certain things from one region of the world, and certain people buying different things from another region?

Translator: All her unique style is reflected in her designs, so there’s no difference between, like…a particular region…

Son: Because every woman wants to look more beautiful and so sexy and feminine. Every woman wants the same thing.

That’s true. We all want to look good. So what is your long-term wish for the brand? How do you want to see your brand grow? Do you want to expand it more into other categories, or are you going to continue working on maybe men’s wear?

I want to expand [my] market. I’m going to participate in China Fashion Week for this season and my brand will be launching in China in about a month or so.

China’s a great market to tap into, definitely. Well, my last question is: I always ask you, do you have a favorite piece from this collection?

Uh, every piece, I love. (laughs) That’s true.

Audio Slideshow: Interview with Son Jung Wan – New York Fashion Week
interview and photos by Angela K. Hom / Meniscus Magazine