NYFW – Sun Jung Wan S/S 2013 collection

With Grimes blasting as the models strutted their stuff, the Sun Jung Wan show was not a disappointment. The “Rhapsody Under The Sun” concept for the S/S 2013 line was inspired by what Spanish artist Juan Miro remarked as “Everything under the sun”. He imagined a dreamy, mysterious woman taking sunlight, dazzlingly spreading out between the thick trees in the calm and uncharted forest.  The collection is an explanation of Son Jung Wan’s muse: a lyrical and naturally idealised woman, who admires everything that comes from nature under the sun. 

The show started off with a burst of colour. Models wore bright chunky platform heels with strapless dresses showing off colours fit for a sunrise. It then moved on to more neutral tones such as creamy pales and light greys, then finished off the collection with a whole under the sea nature element. Shimmery, iridescent emerald greens and royal blues, some of which looked very mermaidesque, keeping with the natural element, with a natural hairstyle, minimal and not fussy. The almost all blonde runway had hair tied up in milkmaid, Princess Leia style buns and plaits.

Ultra light-weight fabrics were used, such as chiffon, silk and jersey, and were styled in a way to “express a dreamy mood of shattered sunlight”. The collection featured open flowy backless tops and dresses, sheer overlay, uneven hemlines (dresses with short fronts and longer backs) and crocheted flower fabrics. The star of the collection was the grand finale of the show: an off-white 3D feather beaded chiffon trapeze dress. This stunning dress featured a cape-like feathered and beaded flowing back.  Nature was key in this collection, but these items are not something you would want to wear wandering through an enchanted forest as Son Jung Wan imagines so.

Gillian Horsley

Photos: Ruth Prieto