ILLUSTRATOR: MAGDA ANTONIUK WRITER: MARTA REPRESAThe A/W19 show – a sartorial reimagining of his Texan
teenage years, rife with the kind of deconstructed midi-
skirts, oversized cocoon coats and long paisley dresses
that delight art dealers and CEOs alike – came eight
months after Hwang won the 2018 LVMH Special Prize.
But, if his vision has caught on, it is thanks to his
realistic approach to clothing: ‘I work with an all-female
team. We construct each garment from the body and
try on every sample. If it can’t be worn comfortably or
make a woman feel good about herself, no matter how
amazing it looks on a hanger, we cancel it.’
His philosophy, he says, couldn’t be simpler: ‘I am
fascinated by the quality of artisan-made objects;
that human touch, those irregularities that make every
piece unique. It’s exactly what we try to accomplish
at Rokh. Perfect imperfection.’
rokh.netThe idea that Paris is the fashion capital of the world
is often conjured through images from the major
maisons, steeped in glamour and luxury and with
decades or even centuries of heritage. The biggest
players are gatekeepers, in short, of an established
industry that can make it hard for newcomers to get
noticed. And yet, in the past few years, a generation
of emerging designers – backed by initiatives such
as the LVMH Prize – has been transforming Paris
Fashion Week into an experimental hub, and turning
industry expectations on their head by rethinking
everything from creativity and sustainability to
pricing and distribution. Here are three young
designers currently making waves on the Paris scene.New order
The young designers taking
on fashion’s old guard in Paris
ROKH
Fans of the intellectual aesthetic of Phoebe Philo’s
Celine now have something new to look forward to:
Korean-American designer Rok Hwang makes, for his
label Rokh, the kind of clothes that art-obsessed
women gravitate towards. Not least because he spent
his formative years working alongside Philo at Celine,
before spending time at Chloé and Louis Vuitton.
Hwang grew up in Austin, Texas, and moved
to London aged 19 to study womenswear design
at Central Saint Martins, under the supervision of
Professor Louise Wilson. Since then, he has lived
between London and Paris: ‘I do love my life in London,
but I take the Eurostar about twice a month. Most
of my friends live in Paris, and my fashion references
are mainly French: Vionnet, Lanvin. Deep down,
I think that’s the reason I decided to stage my very
first show there. After all, Paris is still the dream.’HWANG’S DEBUT ROKH
SHOW, FOR A/W19,
INCLUDED DECONSTRUCTED
TRENCH COATS AND 1980S-
STYLE FLORAL PRINTS
ROK HWANG
Intelligence
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