Moon Choi RTW Spring 2020

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One of the most exciting things about covering fashion is seeing a young designer’s evolution from season to season. Moon Choi has always stood out for its thread of conceptual wearability. The designer will take an idea as abstract as hugging and churn out sleek, pragmatic items you can actually imagine folding into a chic wardrobe.

Whereas past seasons have erred on the tame side, there was a jolt of energy in her spring line. Not only was the look book shot more dramatically, but the pieces themselves were more alluring, balancing Choi’s refined hand against a theme inspired by spies.

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She evoked a spy as a metaphor for people today who are very protective of their personal lives. The result could have easily felt contrived and serious, yet Choi managed to focus on the delicacy of how one might navigate two different lives for a collection that was soft, featuring twists, empty spaces and convertible elements related to the complexity of the theme.

The clothes, yet again, were chic, modern and, above all, wearable. The more adventurous consumer will gravitate toward clothes born from the theme: a parachute cape-dress that billows and catches the wind; slipdresses with empty spaces at the bust that represent the void of real life; cropped blazers that wrap snugly around the body for a sense of security, and an additional blazer with a decorative trouser waistline denoting how you can’t take things at face value.

Without knowledge of the backstory, the conclusion would be that these are sleek and experimental plays on tailoring. More aligned with the pragmatic side of convertible design she’s championed in the past were jackets with detachable cuffs, an über-cool utilitarian jumpsuit with paneled sleeves, and two-for-one garments like a trench-detachable-cape hybrid and a double layered slipdress, all marked by comfort and an imaginative take on wardrobe staples.

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Launch Gallery: Moon Choi RTW Spring 2020

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