Rokh RTW Spring 2024
Rok Hwang revealed his first men’s offering via a slow-paced, dimly lit coed show at Palais de Chaillot.
The designer said the collection is rooted in his childhood dream, which is to become an artist. Truth be told, Hwang’s approach has always been very mathematical, which many believe is the purest form of art.
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While most do deconstruction by slashing a piece open and stitching it back together at random, there is this rigid order in Hwang’s approach, as seen in the layered trenches, cropped military jackets and elevated utility jackets. They were precisely cut, and no “misplacement” is a mistake.
That feeling was even more pronounced in the men’s line, which he took a year to develop.
“I spend a lot of time on cutting, crafting things. I like to work on the textiles. Everything is done with my hands. For the menswear collection, I really wanted the central focus to be on what we are good at, which is our silhouette. We wanted to give something that is quite immaculate, but at the same time, there’s always a twist. Everything could be worn like normal, very serious, but at the same time, it could be very playful as well,” Hwang said backstage.
He showed vintage-inspired workwear in washed cotton, nostalgia striped shirts and athletic pieces, modernized sailor trousers, Oxford shirts in technical fabrics and a slew of layered deconstructed blazers and trenches.
For the women’s offering, Hwang found a sweet spot between elegance and seduction in the dress category. Cue the LBD with a gold bag chain repurposed as a halterneck, the backless crochet lace-clad navy dress and the knee-length dress with cutout detail around the chest and pleated fringes at the bottom.
“It’s for those who are not afraid to challenge themselves but at the same time enjoy the freedom. I also want to give a little bit of sensuality, and give something that is kind of perfect that you are seriously engaging in clothing,” Hwang said of his target audience.
The textured knits, in the shade of hard felt, looked interesting as well, especially when they came out together with the brand’s generously sized, soft-textured clutches.
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Launch Gallery: Rokh RTW Spring 2024
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