Avant garde is meant to stand for an opposition to the norm in terms of both consumer and popular culture, but in a world where out-of-the-box innovation is now pushed as the “it” thing and everything is about being kitschy, I feel using that term isn’t suitable for describing the work of Korean designer Choonmoo Park.
Highly influential around the world, Park is described as being a leader in the avant garde category, but I see her as being conscious about her life experiences and translating them into a wearable collection. With a background in industrial design studies, you can see how she applies the ideals of her previous education to her clothing. Industrial design rests on the ability to understand the relationships between form, function and products, and how these products are used within certain environments as well as the aesthetic appeal of them. There’s an analytical approach to how Park designs her clothes. No one can question the aesthetics and creativity of the line, but look closer and you’ll see the pieces with their complicated appearance actually have a graceful, unrestricted flow and are easy to wear. Park never forgets the importance of functionality and kinematics.
Some may still prefer to describe her as avant, but I prefer the word experiential. While based in Seoul, South Korea, Park has fans all over the world, and I found some great street style shots inspired by Choonmoo Park to share with you:
2NE1’s Minzy looks amazing in ParkChoonMoo’s previous fall collection.
Here’s more designs from the PARKCHOONMOO collections.
Finally, here’s designer Choonmoo Park.
–STORY BY MIN A. LEE
Feature Image Courtesy of sjchronicle.com
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