Meet The Designers Of Concept Korea—EENK, NOHANT, ul:kin—And See Their Collections Right Here!

Where did you find the inspiration for this collection?
This season’s collection, ‘V for Vintage,’ was inspired by the elegant styling from Vogue magazines in the 1980s. While there’s strong shapes and colors, elegance is the key, blending all the unconventional objects, images, and materials together to recreate the styles of the past, based on post modernism fashion. We are trying to keep the collection modern but classic at the same time. Modernism, avant-garde, and a hint of nostalgia co-exist in this sensible collection.

Is your latest collection a continuation of last season’s themes?
EENK is based on a ‘letter project’ which presents unique themes with keywords designated for each alphabet letter, from A to Z. The theme for Spring Summer ’22 was ‘U for Utopia,’ where I tried to present an intergenerational mixed fashion embracing the generations Y2K & MZ in the viewpoint of EENK. Collections for each season are separate and individual.

How is your collection theme relevant to the world of today?
I always reflect contemporary trends when considering the theme for each collection. I think it’s one of the elements that adds story to the brand’s characteristic. The power suits of the ’80s were reflecting the elevation of women’s social standing at the time and androgynous looks broke boundaries of gender. I thought that the characteristics of postmodernism fashion, in which the stereotypes of gender, age, and situation were dismantled, could be sufficiently reflected in the con- temporary era of social trends in the same context.

What have been some highlights for your brand since the last collection?
We’re looking forward to presenting a physical show in Paris during PFW this March. The event is presented through a collaboration of Seoul Fashion Week & Paris TRANOI fair. It is our first fashion show presenting overseas, so it’s quite meaningful to me and my team.

What’s ahead for your brand in 2022 and beyond?
We are preparing to establish the head quarters of EENK, along with a flagship store in Seoul which we are planning to open in April. Internationally, we’re trying to focus on constructively expanding the brand into the global market this year, participating in more progressive global activities including runways.

NOHANT

Designer Noah Nam

Where did you find the inspiration for this collection?
For this Fall Winter 2022 collection, “Timeless,” NOHANT has redefined iconic looks in its own modernized contemporary vibe. The inspiration came from vintage fashion magazines and NOHANT’s archive.

Is your latest collection a continuation of last season’s themes?
Every season, I focus on our modern lifestyle to come up with the theme. This season, I was inspired by Gen Z and Y2K fashion. NOHANT has reintroduced all-time essentials every man and woman would want to wear everyday in 2022.

How is your collection theme relevant to the world of today?
I think the best way to create something new is from reviewing what’s old. Today, everything is changing at a very fast pace, but there certainly are things that don’t change and stay where they are. It is a good time to stop and think about what we can change for a better future.

What have been some highlights for your brand since the last collection?
Since the last collection, not much has been changed due to COVID. However, thankfully the sales in the China market have grown almost 40%. Also, again, due to COVID, Seoul Fashion Week held its digital shows and NOHANT was able to film the runway at Gyeongbok Palace, Korea’s national palace, where normally people are not allowed to film.

What’s ahead for your brand in 2022 and beyond?
This year, NOHANT is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Various projects related to the anniversary are planned ahead, as well as in terms of sustainability. Needless to say, expansion to the global market starting from NYFW is also expected!