K-Style: Top 10 Spring/Summer 2015 trends as seen at Seoul Fashion Week

While South Korea has a reputation of being the beauty capital of Asia, its authority when it comes to fashion is not to be reckoned with as well. Showing exclusively Korean designers, Seoul Fashion Week is the place for spotting those quirky Korean trends before they hit the shops.

Androgynous style and unisex fashion dominated fall/winter,  however things are looking much lighter and feminine for spring/summer 2015 season. From see-through materials to colourful prints – we look at the top Korean trends which were seen on the catwalks of Seoul Fashion Week SS15.

1- Pleats Please

Pleating is one of the biggest trend for this summer. From maxi dresses and skirts at ARCHE and LIE to The Studio K and ti-baeg‘s knee-length skirts – there was no shortage of flowing pleats on the runways.

2- Prints Galore

From colourful leopard prints at pushBUTTON and BEETLEBEETLE to urban tropical at LIE, abstract and geometric at partspARTs, artsy at BIG PARK and kitsch at ARCHE… prints were aplenty this season. We especially loved the London telephone prints at ARCHE and BIG PARK’s array of funky urban-inspired prints. All in all, the catwalks looked vibrant  and a far cry for the minimalism which dominated the fall/winter season.

3- White on White

Perfect to combat the summer’s heat, white was everywhere to be seen and at almost every show, there was a few total white looks spread here and there. From sleek numbers at ARCHE and Lie Sang Bong to sporty and casual at ZE QUUN and Cres. E Dim, the options were aplenty.

4- Black and white

As evident from this season’s shows, this is arguably the favourite colour combination for Korean designers. Whether in prints or colour blocking separates – monochrome never goes out of style.

5- Feeling Blue

If you consider black and white to be ‘non-colours’ then blue takes the title of being the hottest colour for SS15. Electric shades of blue lit the catwalk especially at SOULPOT STUDIO who used this summer-appropriate shade to its full strength with an array of materials such as chiffon and silk. Among the other designers who incorporated this colour into their collections are The Studio K, Lie Sang Bong, KYE, JARRET and ENZUVAN.

6- Ruffles

We are used to seeing a lot of boxy and androgynous cuts from Korean designers, however, this season looked a lot more feminine and flirty thanks to plenty of ruffles. How and What, Mag and Logan, Surreal but Nice, BIG PARK and S=YZ were certainly feeling the ‘girlie’ vibe for summer.

7- Sheer Beauty

Layering is another trend which dominated the runways in Seoul for SS15. White was the obvious choice for colour and the materials varied from sheer chiffon and silk (SOULPOT nailed the trend) to mesh fabric which added a more casual feel as seen at ti-baeg show.

8- Urban Vibe

Seoul designers are known for making great casual street fashion with original details – which are easy and fun to wear for everyday. This season we especially loved the urban vibe at RE.D with construction site theme and at Cres. E Dim, LOW CLASSIC and BNB12 with an array or fun slogans.

9- Colour Blocking

Mainly seen at LIE and Kaal E. Suktae, we loved both designers’ takes on colour blocking which showed mature and interesting design process. The choice of colours was spot on in both cases.

10- Crop Tops

Still going strong, the crop top trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere, any time soon. Seoul designers followed in the footsteps of their counterparts in New York and London and presented some interesting variations on the trend. JARRET, KYE and LEYII were definitely all in for showing a hint of abs.

Rana Wehbe

Fore more coverage on Seoul Fashion Week: 

Seoul Fashion Week SS15: The Highlights – Part 1

Seoul Fashion Week SS15: Top 5 Menswear trends as seen on the runway

Seoul Fashion Week SS15: K-pop idols and celebrities spotted at the shows

Seoul Fashion Week SS15: 4 K-Beauty trends straight off the runway

Seoul Fashion Week: 10 Korean models you should know about

K-Style: Our top streetstyle looks from Seoul Fashion Week SS15