7 Emerging Designers To Know From Seoul Fashion Week Fall 2022

After a few years of digital presentations and canceled showcases, Seoul Fashion Week has officially returned for the Fall 2022 season, and oh, how we’ve missed it!

From Friday, March 18, to Wednesday, March 23, the six-day event just wrapped with many emerging and long-respected talent at the forefront. This year’s in-person shows took place at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, featuring Netflix’s Squid Game star and acclaimed actor Lee Jung-jae as the Global Ambassador for the major event. Though the number of IRL attendees were limited this time around due to the pandemic, we were still in for quite the comeback from the Korean fashion scene.

For Fall 2022, Seoul Fashion Week also held its first-ever pavilion at the Tranoï Trade Show during Paris Fashion Week in early March, including beloved brands like LIE and Wnderkammer to Doucan and more. But other newbies have come onto our must-watch radar this season as K-fashion is on the steady rise.

If you’re wondering what you missed out from Seoul Fashion Week Fall 2022, see our roundup of the top seven Korean designers watch out for, ahead.

BMUET(TE)

After launching the ready-to-wear label Bmuet(te) back in 2017, duo designers Byungmun Seo and Jina Um have brought the heat for their Fall 2022 collection. Inspired by a blend of dark regencycore and 19th-century European school uniforms, the collection offers range of androgynous and dramatic silhouettes, ranging from voluminous gowns layered with structured jackets and floral blouses to tailored uniforms paired with chunky Mary Jane heels and more.

BonBom

The pandemic seems to have posed little challenge for BonBom. Since its launch in 2020, the brand has since been worn by rising rookies like NMIXX to K-pop veterans Taeyeon and more. BonBom’s latest collection, titled “I know your sacrifice,” spotlights quite an unfamiliar universe on the catwalk, this time the hard work from the lens of future female warriors.

Focusing specifically on students’ school life and their rebellious nature, BonBom continues to reinterpret biker-couture style through the trending Y2K aesthetic, featuring fetishcore crop tops and oversized pocket cargo pants on top of corsetted ‘fits, “going-out” catsuits, and low-rise, itty-bitty mini skirts.

Cahiers

Women’s wear brand Cahiers usually keeps it romantic and dreamy, and while that remained the same this time around, the French-inspired label presented quite a twist for its “When Paris Calls You” collection. Taking inspiration from the feelings of departing the city of romance for the first time, plus referencing stills from the 1989 film You Call It Love, Cahiers’ Fall 2022 collection boasts over-the-top silhouettes, A-line coats, ruffled lace, and suited looks, all while taking on a dark color palette.

Doucan

Doucan’s “Seoul Night, Light” presentation was inspired by the darkness of Seoul and the light that illuminates the night. Replicating flickering lights and the city’s native flowers, much of the brand’s garments were printed with tie-dye florals, intensely colored red, blue, black and white, reminiscent of the Korean national flag. Doucan’s Fall 2022 collection featured mainly elaborate gowns but with an edge, including a range of flared-out skirts plus chic fuzzy coats, leather pieces, and structured blouses.

LIE

Meaning “Life Is An Expression,” Central Saint Martins alum Chungchung Lee launched LIE in 2012 and is a force to be reckoned with, having since worked with the likes of Red Velvet’s Irene to brands like Swarovski and more. For Fall 2022, LIE’s latest collection takes viewers on a festive ski trip to the Alps with Korean artist Yeon Nu Ri. The women’s lifestyle brand introduces elevated silhouettes that bridge bold colors and soft details, along with the collection featuring dynamic looks, like puffer jackets and winter’s trendy balaclavas to fuzzy boots and more, all with your favorite pet plant in hand.

Painters

Seoul-based brand Painters has become quite a familiar face to the fashion scene since its start back in 2018 and the brand has made its highly-anticipated return to its native city this season. Painters’ Fall 2022 collection, titled “Accepted,” experiments with trippy visuals and references commercial art, foraying into hand-mixed fabrics and voluminous proportions. The internet’s trending “subversive basics” also take on a new form for the Seoul-based brand, coming out with a number of pieces like ruffled dresses and shredded skirts.

Vimun Studio

Vimun Studio, with “vimun” translating to an incomplete sentence, is a women’s wear brand established in 2019 by designer Hyunjung Kim. Known for its classic and casual silhouettes, this Fall 2022 collection was inspired by French architect Jean Prouvé, coming strong with coveted fleece jackets, sweater vests, and playful skirts.

Wnderkammer

Founded in 2010 by Hye Young Shin, Wnderkammer knows how to make basic closet staples with a twist, and all made from natural materials. Its Fall 2022 show was inspired by Korean poet Yoon Dong-joo’s “On the Street,” with minimalist silhouettes perfect for snowy winter nights, like baggy trousers and long maxi dresses. (Though we can also see ourselves wearing much of the pieces all year long.) Wnderkammer’s collection also debuted cold-weather staples on the catwalk, like teddy jackets and structured coats, but there were also chunky rope-like belts, satin jumpsuits, and floor-sweeping fuzzy sandals.