Woo'd by Wooyoungmi

Having first seduced the 'Land of the Morning Calm' with her vision of menswear, the Korean designer Wooyongmi then began showing in Paris in July 2002 with her eponymous line. With an eye for advanced sartorial details, the designer has since established herself as a must-see show on Paris' hectic Sunday schedule. From the very beginning, the designer has been fond of straight and clean graphic cuts and has constructed a design signature of simple, modern and carefully crafted pieces.

Each season, her garments are streamlined and enriched with details and styled finishes that reinvent the wardrobe for men without frightening them. Wooyoungmi offers a quiet revolution. Now, I have long been a member of the party but have not been able to wear the covetable uniform. However, thanks to our wise Tokyo guide, Mr Streetpeeper, I was able to pick up a couple of current season bargains at the Gotemba Premium Outlet Mall. Susie has already detailed her enthusiasm for this sprawling kingdom of reduced prices that left us both guilt ridden tourists as we turned our backs on the wonders of Mount Fuji and instead headed to the red bricked, promised land of discounting. All I'll say is I'm very pleased with my souvenirs from Gotemba. The pick of the bunch were two items from Wooyoungmi's stunning SS11 collection that I uncovered in the Via Bus Stop store.

For SS11, Wooyongmi showcased a myriad of potent sartorial concoctions that blurred the lines between individual garments and explore the idea of a uniforn. With a focused intent on highlighting the importance of outerwear across all seasons, the label managed to offer elegant coats which were at times hybrids of shirts and at others, jackets. 

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Wooyoungmi trench coat and combat trousers worn with a Sunspel t shirt and boots by Grenson.

Suffice to say, after the discovery of Gotemba and having had the good fortune of adding two Wooyoungmi pieces to my wardrobe, I'm hooked on the designer and will soon start saving to add more. As it always pays to plan ahead and before she reveals her SS12 collections in Paris next week, I thought I'd take a closer look at the AW11 collection.

For AW11, Wooyongmi juxtaposed technical fabrics and details with more luxurious components of menswear. There was an ever intriguing play between the practical and the traditional. Materials and garments were twisted and manipulated with drawstrings and padding so that they fit a twenty first century urban lifestyle. Thanks to the backstage shots of James Mountford, we can get drunk off of detail shot, after detail shot...

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Backstage shots by James Mountford.

As I plan and save for my next investment in to Wooyoungmi, I look forward to covering her SS12 show in Paris next Sunday. The quiet revolution continues...

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