Jiyun was invited, like many new and exciting designers, to Iceland Fashion Week but other commitments meant we couldn’t attend this year. There is some, not so flattering, coverage over at http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/09/inside_icelands_nightmare_fash.html. A great shame as it could have been a fantastic event.
However from the land of geysers, snow, water and Bjork we were lucky enough to be featured in Iceland’s glamorous fashion magazine NÝTT LÍF. It’s great to be hot in Iceland!
Jiyun’s collection has since been exhibited at the NEO Couture exhibition at Fashion Space Gallery on Thursday 26th March.
The collection was selected by LCF to be modelled by Carmen Dell’Orefice for Pigeons and Peacocks magazine and modelled by Sasha Pivovarova and photographed by Mark Seagal from iD magazine. coming soon…
Jiyun Lapthorn displayed her collection at Victoria & Albert Museum’s Raphael Gallery to an all-star crowd including Grayson Perry, David Downton, Lulu Guinness, Zandra Rhodes, Jo Wood and Harold Tillman.
The collection aspired to immaculate draping, inspired for example by Tibetan wear and vintage photographs, clothes from other worlds, sometimes deceptively simple with extraordinary volume that creates comfort for movement. Garments respect the body structure and the natural movement of a given fabric.
Press highlighted the stand-out collection:
“beautifully cut jackets with Balmain-esque shoulders” (The Guardian)
“exquisite inky draped numbers” (Vogue.com)
“a real ‘couture masters at work’ feel…garments elegantly draped over the body to unveil a stunning collection and a true talent” (Established designer Ziad Ghanem, Fashion Capital)
“mature approach to design and vast industry experience were clearly evident. Creating a sophisticated array of evening dresses, she focused on refined drapery techniques” (WGSN)
Originally a fashion designer in South Korea, Jiyun moved to the UK where she moved into textile design, selling her designs to various designers including Valentino in Première Vision and Pitti Filati.
Having spent a few years as a textile designer Jiyun wanted to experiment using experience from textile design and a passion for pattern cutting studying MA Fashion Design and Technology course at London College of Fashion. The collection is strong and mature, emulating her experience within the industry. Jiyun admires Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto who captured the architectural drama with great understanding of garment construction.
I am inspired by the barefoot dancer Isadora Duncan’s spirit, poetic dance and the intangible forms of her dress movement. My philosophy and avant-garde spirit is expressed in clothing. When the body moves the clothes fold, drape, details appear and disappear…and never stay in one form. Beautiful moments are frozen, such as the moment when garments are asymmetrical and unusually twisted or some parts of the garment are folded away missing.
The London College of Fashion MA Show, at London’s V&A Museum, on January 21, will showcase the work of designers that the college predicts will be the stars of the future. Only 19 designers from menswear and womenswear will represent LCF displaying the best of LCF postgraduate design talent.
