Concept Korea made a return to New York Fashion Week for the Autumn/Winter 2024 Runway Show, held on Tuesday, February 13th at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in New York City. This event featured an array of designs from three Korean fashion labels: KIMMY.J, CHARM’S, and MMAM. From KIMMY.J’s punk-inspired avant-garde outfits to MMAM’s wearable art and CHARM’S alluring styles, the runway was a display of storytelling through fashion.
The show gained extra attention with the announcement of K-POP star Shownu, the leader of Monsta X, as the ambassador for the Concept Korea global campaign. Shownu’s participation as a model on the runway, coupled with his accomplishments in the music industry, was aimed at promoting the brand both withing fashion world and beyond.
MMAM, under the creative direction of designer Hyun Park, unveiled a collection focused on the philosophical value of family. Park’s designs incorporate elements of graffiti embroidered onto classic silhouettes, inspired by doodle drawings reminiscent of a child’s first attempts at visual communication and a longing for play. The Autumn/Winter 2024 collection from MMAM focused on modern silhouettes designed for comfort and versatility, catering to a wide audience from working professionals to street artists.
CHARM’S, led by creative director Yohan Kang, presented pieces that resonate with emotional depth, aiming to empower the wearer with confidence and elegance. Drawing inspiration from various cultural elements such as movies and music, Kang seeks to capture emotions, particularly love, within the brand’s personality and color palette. This season, CHARM’S explored the contrast between darkness and light and the human tendency to seek out brightness in times of darkness.
KIMMY.J‘s designers, Jenny Kim and Haeun Lee, are known for their commitment to creating socially impactful fashion. Their Autumn/Winter 2024 collection continued this tradition, fostering collaborations with artists and investing in future-value fields such as electric vehicles. This approach resulted in an avant-garde interpretation of streetwear that blends contrasting textures and fabric weights. The collection serves as a tribute to the diverse artists who inspire KIMMY.J.