Eudon Choi A/W 2019 London Fashion Week Women's

Mood board: For London-based designer Eudon Choi, fashion, art and architecture go hand in hand. Research into one canonical figure, like modernist architect Eileen Gray, leads to the discovery of other influential figures, like French painter Ivan da Silva Bruhns. For A/W 2019, Choi looked to the famed saturated and hyper-real photographs of French photographer Guy Bourdin, and the Swiss surrealist artist Meret Oppenheim.
Bourdin’s bold use of colour was evoked in bright panelled leather skirts and two-tone tailoring, a Scarlett trenchcoat adorned with tiny sequins, and bright graphic bags. Devoré velvet, gauzy chiffon and corduroy added to the intensity. Oppenheim was renowned for her strong sense of self. Her most famed sculpture, Le Déjeuner en fourrure (1936), a fur covered teacup and spoon, was a surrealist exploration of affluence, domesticity and female eroticism. Strength came in assertive silhouettes, like androgynous tailoring, slashed pencil skirts and excellently cut overcoats.
Scene setting: London’s South Bank has long inspired its designers: Roland Mouret shows in the brutalist landmark The National Theatre, while just over the road, Margaret Howell’s location of choice is dance company Rambert. For A/W 2019, Choi showed near the bank of the River Thames, erecting a graphic runway inside a series of raw shipping containers. The location was inspired by the backdrop of Bourdin’s images, who often shot against an urban wasteland. ‘He photographed a lot of erotic boudoir scenes, and a lot of industrial settings’ Choi said backstage.
Sound bite: Oppenheim also famously modelled for Man Ray (Bourdin was his protégé), and was shot nude in 1933 next to a printing wheel. ‘She was strong and powerful,’ Choi adds, ‘and refused to merely be termed a female artist.’ §
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
It was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTi
Peugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
This 18th-century Puglian villa has been restored with contemporary touches
The updated stonemason's workshop is a haven of centuries-old brick and sophisticated made-in-Italy design
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind café
Wallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UK
As A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019
-
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine Rose
Though slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft Week
During London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London
-
V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimono
For the latest endeavour of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores the evolution of the iconic Japanese garment
-
Erdem A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's