Leuni Presents Spring/summer 2020 Runway Show
NO COMMON SENSE
LEUNI is not common sense. It defies rules of common sense. It creates a new category of style thus cannot be understood through usual ways of sensing fashion. It works to trigger thought, but constrains its creativity to be taken seriously and allow progressive thinking.
The concept of “No Common Sense” sprung to life from a casual afternoon chat at a coffee shop. LEUNI had imagined a stylistic approach to its second runway show soon to realize the lack of self awareness as a young brand. “We could sense it but it was abstract,” says Winter and Euni. Together, they felt an urge to dig deeper into the brand DNA and reach the core of their process. In that sense, they were lost travelers, leaving all things behind to find answers in the search for their true selves.
Leuni
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Photos: Hatnim Lee
The Spring/Summer 2020 runway show of LEUNI was designed to reflect on the journey within. A diverse range of models walked through dark and light, evading audience segments disbursed in a maze format — like an explorer crawling through the swamps or a lost Alice in Wonderland, looking to find oneself. Like that casual afternoon chat at the coffee shop, LEUNI uncovers new found meanings without knowing where it could lead.
“We see things in the way we want to see them, and do things in the way we want to do them. There is no such thing as common sense.”
COLLECTION
For the Spring/Summer 2020 collection, LEUNI presents balanced aesthetics while challenging the idea of harmony. A mix of warped, contrasted and contradicting objects come together to create unobtrusive compositions. The collection deforms original shapes, clashes colors, welds materials that don’t belong, and destructs the traditional sense of garment panels by reorganizing every front, back, side, and overall silhouette, to create a contemporary representation of stability and beauty. It is with these imbalances and interruptions within garments that make harmony of different character and change our perception of what is harmonious. Further effort is invested to liberate gender stereotypes by incorporating gender neutral clothing details and materials. The black and neutral color palette adds an additional layer of steadiness to change the dysfunctional to functional with a modern sensibility.
DESIGN
LEUNI begins and ends with the aspirations of Winter and Euni. Rather than obsessing over thematic representation every season, they choose to be inspired by each other and create clothing that speak for themselves. Their design process can be viewed in two parts: Euni lays out and protects a classic, elegant shape, while Winter takes what seems like common sense to add a hint of ambiguity. The result is a garment overflowing with curiosity, hard to define as one particular style or aesthetic. The brand itself is a paradox, the result of a constant struggle between two designers to balance their contradicting taste and style. But through constant conflict and intervention, it achieves a unique edge and a harmonious collection.
LEUNI
LEUNI is a New York and Seoul based women’s wear brand established by design collective Winter Lee and Euni Kim in Spring 2017. Winter and Euni bring an unconventional approach to fashion with over a decade of industry experience focused on e-commerce and web design. LEUNI adds bold qualities and unusual finishes to classic silhouettes, redrawing the line of minimalism and breaking common codes of feminine dress along the way. Inspired by people, collections focus less on thematic representation to perfect creative clothing alternatives for everyday women. LEUNI is a space to experiment and express, and most importantly to create quality clothing that is both compelling and effortlessly beautiful.
SHOW CREDITS
Styling and Casting: Joseph Viola
Art Direction: Enzo Lee
Production: The Morrison Group
Hair: Linh Nguyen for Cutler/Redken
Makeup: Deanna Melluso for 100% Pure
Nails: Frances Liang for Flora 1761
Music: Stvoid
Models: Lau, Tomy, Courtney, Erla, Nakai, Khafeeon, Carmen, Galaxia, Kelia, Margarita, Zoe, Danielle, Lydia, Dylan, Payton, AC, Tiger, Christina, Annabelle, Paige, Meredith, Dalila, Danielle B, Anna, Ella
SPECIAL THANKS TO CUTLER, REDKEN, 100% PURE, FLORA 1761, CORE, RECESS, NEW DESIGN HIGH SCHOOL, AND SISTER CITY.
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With love,
FWO