Transitioning from warm and sunny Singapore to freezing London in winter is no joke. Especially when my entire wardrobe consists of summer-friendly frocks with hardly any jackets or knitwear in sight.
As a warm weather lover, I’m no big fan of chunky winter wear but seeing the second South Korean-born designer Jackie Lee’s collection (under her label J. JS Lee) at London Fashion Week had me wishing I lived in cold weather all year long. Well not quite but at least a few month per year so I get to wear some of it ;-)
The beautiful and effortlessly chic pieces - from outerwear to elegant dresses - won me over. The main reason I never liked winter clothes is that heavy, gloomy feel and chunky silhouette which never looked flattering on me. The London-based designer’s mostly A-line coats on the other hand had a certain weightlessness about them. They looked comfy yet sharp and chic at the same time.
Perhaps it’s the colour scheme which was mainly in white, baby pink and blues with the occasional black pieces, or the texture itself which upon closer inspection looked light and quite unique. Kinda like cotton candy but woven into clothes. I learned that the Central Saint Martin’s graduate aim for this season was to come up with innovative techniques for knitwear while keeping her signature clean and minimal style.
Even the knitted dresses and skirts in the collection were really flattering! Varying in cuts and length I found myself swooning over the overall feminine look which showed great skill for combining textures and cutting which looks sexy without being tight or revealing the slightest.
The turtle neck collars in shape of jumpers worn under coats and jackets have also added a touch of sophistication to the whole looks combining all the elements together.
Sleek, elegant and very flattering, J. JS Lee’s AW13 collection is a definite winner and if I now have gained a new crush on winter-wear I have to credit the designer for that ;-)
I’m hoping to get an interview with Jackie (who is one of the designers selected as part of the British Fashion Council's NEW GEN scheme supported by Topshop) soon so she can share more about her work. But until then I have to say South Korean designers like Jackie and Eudon Choi (check his show’s review here) are certainly helping to put their country on the fashion map. If there is any justice in the world they will soon be standing shoulder to shoulder with Korean-American success story Richard Chai.
