Concept Korea, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and produced by the Korea Creative Content Agency, has come together again for NYFW since 2010. Concept Korea aims to give a platform to Korean designers to become more recognized in the industry. Concept Korea presents three designers and their collections as each tells their stories of culture and personal designs with each containing no more than 19-25 looks. 

BESFXXK starts with a longboard performance by Hyojoo Kyo before models strut down showcasing a new-age style of streetwear. The most delightful artistry with ruching details on suited pieces along with other variations of the plaid blazer with a matching denim and plaid skirt gives the illusion the blazer is continuous. This is a very illusionary collection with cinched placements, ruching, and asymmetrical dress shirts, but one look that elevates street style fashion is the overlay denim piece that looks like a cut-up denim jacket layered over a black tee and leather pants that pumped up a basic look times 20. 

Cahiers goes into the still-trending preppy style. Continuously re-editing the prep school style has been all the rage as preppy clothes have been around for a century as a status symbol or more significantly the elite socialite high school students of Gossip Girl being the definitive blueprint of the style for younger generations. Cahier showcases a more stylistic view of prep school clothing as something more modern or personalized. As we see in this collection and from many other designers that have used this inspiration, the rebellious need to make a uniform your own as something meant to be a form of discipline draws the need to showcase a personal style. As Cahiers presents the ever-revolving posh preppy style, the brand incorporates traditional elements like plaid skirts, blazers, and displeasing plaid high-knee socks, along with ties and school emblems. 

Ulkin consisted of both womenswear and menswear in presenting their reconstructed sustainably made signature looks. The collection titled, “The Blind Spot of Safe Space,” calls for awareness and action against disasters both man-made and natural at a time when the climate crisis is at its highest. Much of Ulkin’s collection has a DIY feel and gives inspiration to what we can layer and experiment with in our closets. The pieces are made from upcycled industrial work clothing that is regenerated into innovative streetwear. The blanketed scarf is made in a quilted manner using different patches of knit that had a past life or pairs of pants that were deconstructed to create a version of pants with patchwork that tells a story of its history. Sustainability is the focal point of Ulkin as using already available materials and clothing is fashion modernization at its finest.