Korean designer, Son Jung Wan, has long been one of our NYFW favorites. She’s up there with the greats: Dennis Basso, Kevan Hall, Michael Kors, & the legendary Ralph Rucci, because she is predictable. There’s bad predictable (boring), & good predictable. Son Jung is good predictable. By this, we mean that when we walk into one of her shows we know that what we are about to see on the runway will be true to the designer’s aesthetic. Lest that sounds boring, it’s not: SJW always incorporates a wow factor into her collections that keeps editors and clients coming back for more. That’s a tall order, as not many fashion designers can make good on this promise. In our post-show interview with Son Jung, we learned that she has achieved what so many designers long to do – to dress the mother and her daughter. She is adept at creating collections that are intergenerational, the holy grail of every fashion house that hopes to not just survive, but to flourish.
Her fall 2025 collection, “Go with the Flow”, took place at the IAC Building, the first commercial building Frank Gehry designed in New York City. The collection drew on some of Son Jun’s memories and identities as seen through the lens of the present day. It was an adept reinterpretation of her avant-garde sensibility blended with traditional elements and contemporary aesthetics.
When we asked Son Jung why she showed so many Yellow pieces, she shared that Yellow is her favorite color. To be specific, she named the shade, “Celestial Yellow”, which she described as “a Soft Yellow reminiscent of sunlight filtering through the clouds, evoking feelings of warmth and hope”, and she added with a smile, “Yellow makes me happy”.
She juxtaposed the Yellow with pieces in Midnight Blue, and a vibrant Coral Pink. Silhouettes ran the gamut that included deconstruction, layering worked into the drapey trousers and skirts, as well as slim pencil skirts and cropped jackets. As always, she showed some great asymmetric looks, such as #21, a long sleeve Midnight Blue cashmere dress that the mothers might favor. For the daughters, there was #7, a Pink patterned off the shoulder top with faux fur Pink sleeves and a matching A-line skirt. Both mother and daughter would love and want to share #28, an iridescent Cobalt Blue one shoulder dress with fox fur detailing.
Son Jung Wan is sold in 110 locations worldwide, with 54 of them in Asia. Her brand continues to be the top-selling female-owned designer collection from Seoul and includes Son Jung Wan Women, SJ Wani Juniors, and WANINI Men’s. Roughly 15% of the 42 show looks were men’s, and like the women’s, they too incorporated bold asymmetric silhouettes. Rounding out the offerings is SJW GOLF, an athleisure collection for more casual days. We can only hope that rising generations of fashion designers will be as tuned as Son Jung is about what her customers wish they had in their closet when they set about designing their collections.
-Vivian Kelly ( @thefashionhistorian )
Designer Website: www.sonjungwan.com
Follow Son Jung Wan: Instagram
