A few seasons back, Eudon Choi was one to watch; now people are staring, somewhat obsessively. This Resort collection, his first, was based on the 2012 Bauhaus exhibit at London's Barbican—its impact lingered for him, and he was especially influenced by the wooden toys created during that halcyon period of German artistic expression. Yet Choi took a relatively heavy reference and turned it into something light and playful, with colors one might find in a baby's nursery: sherbet yellow, dusky rose, sky blue. For example, a tailored yet forgiving cotton poplin dress had bow details and linear paneling at the back—hot-weather dressing at its best. That same fabric showed up in a boxy blouse with more bows, as well as a couple of "work" shirts with ruffle details on the inside of the collar. This was a fresh take on the white shirt, and it wasn't surprising when Choi mentioned that his top sellers have moved from outerwear to shirts.
Simplicity met sweet with a series of looks in mikado silk with that bow detailing again: There was a strapless jumpsuit, an uncomplicated tunic dress, and a bomber jacket that stood out for its solid, high-quality snap buttons. The inner child was summoned via a sweater with a rocking-horse motif and a sweatshirt that had crystal detailing of clouds and thunderclaps. Some supersoft cashmere sweaters showed those Bauhaus sharp angles and straight lines, but the effect was offset by the nursery-room colors. Then came the look with the most overt Bauhaus reference: a trapeze dress with a ruffled hem and patchwork palette—that was one for the art lovers, said Choi: "I was thinking the collection would hit the shops in October, just in time for a customer looking for something to wear to the Frieze Art Fair."
Choi really hit design gold with the last looks in sherbet yellow and sky blue, all in cotton embroidered on organza. There was a knee-length skirt with folded hem pleats, and a peplum blouse and trapeze dress with a subtle geometric pattern was structured yet flowy at the same time. It showed how much time Choi spends on fabric innovation as well as design and wearability. Those items are bound to create a lot of excitement on the shop floor.
