Given the amount of time Rok Hwang spends at the office these days, it’s little wonder that it was his source of inspiration for the fall. He even recreated an open space in the middle of his show space — floor-standing copiers, Macintosh computers — that’s the ancestor to today’s Macbooks — and all.
Their age was a cue to Hwang’s timeframe of reference: the ‘90s.
Boxy jackets, trench coats, flannel materials and baggy denims were remixed here, although owing to the designer’s proclivity for tasteful yet sexy cuts, his office lady skewed more “Basic Instinct” than “The Office.”
Python along with cherry and lip prints tapped into period-appropriate tropes, with a louche undercurrent thrown in for good measure. Also in the mix were styles from an eight-piece capsule with luxury outdoors brand Canada Goose and Los Angeles-based artist Matt McCormick.
On the surface, it was the usual Rokh glossary of lingerie details, trench coat tailoring and bustier tops, with pleating galore, well-practiced and likewise delivered. This time, however, layering was not just a styling effect to showcase his modular cuts: many were trompe-l’œil combinations constructed to stay in place.
Case in point, what looked like a trenchcoat that had slipped to reveal a bustier with matching trousers was actually a single item.
Relatively simpler options like shift dresses or a draped jersey number made Rokh feel in step with this season’s undercurrent of striking-but-straightforward product.
As a finale, the models left their posts in unison, like old-style office workers clocking out. That too was somewhat of the moment, especially in light of Tuesday’s planned strikes and walkouts in France.
