Founder: Bajowoo
Year established: 2011
Known for: Meticulously handmade clothes inspired by a riotous blend of underground subcultures—punk, hip-hop, et cetera.
Spring 2017 inspiration: “This collection’s name is Against Great Truth—A.G.T.,” designer Bajowoo explained. “It’s the idea that truth is what I see, what I feel, and what I think, and wherever I go, I make it my own.” A fitting theme for the Tokyo-based, Seoul-born designer’s first Seoul Fashion Week show—a homecoming of sorts—which saw a troupe of beer-swilling, cigarette-smoking models stride down the runway to a punk-inflected riff. The raucous display did not detract from the strength of the clothes—among them, a perfect pair of liquid leather pants and a meticulously constructed blazer studded with safety pins. Tangerine and powder blue netted vests were hand-knitted on tatami mats back in Japan; equally DIY were the custom leather jackets, stitched and distressed in Bajowoo’s signature fashion. An irreverent pair of colorful nylon pajama sets was inspired by Korean hospital robes. "We put Jjugeulssonya on them—‘Never die,’” he added. Always on brand.
Stocked at: 99percentis.com, H. Lorenzo