At the church on the corner of 10th street and 2nd avenue, nestled in the cozy heart of the East Village, religion got medieval hot again as people piled into the pews lining each side of the church. In the back of the room plays a small band, filling the room with a soft yet powerful melody, creating an ambiance of refined beauty. Question is… Did Yang unveil to those in worship the Holy Grail or did her designs prove a fashionable Judas? Jessica Laiter reports.
Although at first it felt too soft for an early morning weekend show, once the presentation began, design and Deus all came together. The Yuna Yang SS19 collection was a cohesive story of soft, breezy elegance, in easy-on-the-eye colors such as light blue, white, light pink and soft grey. A calm sets over the crowd, with a FROW in envy of the comfortable Athena-style sandals after days in fashion week stiletto musts.
Styles ranged from formal to date night, from beach easy to garden chic. Heavily infused with that typical South Korean girly bounce.
Yang, originally from Seoul Korea, is now a Manhattan-based designer inspired by colors, textures and narratives in fine art combined with a love for detail and unique Western perspective on Eastern aesthetics.
Yang’s SS19 style mixes up girly sophistication, romantic allures and conservative values, in a go-with-the-flow attitude as the materials drape over the curves of all womanly figures. Yang plays with two tone materials and shading for many of the styles, while sticking to monochromatic themes and single prints for a select few. ‘
On a final editor’s note: Perhaps a little too sweet ‘n low angelic on the demonic architecturally inclined Temper eyes and perhaps not groundbreaking Holy Grail-esque with a slight “been there, done that” feel to it, Yang’s SS19 presentation still proved an ethereal one made up of flowing shapes and fine fabrics finished off with some very fine craftsmanship. Just a perfect day to take us to church.
Written by Jessica Laiter
Edited by Elsbeth van Paridon
All images come courtesy of Yuna Yang for NYFW September 2018
Contact Yuna Yang via
Instagram: @yunayang
Copyright@Temper Magazine, 2018. All rights reserved
Laiter went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese Studies and Communications Rhetoric at The University of Pittsburgh and a Master's Degree in Translation at NYU. Immediately after college, she moved to New York City and since then has worked in a number of different industries such as branding, manufacturing, fashion, public relations and real estate. China always acting as the common denominator.
Inspired by her career, Laiter launched a website called Chinese Graffiti, on which she features emerging Chinese designers, talks about the intersection of tradition and modernity in China, as well as the evolution of society and business culture. As time went on, she sought out like-minded businesses individuals who were interested in a similar market, which is how she became involved with Temper.
The China market is creating a whirlwind around the glob and it’s only just getting started.
The world can be a small place with a dash of mutual understanding and Laiter loves to be the storyteller who helps to bridge that gap.
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