Words by Elliot Whitelaw 

Photography by Nicholas Andrews

South Korean designers KyuYong Shin and JiSun Park provided an exciting show during London Fashion Week Men’s, showcasing the latest collection set to release for SS19.

Blindness have been making serious movements in the industry since releasing their first official range back in 2017 for their autumn/winter capsule. Priding themselves on creating clothing that is genderless, the brand are constantly breaking boundaries and norms to create clothing that is both unusual yet innovative; forward thinking fashion at its finest.

The latest collection consists of largely neutral colours, eschewing any bright and bold tones, and sticking to what the brand knows best. By creating different items and pieces that consist of neutral colours such as black, brown and beige, it is easy to integrate other items in order to create different outfits for different occasions. First impressions are almost post-apocalyptic; the capsule mostly consists of very dark, loose fitting and subtle garments. A majority of the collection wouldn’t look out of place in a post-apocalyptic thriller film, and it is the superb execution of the garments that make it stand out.

However, alongside the darker aspects, Shin & Park have also shown us more orthodox designs, with classic cream trench coats (very Burberry-esque), but with flared sleeves, perhaps mirroring Vetements success with such experimentation, but these small details all contribute to the perfect combination of iconic items of fashion and new methods of ingenuity, no matter how unorthodox they may be.

A highlight was the discreet mouth pieces worn by the models, which are perhaps an ode to the iconic face masks that are worn all over Asia due to the high levels of air pollution. Again, it is these small facets and details within the different outfits that really create an atmosphere for the audience, a dimly lit runway and the outfits combined perfectly showcase what the designers want their designs to represent.

The majority of the collection was upper body items; shirts, deconstructed/reworked coats and jackets, and a variety of different blouses. And not all of the collection was as somewhat gothic as it sounds; the collection features a number of classic white shirts, all reworked to create their own individual look for the wearer.

Overall, this collection is certainly very exciting and Blindness are doing a great job of integrating South Korean fashion into mainstream western fashion and culture, it’s very refreshing to see such an extra-ordinary vision being executed so perfectly, and then receiving the recognition and praise that it deserves.

Explore further at Blindness.