Korean fashion is having far more than a moment: with South Korean celebrities taking luxury houses by storm and fascination with K-culture reaching new heights, consumers the world over are lusting over idol-approved names such as Miss Sohee and Minjunkim. That’s not to say there wasn’t a global presence before the advent of Squid Game and Blackpink: Rejina Pyo and Rokh are two brands which have been regulars at European fashion weeks for several years.
One of the most exciting names to know right now is Recto, a Seoul-based ready-to-wear label. Founded in 2014 by award-winning designer Ji Yeon Jung, Recto is part of a new wave of Korean fashion that’s defining the contemporary fashion uniform. Stocked physically in Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford and globally on ecommerce sites such as HBX and Ssense, the brand’s minimalistic, androgynous, wearable approach to design has also won more than 250,000 followers on Instagram as well as appeared as the OOTDs of Korean footballer and Tottenham star Son Heung-min, internationally renowned DJ Peggy Gou and actress Gong Hyo-jin.
We spoke to Paik Suk Chung, the current co-creative director who came to Recto in 2020 after two decades at Hyundai, a prestigious Korean fashion company under The Handsome Group, about the secret of brand positioning and the potential of Asian fashion.
What sets Recto apart from other fashion brands?
This story is from the September 2023 edition of Tatler Hong Kong.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2023 edition of Tatler Hong Kong.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
GOING WITH THE FLOW
How does one approach the ancient philosophy of feng shui in a modern way? Three leading Hong Kong-based designers share their thoughts on this revered art of placement and how to introduce its principles into our spaces
SCENE MAKER
Italian architect Antonio Citterio reflects on his enduring collaboration with Maxalto and how far the furniture brand has come since its early beginnings
ACTS OF SERVICE
Go on, then. Ask Vea and Wing's chef-owner Vicky Cheng what his love language is
THE BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT
More women are taking back their birthing experience and their power by challenging the institutionalised norms surrounding childbirth, honouring the healing process and leaning on the magic of sisterhood
THE RIGHT INGRDIENTS
Oscar nominee Tran Anh Hung, who won Best Director at Cannes last year, evolves the language of cinema to present the simple beauty of Vietnam
THIRST TRAP
Marilyn Minter takes an exclusive self-portrait for Tatler and reminds the world why raw, honest, non-conforming beauty is the most compelling kind
Enduring Endeavours
Ahead of his solo exhibition at David Zwirner Hong Kong, the world-renowned photographer Wolfgang Tillmans tells Taller why he hopes his work is timeless and why viewing art in person is an irreplaceable experience
THE MAVERICK MINDSET
Takashi Murakami appears in an exclusive Tatler cover shoot as his new exhibition opens in Japan, and speaks to us about his prolific and wide-ranging career
Down the Ages
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Time, Nature, Love exhibition at the D Museum in Seoul showcases the maison’s enduring love affair with the classics while highlighting its influential role in shaping contemporary jewellery design
A Different Kind of Journey
New creations from the talented homegrown jeweller display an intoxicating psychedelic aesthetic
