the STOLEN GARMENT FW21 Collection – Lost in Translation

Visé the STOLEN GARMENT FW21 collection <Lost in Translation> was inspired by the designer’s trip to a used bookstore in Seoul with his friends. Browsing the dusty book section of the store, the designer was inspired by the tragic poignancy of each word that made up the titles of these books, most of which were published in 90s.

These words included: Desire, Passion, Devotion, Neophyte, Absolute Love, Delinquent, End of the World, Spirit, Megalopolis Love, Upper Classman, Play Lover, Gust/Wind/Breeze.

He and his friends mixed these words to come up with convincing 90s book titles. This wordplay was then translated into collages of the used books he bought from the bookstore.

The collection pieces reinterpret the wardrobes as they are represented in the 90s books. The clothes on these pages are marked by their omission and simplification of details, as well as the stylization of their silhouette that fits the narrative and compositional context. (artistic liberty)

Jungwoo Park, a.k.a. Woo Park participated in the 2017 St Martin-in-the-Fields graduation collection show. The show, however, took an unexpected turn when one of Woo Park’s exhibited garments was stolen by a trespasser only hours after the show opened. The news spread quickly throughout the community and on social media, sparking a city-wide search effort. Soon after, people began to upload photos of a homeless person they spotted walking down the streets of London, wearing the stolen garment. Despite the remarkable discovery and the joint efforts with the London Police, the garment was never retrieved. This strange turn of events and the never-ending search led Woo Park to launch his own label to celebrate the ever-ongoing show.

The brand, THE STOLEN GARMENT was launched following his return to Korea. In addition to operating “the Stolen Garment,” Park has also been a member of the sibling artist group “Geometric Study.” The annual exhibition/performance of the group has been one of many ways in which the brand has broadened and developed its narrative through artistic collaborations. Awards Woo Park has received include, second place in “2018 Survival Fashion K”  and “Seoul’s 10 Soul” in 2019. The brand has returned to Seoul Fashion Week every season since 2019. Woo Park is currently a resident designer at Seoul Fashion Creative Studio.