Somin
Park

Somin Park is a Womenswear Fashion Design student from South Korea, although she has lived in London since 2015, interning at JW Anderson and Ottolinger and helping Susan Fang after her first year of Central Saint Martins. Beginning every project with the question, ‘How can I make these contrasting elements harmonic?’ Somin initialises her final collection with the combination of ‘hidden peepholes’ and ‘self-exhibition’.

The comparative concept is about how accepting people can be with voyeurism and exhibitionism. As she explains: ‘In the past, showing private body parts mostly happened by accident, and peeping into ones was morally prohibited as well.’ However, these days, people can post what they want to expose, and voyeurs can decide who they want to peep into, without shame on social media. Something that was once so secretive and morally shameful has become accepted within internet culture over periods of time.

The significant trench coat feature of ‘flashers’ became an important silhouette for her collection as ‘the statement of flashers is the exposers get satisfied, but the watchers stay unpleasant.’

Similarly, referencing Lady Godiva throughout her collection, Somin became inspired by the covering of her naked body with her long hair, as she used this imagery as a design detail for a peeping point. ‘By wearing or seeing my garments, which have hidden peeping points, I wanted to question how tolerant can you be as a watcher or an exposer?’

Alicia Tomkinson, BA Fashion Journalism
@leeshtomkinson