Fashion Spotlight: pushBUTTON

Korean fashion has been in the spotlight around the world for it’s amazing eye for style and innovation. Fashionistas around the world find inspiration from Korea’s street style, Korean magazines, and artists. In this series, we will introduce you to people working in Korea’s fashion industry.

Park Seung Gun is very quiet, quirky, and artistic. There aren’t many photos of hims because of his shy persona. His brand became his alter-ego where he could fully express himself. Korean fashion house pushButton came to exist in 2003, and in 2008 he expanded its brand to Europe and created an affordable sister brand called DRESSMONSTER. It wasn’t until 2010 that the brand was named one of the leaders in Korea’s fashion industry.

Park Seung Gun distinguished himself from other Korean designers by not only creating amazing garments, but also art pieces. His creative mind and artistic sensibility has led to amazing conceptual collections that are loved by netizens and Korean artists like Beenzino, Taemin, f(x), and CNBLUE.

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pushBUTTON’s creations come from the designer’s fun and distorted creative mind. His keen eye for mixing colors, prints, and textiles sets him apart from the rest. He elaborates sophisticated pieces that have fun style lines, silhouettes, and experimental designs. He sometimes even creates social commentaries through his collections. Such was the case of his spring/summer 2012 collection that talked about how people see fame and where it can lead to, while still being in love with fame and desiring it. He used Amy Winehouse as his example, creating T-shirts that read “We Miss Amy”.

He delved into another topic that is very common in society, mistaking someone’s sexuality because of the way someone dresses. He played with female and male aesthetics to create a very androgynous collection. There was even a T-shirt with a message that read “I’m Not Gay.” This collection became a favorite in the K-pop world; even if the collection was simple, it made a bold statement. Some of the pieces appeared on EXO’s photoshoot for their single Mama. Moreover, some of the plaid outfits from his 2013 fall/winter collection were used on f(x)’s Rum Pum Pum Pum music video and promotions.

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His latest collection for spring/summer 2015 was inspired by mexican artist and icon Frida Kahlo. Frida always loved to have fun with the way she dressed and played with the idea of mixing womenswear with menswear, and that’s exactly what Park Seung Gun did. This collection was seen also on tv on Korea’s Next Top Model Cycle 5: Boys and Girls, where the contestants had the opportunity to walk the runway for pushBUTTON alongside supermodel Park Soo Joo.

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Take a look at some of his past collections below.

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pushBUTTON caters to fashion innovators; people that are looking for pieces that make bold statements and give a sense of uniqueness. His collections always keep classic feminine designs while still having an edge to them. His aesthetic has made him a favorite for Korean stylists like Han Ye Yun, celebrities like Kim Won Joon and Hyuna, and fashionistas all around the world.

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