Once a year, the best and brightest Korean fabric and textile designers come to New York to showcase their Fall/ Winter 2017 collections. This year is the 20th KPNY show, and about 70 designers were selected to attend this prestigious event.
The event drew in an eclectic group of viewers: ranging from fellow designers, to fashion enthusiasts. Upon entry, all attendees received a nifty KPNY bag to take home with them. Then the audience was able to peruse the show at their will.
Each of the 70 design companies was given a booth, to enable the viewer to browse through the designs, and ask the company representatives any questions that they may have. Company members used a range of display tactics for each booth; some used television aids, others used projections, most relied purely on the placements of their fabrics within the booth. The more elaborate displays seemed to draw in the most viewers
The KPNY was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion – a large space that gave attendees plenty of room to move around. Rarely did a booth have more than one viewer at a time, so audience members never felt like they were encroaching on each other’s space.
The average company at the event was founded in Korea 20 to 30 years ago, however, while some companies had been showcasing at the KPNY since the event launched, for many others, this was their first year showing their designs in New York.
Every design company had their own unique focus: whether it be ensuring that their fabrics are easy to reproduce, or keeping up with the fashion trends. When describing their designs, each company representative had great enthusiasm and pride in their work – what made learning about their creations incredibly interesting. There is a number of factors that each designer has to consider when creating materials for each season. For this season specifically, there was a lot of focus on insulating materials, such as lining, so that when the weather gets cold, the people wearing the fabrics do not.
On average, each new textile or fabric creation takes roughly 3-4 weeks to produce, and many of the designers created new textiles and fabrics specifically for the KPNY event.
The KPNY event is held every year. Should you wish to attend, pre-registration is required. In order to register, follow the information below:
KOTRA: 1-212-826-0900
