New York Fashion Week 2012: PARKCHOONMOO Captures the Essence of Zen, Beauty of Nature

On the second day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, PARKCHOONMOO unveiled her Fall 2012 collection which she derived from the aesthetic of Korean art.

Drawing inspiration from Korean Zen Art, namely Yeo Baek or The Void, Park captured Zen, roughly defined as a meditative state of being, in its entirety on Friday. Park extracted the material and spiritual through residual energy with pieces mainly in Alpaca fur, lightweight organic cotton, flowy silk and wintry wool. Elements of lambskin were present throughout, particularly in belts and tops. Many dresses were hooded or had trains attached to the back neckline, catching wind and the beauty of nature.

The first half of the collection was a shift for PARKCHOONMOO, who predominately relies on architectural blocks of black and white color, with neutral tones in Alpaca fur jackets and capes and cobweb knit tops in winter white and cream. Tailoring was flowy rather than body-hugging to capture the essence of nature through The Void, which has no shape or boundaries, and is not something that can be touched, seen or easily defined in words, according to the designer. Models paired the easy look with knit head scarves, flat street sneakers and comfy wool socks in neutral tones.

The second half of the 28 piece collection shifted gears, going back to the more signature PARKCHOONMOO, known for incorporating a sea of black and white tailored dresses, long jackets and wide legged trousers. Necklines were by no means reveal, catering primarily to collared looks. One stand out dress with asymmetrical black and white silk panels and an sheer black netting had a shorter hemline in the front with a longer, but not ground-sweeping, train in the back. Jackets were long and monochromatic, aside from wide white mod trims, and paired with an equal balance of wide leg pants and fitted black trousers. Platform stilettos with asymmetrical heels and sleek, straight ponytails put the focus on Park's collection.

Park teased the world on social media on Thursday night as she prepped her collection before the show with a vignette blurred photo of a boxy frock with a high priest-inspired white collared neck on a model with sleek, pulled back hair and delicate hoop earrings. The dress did not disappoint, as camera flashes went fanatical almost in tune with the heavy bass pumping through the speakers.

Last fall, Park based her collection drawn from an inspiration of Earth to complement her signature sharp, architectural designs. More organic elements, drawn from a woman connecting with Earth teamed up with monotone graphics in metallics in hues of natural silver and gold, and of course, her typical black and white palette. Puffy vests and bubble jackets topped flowy dresses and sleek pants with voluminous, elongated blouses. Models wore textured hair with tiny braids and silver headwear to complement the basic essence of the Fall 2011 collection.