MODA Designer Spotlight: Seoryeon Son

Feb 19

Feb 19 MODA Designer Spotlight: Seoryeon Son

I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with first-time designer Seoryeon Son and hear what went into her process. Through the hustle and bustle of Ex Lib, here’s what Seoryeon had to say about her experience designing for the winter show.

My name is Seoryeon Son, and I’m a second-year Business Econ & Visual Arts double major! I’m in ILC Finance, WIB Finance, and I’m an ArtShould board member.

What are some sources of inspiration for your collection?

I’m just trying to make flowy stuff. During winter break I went on a trip to Korea and Japan, and I just thought, “This is it.” So a lot of my inspiration comes from traditional asian clothing. Things like traditional gowns, jackets, stuff like that.

Have you ever done fashion design work before? What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process?

This is the first time. Physically making the clothes and deciding on fabrics are the difficult parts. You have to work with what the store has, and fabric is expensive, so trying to translate what’s in my mind can be difficult. But, just thinking “I made this!” is so rewarding.

What are you looking forward to most about the show?

Seeing friends and seeing my completed looks being walked. I feel like everything’s going to look cooler on stage once hair and makeup is done. It’s nice to be a part of something that the whole school can see.

Who do you have in mind when you’re designing?

Honestly my inspiration changed a lot. When I first applied to become a designer I was more towards grungy looks, at the time my inspiration was Zoe Kravittz. Her style is so cool. Then, when I went to Korea and Japan I saw so many flowy and long pieces. I really like that, the way everything looked so comfy and different from what we see in America. I just thought, “Wow, I like this.” Nana Komatsu is someone I really like, her style is pretty cool and shows that vibe.

If you could give yourself any advice on the design process, what would you say to your younger self?

For me, I think I’d definitely tell myself to start early on. Make use of winter break! Time flies and the show’s there before you know it. And, I’d tell myself to do something you’re comfortable making, you know? Don’t go overboard. Stick to something that you like making, and just be yourself. Runways have such unwearable clothes, it’s just not very relatable. I don’t see those things in stores, so I want to make something that’s actually approachable and not super crazy.

What’s your favorite aspect of the design process?

The first time I went to go fabric shopping was with Khadijat (a fellow designer), and I just really liked going in there and being able to choose from all these fabrics. My original design idea changed there too. Seeing all the fabrics changed my design ideas, and let me see other alternatives that might work better. The idea of making something aesthetically pleasing is very nice. I’m not just making the models walk in something plain like a t-shirt, you know?

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Yeah. I feel like making clothes sounds like such a far-fetched thing, but honestly it’s not. It’s fun!

See her designs at the MODA fashion show on February 28th.