Even before her exuberant creations captured the attention of legendary fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, womenswear designer Sohee Park was catching eyes in couture circles across the globe. Park, whose pieces are sold under the Miss Sohee label, made her fashion debut in 2020 with her collection “The Girl in Full Bloom.” Since then, she has released three more collections, including a ready-to-wear version of “Full Bloom,” In 2022, she is taking the next step in her artistic career: a collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana.
From Page to Stage
Sohee Park grew up in Seoul, where her mother’s career as a children’s book illustrator first sparked her interest in art. When she was a teenager, watching televised fashion shows inspired her to bring her two-dimensional drawings into the 3D world. She graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2020, the same year she established her London-based couture house and debuted “The Girl in Full Bloom.” Before the end of the year, her work was featured on the cover of LOVE magazine, and Miley Cyrus was spotted in a Miss Sohee gown, with Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Noami Campbell, and many more famous names soon to follow.
Park draws her inspiration partly from memories of visiting her grandmother, a “skilled sewer who loved to embroider everything,” at her seaside home near Jeju Island. As she said in an interview with Vogue, “the white look . . . was inspired by the volumes and curves of seashells.” Flowers are another favored motif in Park’s work, whether they’re secreted in intricate handmade embellishments or evoked by luscious puffs of fabric in the boldest of colors. A love of vintage clothing and antique home decor also inspires, as do the themes of escapism and personal transformation.
A Perfect Partnership
Dolce & Gabbana’s partnership with Miss Sohee goes beyond “just” collaborating on a new collection, though, of course, such a collaboration can be expected to produce something extraordinary. The Milan-based lion of the fashion world, now approaching 40 years in the industry, will be hosting the runway show for the new collection at one of its own locations during Milan fashion week (February 22-28, 2022).
It’s clear from their public statements that Domenico Dolce and Stephano Gabbana are excited to extend their support to an up-and-coming designer whose aesthetic instincts and business values are similar to their own. Dolce & Gabbana has long been known for its ability to blend daring avant-garde and vintage-inspired styles with elegant femininity, and Park’s creations are clearly in harmony with this approach. However, perhaps even more important than a shared eye for beauty and art is a shared dedication to quality, attention to detail, and sustainability.
Both Miss Sohee and Dolce & Gabbana are devoted to the principle of “fatto a mano” (an Italian term translating to “handmade”). Park, who produced her first collection under pandemic lockdown conditions, finds it “soothing” to hand sew thousands of crystals onto one of her creations. And those crystals? They’re made of recycled glass. Park also uses a wealth of deadstock fabrics and a special material made from the abacá species of the banana plant. Such efforts are a natural complement to Dolce & Gabbana’s own sustainability practices. Dolce & Gabbana has recently sworn off using animal fur in favor of faux and recycled alternatives. The company also makes extensive use of wood-pulp-based viscose as an alternative to petroleum-derived synthetic fabrics.
The pairing of Park’s audacious young talent with Dolce & Gabbana’s deeply rooted artistry and expertise is exciting news indeed, and the fashion world is eagerly awaiting its first glimpse of the fruits of their collaboration.
Featured Photo by Michael Burrows from Pexels
