SUPER K

K has been a bad letter around here at the CATALOG office lately (blame it on the girl/boyband churn machine, people), but we concede, not everything Korean has to be all that blah. After all, they are the land of super fast internet, pretty beaches, and kimchi. Oh, the kimchi!

One other thing that doesn't suck from Korea is the fashion. They've forged an aesthetic that's not entirely full of quirk as their neighbours to the east, yet there's something decidedly avant garde about their look. Local retailer ActuallyActually too, sees the potential, which is why they've brought in two Korean brands for your shopping pleasure.

For the women, there's Dressmonster, whose name is a euphemism for a fashion-obsessed person. Their Spring/Summer collection is a look at earth and its nature, and human anxiety as a representation of the chaos around us. Philosophical, but it doesn't take away from their fun aesthetic of polka dots, rich hues and playful silhouettes.

Then for the men, there's Unbounded Awe by Ku WongJun that left audiences speechless at her debut at the Generation Next show at Seoul Fashion Week. Don't worry, this was the good kind of speechless as her play on lines and unconventional cuts (like the almost-playsuit done in a grey and pale tangerine) reeked of freshness. They're looks that are awesomely sharp for a dude, whether or not he has a mohawk. Again a nice, cerebral narrative to a collection as WongJun seeks to bring out the elegance in a man plagued by Elephantitis.

Priced from $69 for a pair of bottoms to $125 for a top, Dressmonster is available now at ActuallyActually. Unbounded Awe will retail from $89 for a top to $230 a pair of shorts from March.

Images courtesy of Actually.