“The Ascent of Ashlynn Park”

On Tuesday, the Met’s Costume Institute will hold a Press Presentation for its upcoming exhibition, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” Last Wednesday, Ashlynn Park unveiled her superb Fall 2022 Ready-to-Wear collection for ASHLYN, dubbed “Identity.”

The New York-based South Korean-born former pattern maker for Yohji Yamamoto and Calvin Klein was inspired by the father of American couture, Charles James. Talk about the ever-expanding “Lexicon of American Fashion.”

For Fall, Ashlynn re-imagines day to evening wardrobe workhorses like the trench coat, tuxedo, white button-down shirt, and puffer jacket.

Upon studying drawings of Charles James’s white satin puff jacket (the first of its kind), Ashlynn was inspired to create two of her own iterations. One even has a lining made from fabric scraps found in New York’s Garment Center. Other standouts are the two exposed crinoline dresses with shirting bodices tied with bows in the back. Brilliant!

The future of fashion is in good hands if Ashlynn Park is any indication. Many talented young designers want to make a difference and impact fashion, but not all have the technical know-how, the artistry, the innate good taste, and the focused vision to make that happen. Ashlynn’s career spans two continents and over a decade of experience at some of the world’s most influential fashion houses

Shortly after moving to New York in 2011, Park joined the creative team at Alexander Wang. She further sharpened her skills while working on the line’s runway collection and producing special-event pieces for Beyoncé, Madonna, and Rihanna. More recently, Park worked alongside Raf Simons during his tenure as creative director of Calvin Klein 205W39NYC.

“Working for Yohji early in my career instilled in me a great respect for the incredible artistry he put into his work, [especially] the attention to every detail and the focus on perfecting the interior construction of the garment”

Ashlynn Park

Park made her debut with the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, titled “Hibernation.” Park finished all 17 looks alone in the basement of her home in New Jersey in January 2021. All the factories were closed, so Park had to tailor, fit and hand stitch every piece herself.

Played out in a chic neutral palette enlivened with hints of red, the collection features a mix of strong deconstructed tailoring juxtaposed with voluminous shapes and minimal knitwear dresses. These have become Ashlynn’s signatures, along with her arresting gowns with whimsical cutouts in the back (they bring to mind Geoffrey Beene).

Park launched her 1st runway collection, “Capturing the Now,” for Spring 2022 during NYFW last September. Park’s tenet is “individuality and preservation.” Ashlynn’s designs are unapologetically un-trendy, powerful, and sophisticated. There is a melding of the East and West; pragmatism is always tempered with fantasia.

She manages to strike that fine balance that eludes many other designers. Park respects the past, but at the same time, she strives to create timeless and relevant clothes for now. And Ashlynn is committed to zero waste luxury.

Park’s designs are made ethically in New York City, and they are only available for pre-order. Park finds clever ways of re-purposing scraps of fabric found in the Garment Center. She often uses them as trim or turns them into bustles layered under skirts and dresses to add volume. The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently acquired Ashlynn’s zero waste Dylan shirt made from a single piece of fabric.

Meanwhile, we’re just a few days into NYFW, and the upcoming season for fall 2022 is already taking shape, both literally and figuratively. While it’s true that anything and everything goes, certain things just look wrong (anything too pretentious, contorted, and over-designed), and certain things look just right.

Tailoring is back, and so is the suit that looks great, especially when the jacket is cropped or fitted and paired with wide-legged trousers. After seasons of clothes so oversized you can sometimes put three people in one coat, we’re finally seeing the waist again (hello peplums!).

The body is defined but covered up simultaneously; sensuality rather than overt sexuality. Forget athleisure; sweatpants are in the rearview mirror. It’s about being dressed up but also be dressed down. The best collections thus far (for me, they are ASHLYN and Proenza Schouler) have re-imagined sportswear by imbuing it with couture-like sensibility and adding a sense of whimsy and that all-important element of surprise.

It’s all about taking familiar wardrobe basics and elevating them in a way that makes them fresh and appealing but not so extreme or unfamiliar that they can only function as museum pieces. Too dull and boring, they are entirely forgettable. Joan Smalls or no Joan Smalls. Anne Klein is sadly just a bridge line after all!

1. 

   I look forward to every article. Thank you.

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   Mary McFadden Designs were sumptuously BEAUTIFUL as is your tribute to her

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   I feel as if my words were delivered by you, Marilyn! Our time was vibrant with beauty as part of…

4. 

   Great insights into New York Fashion Week—finding standout pieces is key!

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   Laurel Marcus…..loved this article, wish I knew about this show. Please do more of this!