Lie Sangbong catwalk show report S/S 2016 for NYFW

For his Spring/Summer 2016 collection, Lie Sangbong took us to new heights. Playing with scale and texture, each look seemed inspired by a kind of flight through the skies of New York. Architectural geometry and classic silhouettes were contrasted with organic draping and wind-blown volume. His neutral color palette of white, blue, and black actually gave the opposite effect; his variety of textures served to reinvent each color from their “neutral” status into bold, graphic hues.

Monochromatic looks continue to be a huge trend on the runways, and Sangbong capitalized on this trend with his play on textures within a single color. His white looks in particular felt incredibly fresh as he incorporated elements of sheer cutouts and scintillating embroidery. One white coat-dress in particular had a wonderful contrast of large, elbow length sleeves and several geometric cutouts down the front and around the hem.

While monochronicity served Sangbong well, his prints also offered beautiful instances of transparency and movement. Using Chinese characters in blue on sheer white organza, he played with the character’s proportions to create a super modern plaid. The diagonal blue stripes creating a kind of optical illusion as layers of the fabric sashayed on the leggy models. On another white coat, he used cutout pieces as appliqué to the hem, creating an ombré effect.

Overall, Sangbong’s mastery of color and technique shined throughout this collection. At times it felt like he was merely applying his ideas to already existing silhouettes (the trench coat, the button-up shirt, etc) when it’s evident he has the talent to create brand new shapes. Hopefully he’ll play more on his strengths and we’ll get to see even more of Sangbong’s lovely clothes next fall.

Katie George
Photos: Adnan Mohamedy