Dear Shaded Viewers,
Concept Korea brought Korean fashion to Paris on October 1, presenting the Spring/Summer 2027 collections of BONBOM and ASPARAGUS at the Palais de Tokyo at 7 p.m.
Supported by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the initiative aims to connect Korean designers with international audiences and the global fashion industry.
The program will also include the Paris premiere of filmmaker Ock-seop Yi’s How to Walk, starring actor Min-ha Kim and model Tae-jun Hong. The fashion film explores the distinct identities of the two labels through a cinematic lens. MONSTA X members Shownu and Hyungwon, Concept Korea ambassadors, are also set to attend.
The event coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, bringing fashion and Korean cinema together as part of the Paris presentation.
How to Walk: Concept Korea’s SS27 Fashion Film
For its Spring/Summer 2027 season, Concept Korea presented How to Walk, a fashion film that brought BONBOM and ASPARAGUS together through a shared cinematic narrative. Directed by Ock-seop Yi, the film explored the two collections through themes of individuality, control, freedom and connection.
Yi reunited with Concept Korea following their 2022 collaboration in New York, with actor Min-ha Kim and model Tae-jun Hong leading the cast. Produced with 2X9HD, the film reflected Yi’s distinctive visual style, blending unexpected imagery with a playful approach to storytelling.
How to Walk premiered at Madame Cinéma inside the Palais de Tokyo on October 1, ahead of the Concept Korea runway show. It was also released online the same day via KOCCA and 2X9HD’s official YouTube channels.
Concept Korea Ambassadors: Shownu and Hyungwon
MONSTA X members Shownu and Hyungwon attended the BONBOM and ASPARAGUS runway presentation in Paris as Concept Korea ambassadors, bringing a K-pop presence to the event.
Since its debut in 2015, MONSTA X has developed an international audience through its music and performance. Shownu and Hyungwon later formed the group’s first official unit, releasing their debut mini album THE UNSEEN in 2023.
For Shownu, the Paris presentation marked his third season as a Concept Korea ambassador, following appearances connected to the initiative’s Fall/Winter 2024 program in New York and Spring/Summer 2025 season in Paris.
Two Perspectives on the Spring/Summer 2027 Runway
BONBOM
Founded in 2020 by Bonbom Jo, BONBOM is a unisex label with a strong focus on womenswear. The brand combines references to Western dress history with contemporary silhouettes, playing with fabric, movement and the proportions of the body. For Spring/Summer 2027, Optimistic Fetishism explored ideas of desire and fixation through a more playful lens, with slender silhouettes, unexpected volumes and sheer open-knit pieces that created a “second skin” effect.
ASPARAGUS
Seoul-based ASPARAGUS was founded in 2018 by designer JE (Myongje Lee), whose background includes studies at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and experience at Maison Margiela. Moving between streetwear and couture, as well as masculine and feminine codes, the label embraces an intentionally boundary-crossing approach. Its Spring/Summer 2027 collection, BETWEEN BOUNDARIES, WITHIN TENSION, examined the space between opposing ideas such as structure and softness, protection and exposure, and masculinity and femininity. Deconstructed shapes, asymmetry and experimental details brought this tension into the collection.
Spring/Summer 2027 Collections
BONBOM — Optimistic Fetishism
For Spring/Summer 2027, BONBOM explored fetishism through a playful and lighter perspective, focusing on the act of looking and the fascination with particular shapes, textures and proportions.
Silhouette became the collection’s central element. Garments appeared sharply defined from the front before revealing unexpected volume from the side, creating a tension between two- and three-dimensional perceptions. Exaggerated hair and sculptural proportions extended this play with perspective beyond the clothes themselves.
Knitwear also played a key role. Sheer, open constructions sat against the body like a “second skin,” simultaneously revealing and concealing it. The contrast between the protective nature traditionally associated with knitwear and its transparent, airy construction reinforced the collection’s theme of reversal and duality.
ASPARAGUS SS27 « SAUT DU LOUP » — BETWEEN BOUNDARIES, WITHIN TENSION
ASPARAGUS approached Spring/Summer 2027 through the tension between opposing forces, from masculinity and femininity to structure and softness. The designer described the label’s approach as a mix of streetwear and avant-garde influences, with a deliberately unisex vocabulary that can move between feminine and masculine expressions.
Through contrasts, subtle disruptions and a strong structural approach, garments, styling, sound and performance came together as parts of a single, deliberately tense environment.
Among the collection’s standout accessories was a striking oversized leather cone bag, created in collaboration with Paris-based young label SADDERMANDER. Handcrafted with a sculptural approach, the piece brought an unexpected, almost architectural element to the runway while reflecting the experimental spirit of the collection.
Looking ahead, the brand is also set to return to Paris in March, with the next show expected to be integrated into the official Paris Fashion Week calendar.
Together, BONBOM and ASPARAGUS offered two distinct yet complementary visions of contemporary Korean fashion, balancing experimentation, strong silhouettes and a fluid approach to identity.
Lately,
Eva
