’47 Redesign Runway Show 2017: Pratt Institute
This spring semester, students from Pratt Institute’s “Deconstruct/Reconstruct” course took part in the inaugural expression of ’47 Redesign –– a platform for emerging designers to express themselves by completely reinterpreting ’47’s deadstock of licensed sportswear.
Out of 50 plus pupils in the program, Pratt Faculty and the ’47 team selected five to present their unique creations at the ’47 Redesign Runway Show on April 27th at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust: Brittany Lovegrove, Fiona Cole, Michaela Folcik, Elle Quesada and Junyoung Woo.
At the show, Design duo Rochambeau, musical artist Aluna Francis (of AlunaGeorge) and Pratt Faculty members served as judges –– tasked with selecting the top micro-collection. Junyoung Woo’s looks, that merged sport with other cultural influence, stole the show. The recognition earned Junyoung an academic scholarship, and the opportunity to have her work displayed at ’47’s flagship store on Newbury Street in Boston this Spring.
“Fashion is changing at a very fast pace, and the worlds of luxury fashion, street, and athletic wear are all colliding. I think the ‘47 Redesign project is extremely relevant to what we are seeing on the runways and in the streets today, and couldn’t be a be a better opportunity for young designers growing into their own.”
– Josh Cooper, Co-Founder, Rochambeau
’47 sat down with Junyoung Woo to learn more about her work-life balance, design inspiration, and the unconventional creative process that led to one of the most innovative looks from the course.
How did you decide that you wanted to get into fashion?
My interest in fashion and art began in early childhood. I was more interested in art when I was young because of my mother, who brought me to museums and exhibitions several times a month. Those earlier experiences helped me learn how to deal with colors and balance. In terms of fashion, my parents who are also in the fashion world influenced me a lot and so I got into it naturally.
What is your favorite thing to do when designing?
Since I think each part of the designing process is strongly connected to the others, I don’t want to divide “designing” into different parts - I usually enjoy the whole process.
How would you describe your personal style?
My work is not too serious and I try to inspire a bold, edgy feeling of freedom and a whimsical mood.
What was your inspiration for your ’47 Redesign collection?
Based on the core concept of Redesign, deconstruction and reconstruction, I thought about what the purpose of clothing is, on a fundamental level. After analyzing clothing with that in mind, I realized that protection is the main purpose, and that showing authority and decoration for style are secondary. I then connected “protection” with an American football uniform, which relates directly to ’47 and Japanese armor.
What was the most challenging part of this project?
The most challenging part was time management. Since I needed to do this project with all of my other college work, managing time was difficult, but essential.
What was your favorite part about this program?
To me, experimenting with the ’47 apparel was really interesting. I had to take apart clothes piece by piece, and think about the relationship between my concept and the technical aspects.
What does LET YOUR YOU OUT mean to you?
To me, LET YOUR YOU OUT means having confidence. At the beginning of this project, I hesitated on developing my concept a bit because my garment was very different from the other students’. My confidence grew along the way as I received advice and feedback from many people, such as our professor Dean Sidaway and my parents.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
After graduation, I want to experience something new, and don’t care where in the world that is.
What’s next for Junyoung Woo?
I want to do well in my junior and senior years. I’m a little worried about the long term projects senior year, but I believe that I will be successful later down the road.
’47 would like to thank all of the Pratt faculty members and students involved in the ’47 Redesign program, as well as Aluna Francis and Rochambeau, for helping make the first iteration of ’47 Redesign the incredible experience it was.
’47 Redesign will return. Stay tuned…
