From “Runaway” to Runway: PENTAGON at Seoul Fashion Week

In the midst of preparing for their next comeback, four members of Cube Entertainment’s popular boy group PENTAGON strutted down the runway at Seoul Fashion Week.

Yanan, E’Dawn, Shinwon, and Wooseok were the members chosen to model in two separate collections at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on March 23 and 24. Yanan and E’Dawn walked in the Ul:kin show while Shinwon and Wooseok participated in the R.SHEMISTE collection.

When asked about Shinwon and Wooseok’s involvement, R.SHEMISTE said: "We believed that they could portray R.SHEMISTE's collection line that will suggest a new paradigm for Korea's youth culture."

R.SHEMISTE

The R.SHEMISTE collection was designed by Won Jiyeon and Lee Juho. The brand’s concept for their collection was to express time and space through clothing with delicate, simple, and beautiful pieces that harmonized well when worn together.

The entirety of R.SHEMISTE’s new collection was inspired by the 2000 Japanese dystopian film Battle Royale and expressed the concerns of youth living in a low-growth era and how they cope with problems like low-paying jobs and youth unemployment. The result of their collection was an unforgettable dark, brooding style. According to R.SHEMISTE: “this collection shows the fatigue and anxiety of the current generation who live in the uncertain future.”

Dressed in black from head to toe, Shinwon’s look fit in very well with R.SHEMISTE’s dystopian society theme. His outfit was heavily layered with a slightly oversized jacket that featured ripped elements throughout. Wooseok’s outfit was reminiscent of if 1990s grunge met 2000s goth style with a tattered plaid shirt and long, baggy pants.

The little touches of their outfits were fantastic and definitely helped contribute to the collection’s overall theme. Wooseok’s shirt was designed to look like it’s been haphazardly patched together to keep it functional, like he’s too busy fending for his life to get a new shirt. Similarly, Shinwon’s jeans were ripped and sewn again with a huge seam, depicting someone who continues to hold onto what they have most likely out of necessity. Interestingly, both members wore crosses—Shinwon around his neck and Wooseok near his pocket—which raises the question: what role does religion play in the lives of an uncertain, dystopian generation?

UL:KIN

Ul:kin was created by designer Lee Sungdong in 2014 and is a clothing brand that aims to blend the lines between fashion and art.

Ul:kin’s theme for their collection was centered around the ideas of money, society, and consumption. When speaking about their collection, Ul:kin said: “Money is a tool, and the value and results of having the same money for different purposes are different. The money you spend on yourself and the money you spend on others have different values, and depends on the purpose of use.

“I would like to reconsider the meaning of the money by depicting the uses of the money through this 2018 FT collection.”

Right off the bat, E’Dawn’s outfit immediately spoke to the theme of money; his ensemble gave the impression that his concept was about money that is spent on the self. E’Dawn’s scarf featured coin-like designs that rained down in a variety of colors and his earring also featured a monetary-like symbol. Both combined gave  him an expensive and effortlessly cool look. He looked like a million bucks—literally.

Conversely, Yanan’s outfit was much more subdued than E’Dawn’s. Where E’Dawn’s ensemble was colorful and glamorous, Yanan’s shirt sleeves were long and the entire look had a more monochromatic color scheme to it. His only pop of color came through with the blue detached hood and the resulting lines of blue that ran through his button-down. The hood itself looked thick and warm, like it was crafted by a loving relative. It made the viewer wonder what Yanan’s concept in this collection is—does he spend his money elsewhere, like on his family and friends, rather than spending money on himself? Both of the members’ outfits juxtaposed each other’s very well in this collection.

Other members of the group who also attended the week-long festivities in support of their members included Yeo One, Hongseok, Kino, and Yuto. A major trend that kept occurring between all of the members seemed to be formal, oversized clothing ranging from suits to trench coats.

In order to not look swallowed up by their ensembles, each member had a unique twist to their outfit. Kino accentuated his figure by cinching a large, black belt around his waist and Yeo One wore a simple, white shoe string as a belt.

Seoul Fashion Week ran from March 19 to 24 and showed collections from fashion designers around the world. Pentagon is currently preparing for their sixth mini-album, Positive, which will be released on April 2.