Following a period of recession—and with the challenging retail climate more broadly—the past year has tumultuous for pretty much every independent brand in London. And while Eudon Choi has been better placed than most to manage, with a healthy direct-to-consumer business and a significant customer base in the Middle East and Asia, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t felt some of those tremors. Yet while he initially felt disheartened by these tectonic movements in the British fashion industry, it eventually brought him a kind of clarity: a feeling that was in full evidence across his pre-fall collection, which saw him pare things back to the Choi essentials, relying on fewer looks and a sharp concision to outfit his customer.
“Over the years, I’ve always been asked, ‘Who’s your woman?’” Choi said, leafing through the racks of clothing at his showroom. “I’ve always refused, for the past 15 years, to define my woman, because it’s never been about age or profile or lifestyle—it’s always been about the wearer’s attitude.” While Choi’s designs have often been pigeonholed as “for the working woman”—in no small part due to their day-to-night versatility and clever ability to be customized on the fly—he’s been thinking about a more holistic vision of who his customer is.
Choi’s wardrobe building blocks—off-kilter tailoring, breezy shirting, maxi dresses, great pants—were all present, but often assembled in more unexpected configurations: w.
