EASTLOGUE Head Designer, Dong ki Lee, Talks Spring/Summer '20
With a 10-year milestone looming over them, Korea’s own EASTLOGUE have recently released their Spring/Summer ‘20 imagery, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come.
EASTLOGUE’s latest - dubbed ‘WATERCOURSE’ - presents a fine lineup of high-quality pieces that showcase their breadth of design, with nods to the classics we know and love - M-70 and ECW Parka. While they continue to reference military silhouettes, they also expand beyond that, developing a range of products unique to them. Utility vests, pullover shirts, multi-pocketed parka jackets and smocks all arrive with the sake of preparation in mind; aimed at dressing you no matter the context. Stepping away from muted colour palettes that defined previous seasons, the garments are clad in Tiger Camo, yellow & blue tie-dye and multi-check patterns.
Despite gearing up for Spring/Summer ‘20, Dong ki took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a couple of questions we posed to him. We spoke about favourite garments from the collection and upcoming collaborations with a certain sportswear giant.
Hi, Dong ki. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to ask you some questions regarding EASTLOGUE's upcoming Spring/Summer '20 collection, "WATERCOURSE". Would you mind telling us where you looked to for inspiration behind your latest work?
Hi! Thanks for interviewing me on our new collection. As for our collection theme, ‘WATERCOURSE’, it is an indirect subject. This season is mainly about mixing materials from past to present; we have tried to combine classic materials, such as cotton and chambray, with modern materials like nylon and polyester. As we welcome a new decade, EASTLOGUE has just turned 10 years old in Korean age calculation. Now we have our own past to look back on, as well as our expectations for the future. Also, this season, the EASTLOGUE ‘PERMANENT’ line will be unveiled for the first time, which will be basics interpreted in the EASTLOGUE way.
Your work frequently draws inspiration from military garb. Do you have an impressive personal archive of military clothing you can shed some light on?
I have various military books in our office, as well as a large collection of actual vintage military clothing. Through the experience of wearing these garments, I find improvements that can be made. I study through practical experience of being exposed to the clothing that I’m taking inspiration from.
From the collection, is there a piece you've designed that you’re particularly proud of?
That would be our ‘Traveler Jacket’. The design is inspired by the liner frequently found inside fishtail parkas and we have transformed that into a utility jacket. The layout of the frontal pockets is a design quirk borrowed from traditional hunting wear. It has many useful details, including a detachable hood and adjustable cuffs. Furthermore, the most interesting thing is that it’s loved by female and male customers alike.
Some garments, such as the M70 Parka and Travellers Jacket, often come back on a seasonal basis. What kind of changes are you making to these pieces from collection to collection?
It can be a number of things, really. We mainly change materials and small details to tailor them towards the season in question. Sometimes the silhouette is slightly altered. For materials and details, we consider the orientation to match one mode through the collection.
EASTLOGUE is one of the burgeoning labels hailing from South Korea. Please, can you tell us about the community surrounding EASTLOGUE in your home country? Is it well-received?
The Republic of Korea is quite fashionable. So, in a short period of time, quite a few brands have disappeared and many have sprung up in their place. In that sense, I am proud that EASTLOGUE continues to thrive in this youthful scene and that it is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. We’ve focused our efforts on building up our profile abroad but the domestic market still accounts for a large part. Fortunately, we have accumulated long-standing, brand-loving customers who continue to support us; a situation I am very grateful to be in.
Are there any collaborations coming out that we can look out for?
One collaboration that I can hint at is a project, expected to be released in March, with Reebok. We are currently preparing pre-release events in stores overseas. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal anything else, you’ll just have to wait for it to be confirmed!
Their first SS20 delivery has just arrived at FR8IGHT.
