Fashion is not just about clothes

Creative director of pushBUTTON, Seung Gun Park, introduced the brand in 2003 as a young up-and-coming designer. Since its launch, pushBUTTON, who heavily draws influences from 80s fashion, has established itself as one of South Korea’s premier brands. Park prides his work as a gender-neutral fashion line and continues to push the boundaries by creating no boundaries to his collection. Seoul Journal had a chance to talk with Seung Gun Park to dive deeper into his creative process.

SJ : What is the most important idea pushBUTTON bases its designs on?

PARK: Edge and wearability at the same time. We’re adding some details on the traditional silhouette. These details are edgy and also it’s our own wit. Moreover, I think the pocket is really important on clothes so all our pieces have pockets. The pocket is not only useful but also makes an influential point to attitude when someone wears and stands with the clothes.

SJ : What do you think is the primary reason why pushBUTTON’s pieces are so appealing?

PARK: Easy to mix and match in styling. We’re doing twists on basic [designs]—but it’s not too much, so they think it’s unique and easy to wear.

SJ: On an everyday basis, where do you find inspiration and motivation?

PARK: From music videos and movies, I always search [through] and find some visual moments from films.

What is the kind of person you are designing for?

PARK: Somebody who wants to stay beautiful for a long time, like people who are interested in taking care of their looks.

SJ: What, in your opinion, are fashion essentials for every woman?

PARK: Attitude. It’s not about having to dress up every day, but to want to keep their beautiful and youthful energy constantly. When they wear clothes, they need to have a confident manner – this is the attitude.

SJ: What do you do as a hobby?

PARK: Drive. Even though I do not drive myself, I like looking out the window and listening to music while driving. Especially, I listen to the radio broadcasting instead of some recorded music playing and sometimes I get inspiration from random-played music.

SJ: You are already well-established in Korea. But what other markets do you think your designs would work well in?

PARK: We're considering all markets where they want our brand character. Actually, we're well-known in China, but we're going to strengthen our sales foundation more in the Chinese market.

SJ: Why do you think Korean fashion is so unique?

PARK: It reflects very contemporary trends, and each designer makes their own signature details on these trends at the same time. So there are maniac fans for each brand

SJ: Is there a single person that you would attribute a large part of your success to?

PARK: We're putting a premium on teamwork – each team has important duties among themselves and all teams are working closely. We cooperate very well. All staff are contributing on my brand.

SJ: What advice would you give to someone looking to make their mark in fashion?

PARK: Fashion is not just about clothes. See more in everything across genres like music, movie, furniture, art, any culture, vintage elements, etc. and try to wear as many different clothes as possible.