Exclusive Seoul Fashion Week report by OTS Magazine in collaboration with INSTYLEASIA

At Seoul Fashion Week SS27, Korean designer Kim Ayoung brought a distinctly sun-soaked mood to the runway with CAHIERS' Spring/Summer 2027 collection, L’Heure Dorée.

Presented at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on September 4, the collection looked to the relaxed glamour of 1980s Saint-Tropez, translating the atmosphere of the French Riviera into CAHIERS' signature approach to feminine silhouettes, sculptural volume, and movement.

Rather than simply recreating the decade's glamour, Ayoung softened its more structured elements. The collection explored the relationship between tailored forms and fluid draping, taking inspiration from the power suit while introducing softer curves and lighter proportions.

The colour story followed the changing light of a Mediterranean day. Soft sand and butter tones moved into lavender, sage, and warm coral before deeper reds, indigo, and black brought the collection towards evening.

Lightweight materials, including crinkle chiffon, linen, silk, and cotton poplin, allowed the silhouettes to retain their volume without appearing heavy. Tiered ruffle dresses, balloon-sleeved blouses, relaxed tailoring, and softly structured pieces moved naturally with the models as they crossed the runway.

The result was a collection centred on form, lightness, and movement, preserving the presence of a statement silhouette while allowing it to feel effortless for spring/summer.

CAHIERS, founded by Kim Ayoung in 2014, has developed a design language rooted in feminine elegance, distinctive three-dimensional pattern work, and curved silhouettes, with each season often drawing inspiration from cities, travel, and the atmosphere of particular places.

For L’Heure Dorée, that journey led to Saint-Tropez and to a collection that captured the feeling of golden light, warm air, and understated summer glamour through a distinctly contemporary Korean design perspective.

Choi Yun-nyeong was also among the guests attending the CAHIERS presentation, bringing further attention to the collection from the front row.

OTS Magazine, in collaboration with INSTYLEASIA, reports from Seoul Fashion Week SS27.