Jin Kay - In Praise of Shadows 2012



New York, July 10, 2012 – Jin Kay is proud to present his first collection in New York City. The pre-fall women’s ready-to-wear collection is inspired by the book In Praise of Shadows and it has been recently distinguished with the 2012 Designer of the Year Award from Parsons The New School for Design in New York.

This pre-fall women’s ready-to-wear collection is inspired by the book In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki. The book was written in the 1930’s and it compares the definition of beauty between East and West. While the Western World celebrates the beauty that’s exposed and revealed, the East rejoices everything that is hidden, quiet and mysterious.  This collection is a compositional analysis of all those ephemeral elements and it is an exploration of the diverse and unique qualities of shadows.



Some shades in the collection are multiplied and distorted by the reflecting surface, and sometimes they can seem to have contradictory qualities. They can appear to be heavy and fragile, obscure and light, organic and rectilinear, solid and porous. All these different qualities create compelling compositions of depth, light and monochromatic hues.

The color scheme of the collection is based in a limited palette of black tones, with an emphasis on lightness, transparency, and intricate details. Black can be defined as a color that does not create or mirror any light. It absorbs all the light around and it enhances the pure study of shadows. Meticulous detailing is subdued and integral to the nature of the fabrics being assembled, rather than exaggerated.

Fashion Designer, Jin Kay (Jin Woo Kim) was born and raised in South Korea. During his early years in Seoul, Busan, and Long Island he developed a creative sensibility that is rooted in a very conceptual and poetic design philosophy. His appreciation for art and design evolved and expanded after relocating to the highly competitive cultural scene of New York City.

Jin Kay