Style Watch Designer: David Chum

David Chum, 29 is a professionally trained artist and self-taught designer based in Boston, MA. He holds a B.F.A. from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, and his artwork has been shown in commercial, alternative, and on-line galleries locally and internationally, and is included in collections across the country. In 2009 David launched his line, Selahdor from his “Arlington Atelier”.

Yesterday I was checking out his Facebook page to leave a message and BAM!!…it said that David will be the next contestant on “Project Runway” season 9. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for him. I accidentally found David on the internet in 2010 when I was searching for the next haute designer to be featured on Addikted2Fashion.com. His architectural silhouettes and modern clean lines is what first attracted me to him not to mention he is suppper nice.

Just this year David was selected as the first recipient of the Emerging Designer Fund, a Boston-based organization which provides funding and professional services to superlative fashion talent in the New England area.

Let’s see where it all started from:

AUTUMN/WINTER 2009

This collection is extremely feminine and classic. Structural elements and details are key, but they aren’t added on as “frosting.” Everything coexists with the silhouette of a woman’s body and the over-all shape of the garment. These clothes are intended for women of all ages who seek pieces that are timeless, but will turn heads. It’s a subdued form of assertion.

SPRING/SUMMER 2010

Fall/Winter 2009 was full of structural details. With this collection, I decided to take the same aesthetic, apply it to the entire form and space of the garment, and push my pattern drafting skills. The initial inspiration was insects and flowers which lead me to investigate Medieval and Samurai armor, as well. The ideas translated into sculpted peplums and shoulders. The vibe of the collection is a little futuristic and sculptural, but offset with classic feminine silhouettes, draping, and a soft, romantic palette.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2010

“I’ve always believed that everything we make, whether it be art, fashion, or a cellphone, is a reflection of a specific group at a specific time from the point of view of an individual within that group. All designers do this, whether they know it or not. Our current obsession with vampires and all things dark have moved the “gothic” lifestyle from counterculture into the mainstream. I wanted to create a collection to reflect this, but one that wasn’t stereotypically “goth.” I’ve always avoided the color black in my work. It just always seemed too easy, so cliché. I thought it would be a challenge to create a collection around this color. Many influences went into the work: the 70′s, the 50′s, Victorian fashion, the destructive side of nature, spider webs, cocoons, snakes, etc.”

AUTUMN/WINTER 2011

**The Cocoon Jacket is Addikted2Fashion Editor’s Pick!!**

This collection grew from an infatuation with Monarch chrysalises: their lines and the sinuous details that mimic the shape of the insect inside. The inspiration transformed into anatomical seams: muscles, bones, the gestural line of a hip. It was further explored in the pleating of the fabric. Folding is the most basic way to manipulate fabric.

Project Runway premieres July 28th at 9 pm/8C on Lifetime Television. To see more of David check him out here. Don’t forget to vote for your fan favorite. I will be voting using #PR9David !! To see other Project Runway Designers check them out here.