Bags make up for 30% of the total global luxury market (according to a 2016 report from Exane PNB Paribas.) It also makes one of the most competitive markets out there. You can’t beat a Proenza Schouler PS11, a Chanel 1.55 or a Lady Dior. Creating the new it-bag is a challenge not many people are ready to embark on. And for his autumn/winter 2017 collection being shown today at London Fashion Week, Eudon Choi decided to take the leap.  In collaboration with Decke, a Korean brand owned by the Hyundai group, Eudon designed nine different shapes in a variety of colourways, an enviable range for a first outing. With an opportunity to get the first look at the bags (and the rest of the collection) we talked to Eudon about the past, current and future ideas for his brand.

Inspired by architect and theorist Adolf Loos, the collection takes the idea of simplicity to the next level. One of Loos’ most significant work outside architecture is an essay called Ornament and Crime, where the thinker urges its reader to clear out any form of adornments and to return to functionality and  simplicity. Eudon Choi took that paradigm, mixed it with the clear and angular visual aesthetic of Adolf Loos and came up with a collection of poetic clothing and bags.

The focus is on the shape, both with the accessories and the clothes. Choi is already known for his perfect balance of femininity and strong masculine ideas - a gray suit with large golden buttons is romantic, but emulates power. And the bags communicate the same ideas. Folded, creased and woven through, the soft leathers in beautiful hues of green, navy, camel, black and white adorned only with metal rings and monochromatic balls. As Choi said, the idea of adding bags enabled him to be of a simple mind when it comes to clothes. “Sometimes the minimal looks can just look a bit too minimal, but the bags allowed us to be confident, skip on prints and focus on the shapes and textiles,” he says.

Three of the bags from the collection are see-now, buy-now. “It’s very difficult and the system needs to be changed, but we were finally able to do this concept as we were working with a big company,” Choi says with great excitement. After today’s show the designer’s focus is already on the next collection that will include a sequel to the collaboration with Decke. How will the second range of bags look? Maybe like a men’s bike bag, Choi says. But then he quickly adds: “That may change tomorrow.” Well, whatever it will be, we can be sure that it’s going to ooze that signature Eudon Choi effortlessness.

Shop the Eudon Choi x Decke bags now from eudonchoi.com, with prices starting from £250.

Text by Dino Bonacic