Aggressively Pretty: Goen. J Spring/Summer 2014

I'm not sure if it was because I spotted it on my way to lunch or that my sweet tooth's roots are finally infiltrating my brain, but the first thing I thought of when I saw Goen.J's newest collection was "cake." Big layers, lace tape, and pretty pastels reminded me of basically every birthday cake I ever had when I was a little girl; I felt like diving face-first into a pile of the pleated and lacy garments and taking a big bite. Pleated detailing crawls across oversized tops, shorts, and dresses in looped designs that bounce with each step. Little did I know, underneath the super sweet silhouettes was an insidious inspiration—the agressive betta fish. "I once had a tropical fish, the betta, and I was inspired by the colorful fins," designer Go Woun Jong told me via email. "The fins inspired me to create the pleats as a starting point of the collection, and using them creates a movement like a fish swimming in the water."

Underneath the ruffles, the garments themselves are simple and intricately tailored, which is Goen.J's speciality. (Previous seasons have seen tapered trousers in tatted velvet and the introduction of that amazing long lace varsity jacket.) The lace tape pieces especially show the tricky balance between athletic and adorable. "Every season lace is used to show harmony in contrasts," Go Woun said. "Lace is a great material to express femininity, and I like to mix it with a masculine fit." The juxtaposition of traditionally delicate materials and strong, dominating shapes is exciting, because there's no reason women can't be tough and beautiful at the same time. We can have our cake, and wear it too!

Shop all Goen.J here