ICONS Of Korean Fashion
Words by Michelle Park
Park Seung Gun
Designer for pushBUTTON, Park Seung Gun has attracted numerous fashion insiders and celebrities who crave his bold and daring designs. Since launching in 2003, pushBUTTON has become a high-end women’s wear label that is quirky, witty, experimental, fun, and has been an innovator for new trends in fashion. Park’s 2014 F/W collection “Super Normal Stimuli,” for example, playfully expresses the human impulse of being drawn to the beautiful and flashy.
Instagram: pushbutton_park
Twitter: @pushBUTTONseoul
Soo Joo Park
Earning a spot on “The Hot List” on Models.com, Soo Joo Park has built a reputation as one of the most in-demand newcomers in the fashion industry. Under the top agencies ESteem models, Wilhelmina New York, IMG Paris, Union Models, and View Management, this rising star has been in campaigns for Tom Ford, Chanel, Jeremy Scott, DKNY, and Neiman Marcus, and has been featured on magazine covers for Femina China April 2014, Glass Magazine Spring Issue 2014, and Vs. Magazine S/S 2014.
Instagram: soojmooj
Twitter: @soojoo
Woo Young Mi
Beginning as the first female “men’s ready-to-wear” designer in Korea in 1988 with her SOLID HOMME menswear brand, Woo Young Mi has gained global admiration for her unique female perspective. Her interests in architecture and fascination with the male form and figure inspire her sophisticated and delicate designs. The Wooyoungmi brand was first launched overseas in 2002 as part of Paris Menswear Fashion Week. In 2006, the Wooyoungmi brand opened its first European store in Paris, and was launched in Japan in 2009.
Instagram: wooyoungmiofficial
Twitter: @woo_youngmi
Sung Jin Park
Get excited for what’s coming next from Sung Jin Park, who was selected as one of the ’Top 50 Male Models’ on Models.com. He is recognized for his signature rockabilly style, with denim on denim,slicked back hair, and the talent to take on diverse fashion roles. Park has been in campaigns for Kenneth Cole, Aldo, Hugo Boss HUGO, Calvin Klein, Uniqlo, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Iceberg, Phillip Lim, and Bottega Veneta under agencies ESteem Model, Wilhelmina New York, Premium Models, and I LOVE Models Management.
Instagram: teriyakipapi
Ko Tae Yong
Designer of emerging menswear label Beyond Closet, Ko Tae Yong is a favorite among the Korean fashion scene for his chic and preppy experimentation with the modern dandy look. His brand is a ‘reconstruction of classic with wit and individuality’ and seeks to reinterpret classic menswear of the 20s-30s as clothing that is practical, yet sophisticated and distinguished. Ko’s exciting 2014 F/W collection elegantly combines military form and playful patterns, to be featured in Seoul Fashion Week 2014.
Instagram: beyondcloset
Twitter: @beyondcloset
Kathleen Hanhee Kye
Designer for high-end streetwear label and Vogue’s “New Talents,” Kathleen Hanhee Kye is one of the hottest fashion designers in the K-pop scene. You can catch the most stylish stars like G-Dragon, 2NE1, and 4Minute wearing her KYE label. Launched through the 2011 London Fashion Week, Kye has gained wide attention with her unique, bold textile patterns and innovative designs. Since earning a spot among distinguished designers for “Concept Korea,” whose collections are showcased for New York Fashion Week, Kye has become the face of K-fashion in the global fashion scene.
Instagram: kkye
Twitter: @kathleenkye
JiHye Park
JiHye Park is recognized internationally for her Korean beauty, and has worked in campaigns for Calvin Klein, Armani Exchange, Kate Spade, Diesel, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Rihanna for River Island, and Shinsegae under ESteem Models, The Society Management, Elite Paris, Why Not Model Management, Premier Model Management, and Uno Models. She’s been featured on magazine covers for Harper’s Bazaar Singapore March 2014, Manifesto April 2014, and Vogue Korea August 2013. Off stage, she prefers a comfortable, cool, tomboyish, chic, and simple look.
Instagram: jihyeparkjhp
Twitter: @JiHyePark0206
Lie Sang Bong
This list would be incomplete without the most internationally recognized Korean designer. Since his first women’s collection, “The Reincarnation” in 1993 at Seoul Fashion Week, Lie gained attention from Korea’s fashion elite and earned the title of “Best Designer of the Year”. His “The Lost Memoir,” debut in 2002 in Paris launched his designs on the Paris market and has gained popularity in Europe, U.S., and Russia since then. Lie’s unique designs are inspired from French and Korean influences like 1930s film noir, the love affair between Napoleon and Josephine, Korean poetry, and calligraphy.
Instagram: liesangbong
Twitter: @lsbparis
Alex Finch
For inspiration off the runway, Seoul street fashion photographer Alex Finch is certainly one that should not be missed! Originally from the UK, Finch has captured the trendiest looks in Korea from street shots on Garosugil to Seoul Fashion Week 2014 S/S. He’s also contributed to several magazines in Seoul including I M Magazine and SYOFF Magazine.
Instagram: iamalexfinch
Twitter: @iamalexfinch