Minju Kim unabashedly continues to turn heads

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Published: 31 Mar. 2022, 16:57 Updated: 31 Mar. 2022, 17:12

Minju Kim unabashedly continues to turn heads

Minju Kim, the fashion designer behind & Other Stories' recent co-lab collection and star of Netflix's ″Next in Fashion″ (2020) [& OTHER STORIES]

Minju Kim is thriving.

It’s simply the best way to describe the 36-year-old fashion designer.

Based in Seoul, Kim has continued to prove herself as a powerhouse in the fashion world, beginning with her win on the first season of Netflix’s global fashion design competition show “Next in Fashion” (2020). She has since grabbed other awards such as the H&M Design Award in 2013 and was a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2014.

Kim has been dropping collection after collection for her own self-named brand “Minjukim” since 2015, and even designed stage costumes for K-pop bands BTS and Red Velvet.

These dresses have a wide and bouncy silhouette with pastel-toned patterns. [& OTHER STORIES]

Kim’s designs radiate such a cheerful energy that one can't help but feel upbeat when taking in the lively colors and playful designs.

Her presence has a similar energy. In an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Monday at a cafe near Anguk Station, central Seoul, Kim was gleaming with joy at her recent success — the launch of her collection in collaboration with & Other Stories, which is a brand under the H&M Group, on March 24.

The collection was released in 14 nations, including Britain, Sweden, France, Italy, Israel and China. Fashion magazines like Glamour, Vogue Germany and Elle France heaped praise on the collection, calling it “perfect for spring.”

Not only was the launch a notable milestone for the designer, but the limited collection completely sold out in just an hour on the online Korean store, and two hours at the offline store in Apgujeong, southern Seoul.

A green jacquard knit top, striped skirt and black skirt from the Minjukim collection [& OTHER STORIES]

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Kim said. Seated outdoors, the sun shone brilliantly on her face, highlighting her state of pure delight.

“I think the clothes turned out really great,” she said. “They’re easygoing and of good quality. The price range is also so very affordable — toward the end [of the first day the collection was in stores], we had nothing more to sell. We only had some accessories left but our customers refused to leave, saying that they would buy even just a single hair clip!”

The collection was released on a regular Thursday morning, so Kim said that she never expected so many people to stand in line way before the doors opened at 11 a.m.

“There were about 200 people waiting at first, but people still kept on coming and coming,” Kim said. “We only allowed 10 people to enter the store, 10 minutes at a time. That’s why it took two hours — if we didn’t have these restrictions, the collection may have sold out faster. & Other Stories even said that this was totally unprecedented.”

A voluminous jacquard mini dress [& OTHER STORIES]

The Minjukim collection consists of mostly pastel pink and green colors that are fit for spring, splashed onto dresses, socks, sunglasses and a jacquard knit top. Some have stripes of delicate flowers. Most of the garments, especially the dresses and skirts, have a wide and bouncy silhouette and some are a silk blend.

Cat eye sunglasses come in two different colors [& OTHER STORIES]

A selection of fun accessories: hair clips, scrunchies, socks and sunglasses were offered as well.

The collection's fairy-tale aesthetics are a combination of “free-flowing feminine silhouettes and adorable details,” & Other Stories explained on its website.

According to Kim, the pieces are a reinterpretation of the Minjukim Spring-Summer (S/S) collection from 2016. Called “Moon Gardener,” it was only her brand's second-ever collection.

“I only recently realized that I’ve already dropped 15 collections [since launching Minjukim in 2015],” Kim said. “'Moon Gardener’ was my second one so no one knew about it at the time, because ‘Next in Fashion’ was aired sometime after my 10th or 11th collection. People were unfamiliar with my collections before that.”

Minjukim aims to portray a story through its patterns, and Kim said she wanted to revive the youth of “Moon Gardener,” which has a motif of freedom, shown through images of the moon, gardens and greenery.

“'Moon Gardener’ revolves around an imaginary scenario: If I could leave the earth to go to the moon, I’d start to miss earth and end up building a garden on the moon. I made drawings of imaginary plants in the universe. This collection originally depicted a sense of loneliness, but for the & Other Stories version I wanted to bring out a happier and livelier atmosphere, like the weather today.”

The narratives behind her work are derived from her imagination or current situations. Her S/S 2021 collection, titled “The Spring We Lost,” was centered on the pandemic.

“The message is that spring was always something we took for granted, but when you think about it, it actually shouldn’t have been,” Kim said. “Anything can become a theme [for a collection]. The thing about inspiration though, is that it doesn’t come instantly like flicking a light bulb on, it comes after slowly and thoroughly thinking about what I want to say and what I want to record."

The stripes on these silk blouses and silk pants are a reinterpretation of Kim's ″Moon Gardener″ S/S 2016 collection. [& OTHER STORIES]

Kim recalled the long and difficult journey she has been on to achieve such success.

“I was wondering the same thing myself,” Kim said, when asked what she thought was behind her success. “But I think it’s thanks to the 15 collections I’ve made. For every new collection, I’ve constantly churned out new ideas and there’s never been a time I wasn’t involved in every single step of the process — from the draping to the fabrics. So when I got an opportunity, like ‘Next in Fashion,’ I was really able to show that I was always ready.”

While most aspiring fashion designers study for about three to four years, Kim said that it helped that she studied for seven: three years at the Samsung Art & Design Institute in southern Seoul and four years at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium.

“Of course there were many times when I just wanted to quit. I had only one buyer who was willing to purchase from my fourth collection. But I’ve always had this [ultimate] dream to become an educator [in fashion], so I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to hold out until my 10th collection. That drove me to just keep going.”

Coloful hair pins from Kim's collection [& OTHER STORIES]

Minjukim is now well past its 10th collection and Kim has no plans on stopping anytime soon. She says her new goal is to continue the Minjukim brand and has plans to open up its first offline store this year.

Silk bow scrunchies [& OTHER STORIES]

“I know how hard it is running a brand. It’s extremely difficult for a designer to drop collections consistently and still maintain their own identity,” Kim said. “But I try to be honest with myself and stay firm in doing what I like. Trends shift and the world changes rapidly, but I want to protect the Minjukim brand and what it stands for.”

What does Minjukim stand for? Kim wishes people would love themselves a bit more.

“I think it can be a waste to wear only neutral colors. Experiment lots and try and be more colorful. Don’t worry that something won’t look good on you — this very thought stems from self-consciousness.

“When people truly express themselves, it has the power to turn heads wherever they go. Honestly I think that’s a good thing. It’s not something to be ashamed of at all.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]