Youngjin Kim

Dreamy dressmaker

• Youngjin used to be an actress
• Her inspiration for ideas comes from everyday life
• She has turned hanbok making from her hobby to her profession

Youngjin Kim loved theatre from an early age which led her to become an actress. In parallel, she also worked as a supervisor for Louis Vuitton in Korea for over ten years, before changing careers. She became fascinated with making hanbok – traditional Korean clothes – and took up the craft with great enthusiasm. She became a mentee of Gwang-Hoon Park, an intangible cultural asset of Seoul, and soon she was able to make hanbok herself. The difference Youngjin brings to this very traditional craft is in creating and boldly blending traditional Korean fabrics with imported ones. In the name of her studio, TchaiKim, the term "tchai" means difference. "Through my work, I wish to acknowledge each person's differences and I hope for a mutually beneficial life," says Youngjin. She also designs traditional costumes for operas, plays, movies and TV dramas.

Interview

©Youngjin Kim

©Youngjin Kim

How and when did you begin to sew?

I began to sew in 2003, under the master needlework craftsman Gwang-Hoon Park. My interest started as a hobby but I later became more and more engrossed in it.

What does a hanbok mean to you?

I think I was influenced by the fact that my older sister learned classical Korean dance when she was little. I became very familiar with seeing beautiful hanbok and it sparked my imagination.

What is your sewing process?

I begin with the fabric – usually a specific textile gives me inspiration. I refer to books on art, history, cinema, performing arts and costumes. I select the fabrics and colours based on the client's style, skin tone, occasion, season and surroundings.

What is the focus of your current work?

I mainly make hanbok of single colours. However, recently, my interest has shifted to juxtaposing different fabrics in monochrome colours. Instead of limiting my choice of fabrics to silk, I mix and match textiles and textures to add depth to my work.

Youngjin Kim is an expert artisan she began her career in 2004

Works

©Youngjin Kim

©Youngjin Kim

©Youngjin Kim

©Youngjin Kim

©Youngjin Kim

Where