Kim Yanghun
“I WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABILITY BY USING RECYCLABLE MATERIALS WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES OR METHODS. THE DESIGN THAT HAS ORIGINALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY CAN LIVE LONG.”
– KIM YANGHUN
Kim Yanghun was compelled to create sustainably through various influences, including documentaries, factory visits, and a class on reconstruction. “My goal as a designer is to have a positive effect on people’s lives,” shares the designer, who holds a degree in Fashion Design from Istituto Marangoni Paris, France.
Two people in particular inspired his Redress Design Award collection, ‘Her Wardrobe’: his girlfriend and the painter Erik Teodoru. He takes inspiration from Teodoru’s unclear, unshaped, and blurry painting style to create his own unclear images through fashion, displaying an alternative to the stereotypical clean and organised nature of Korean society as reflected by his girlfriend’s meticulous wardrobe.
Yanghun designed his own tool and applied it to 100% rPET recycled plastic thread to create unique fabrics that mimic different types of textiles such as denim and fur. The thread was an attractive choice due to being easily accessible, as well as its solidity and thickness being transformable with heat.
Yanghun’s unique fabric can create the illusion of one layer appearing as two layers due to irregular distance between differently-coloured threads. His garments are lined with patterns of fur in mainly neutral colours, as well as a selection in striking purple.
The designer uses zero-waste patterning to cut his garments, including coats, jackets, and skirts in classic silhouettes for timeless wear. He looks forward to contributing to the world of sustainable fashion by using recyclable materials with new technologies, and has been experimenting with 3D printing with plastic filaments, mushroom leather from MycoWorks, and creating a leather texture on hanji, a traditional Korean paper.
“There exist a lot of fashion items in the world, even if I do not design. But I design to make a positive impact on people, and would like to make an effort in reaching 100% sustainability.”
