Designer to watch: Kiminte Kimhekim

Working under the tutelage of Nicolas Ghesquiere just after graduating from design school in Paris in 2009 has definitely been a credential booster for South Korean designer Kiminte Kimhekim. As the best student in his class at Studio Bercot, a private fashion school in Paris, it’s no surprise that he earned his place at the revered fashion house. He was also the only one in his graduating class to intern for a luxury fashion house.

According to Kim, one of the most memorable experiences in his two-year internship at Balenciaga was visiting the atelier building and observing the 40 artisans working their magic on the Balenciaga masterpieces.

“I was the youngest boy in the studio and always super shy to say hello to Nicolas [Ghesquiere] when I saw him every morning,” says the 35-year-old, who credits social media as his bridge to understanding and building a closer relationship with his customers.

Kim started his brand in 2014 after several freelancing stints around Paris. His grandmother nurtured his interest for fashion by showing him how to make traditional Korean garments, and even taught him how to sew a hanbok.

“My love for fashion comes from the precious memories of my childhood when I made garments for Barbie dolls with my grandmother,” he recalls fondly.

For his debut collection at Paris Fashion Week in 2019, he decided to include hanbok-inspired pieces created with organza — a material he has an affinity for as it reminds him of how he had learnt to create the hanbok from his grandmother.

According to Kim, the move to Paris had a profound impact on him professionally, as living and working
in the French city for a decade taught him how to channel a more free-spirited approach and expression in his designs. He has since returned to Seoul in 2017 and cites the Samcheong area, where the brand’s headquarters is located at, as one of his favourite spots in the city as it is brimming with traditional and creative places, such as the historical Gyeongbok Palace (the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty and once known as the heart of Korea).

Proud of his Korean heritage, and K-pop of course (South Korean girl groups Blackpink and IVE are some of his clients), Kim explains that he does not have a muse, but is inspired by many great artists and musicians.

So, who is the Kimhekim woman he is designing for? “I want her to feel like she is in a fantasy,” he says, describing the woman who interacts with his brand as a self-assured, trendsetting urbanite who loves to be in the spotlight.