“For me, rather than making a modern hanbok, I am more interested in fusing a fun twist on hanbok into Western clothes.
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“As a designer born and raised in Korea, I contemplated long about how to express my identity and originality in my designs,” he said. He is not afraid of tossing elements of the Korean hanbok into modern apparel, such as the wool coat he designed with Korean traditional quilting, called “nubim,” or the leather jacket with the flowing lines and gentle curves of a hanbok. “It brings out the unique charm and fun.” “I enjoy mixing and matching the very opposites,” he said. “The collection is based on classic, but with a modern tweak,” he said.Īs examples, Baek pointed out a puffer jacket with a tuxedo-style collar and some casual items with just a touch of tailoring - it’s the details that set the garments apart as his work. When the items appear on display together in his showroom, though, they all share a quality that is distinctive to the Jaybaek line. From time to time, he also designs wedding gowns. Opposites attract: Hanbok meets tailored suitīaek designs various items, from sleek suits to leather jackets, silk dresses, and corduroy skirts and bags, to name a few.
“Because when you love yourself, you can love others and discover the beauty of life.” “While it’s hard to point out characters of people I design for, I like people who love themselves and who want to discover their beauty,” he said.
The creation of modern, beautifully crafted clothes is at the heart of Baek’s vision. Whether the customer is an office worker or an actor, I want to tailor apparel that can make the wearer shine by highlighting their strengths and supplementing their weaknesses.” “I want the person who is wearing my outfit to take the lead role in their life,” he said. The brand is still young compared with the goliaths of big fashion houses here, but it is one of the most sought-after names among local fashion stylists for its artistry and precision. Jaybaek Couture, which began in 2012, centers on custom-fitted apparel, including tailored suits, tuxedos and formal dresses, as well as casual apparel. “I love the process of thinking of someone, creating clothes and dressing them to make them beautiful, whether that is for myself, my friends or my customers,” he said. It wasn’t that Baek preferred expensive or branded clothes, but the designer felt his clothes needed to express his individuality.
Thanks to his mother, who owned a small boutique and designed clothes, he developed a keen fashion sense early on.
It was my favorite pastime.”įashion designer Jay Baek poses at his showroom in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. “I would make clothes for myself and my friends simply for fun, with fabric lying around at home. “As far back as I can remember, I just loved clothes very much,” said Baek at the Jaybaek Couture showroom in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, an elegant and simple space inside a gray brick building with a neat monochromatic collection of his clothes on display. Not everyone gets to turn their passion into a profession.īut fashion designer Jay Baek says he is fortunate to have built a career out of something he’s loved doing since his teenage years: making clothes.