Have you ever seen the drama, “Hwangjiny”? It was popular with splendid Hanbok every time. CBT met Kim Hye-soon, the Hanbok designer who shows the possibilities and beauties of Hanbok through the costumes in the drama, “Hwangjiny.”-Ed.

CBT: What were you doing at the age of twenty?
Kim Hye-soon: Early in my twenties, I worked as a public official. However, the work as an official was not suitable for me. I had a creative and passionate disposition, but I did only my given work when I were an official. Also, I felt I should keep the old ways and principles. Therefore, I quitted the work when I married, and I started to help an uncle’s work which was making Korean dolls. After that, I started to learn about the Hanbok design on the recommendation of the uncle when I met Yu Hee-kyung, a master of costumes.
CBT: Was there anyone who affected you in your early days?
Kim: When I was young, I was affected by my mother and uncle. In my childhood, I fought one day, but she didn’t scold me. She always said that there would be a reason instead of scolding me. The reason why I can work with confidence is that my mother believes in and respects me.
The person who gave decisive motive to designing Hanbok is my uncle. He was a good teacher and mentor. I have visited museums, met scholars and studied about the relics with him. He said, “Although I’m making the clothes for dolls, how about making the clothes for people? Moreover, If you become a person who makes Hanbok, I hope that you become a person who dresses people after you know about Hanbok.” This word from my uncle gave motivation to make Hanbok. Through the conversation with my uncle, I studied a lot, stimulated and matured.
CBT: When are you proud of yourself as a Hanbok designer?
Kim:I have studied the costumes of gisaeng excitedly before working on the Drama “Hwangjiny.” Therefore, I held an exhibition and fashion show about costumes of gisaeng where I meet foreigners impressed with Hanbok. They wanted to try touching the Hanbok and to wear it. At that time, the fact that I design Hanbok made me happy. In Korea, it is true that koreans are impressed with the beauty of Hanbok and love it. However, it is not easy for foreigners feel beauty of other countries’ traditional costumes.
CBT: Give advices to those age twenty
Kim: When you study what you want, study steadily without abandonment. In the case of studying about Hanbok, you should also study about embroidery or dyeing. The same with other fields, you should study about many things to be expert in the field. Therefore, study what you can steadily, step by step from the first time.