Vol.130_TWOBUILDERS HOUSE
Interviewed by Kim Kieun
from Seoul, South Korea
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How did you start the brand?
Me and Jong Ju Park have been friends since Kindergarten and we started to work together after graduating from school. I studied at Bespoke Tailoring, at the London College of Fashion and Jong Ju worked for the fashion production before. At some point, we had a chance to meet and talk about what we want to do in the future (it was happening before I graduated). During our conversation, he said: “I would like to make linen coats”. And I thought – what a cool idea – as it was the same concept I developed for my graduation show. Two months after finishing school, we launched the brand together. playfulness, topped with a sparkle of cynicism.
Ever since I was studying, I really wanted to produce this category of garments. But it was impossible at that time, because the factories existing on the Korean market refused to produce our brand as it needed a lot of handwork and beside that, we couldn’t even find the right fabric for the clothing. The moment we found the right fabric, we were able to start the production.
How can you describe your work together?
Jong Ju is the promotor of the brand and I’m in charge mostly with the creative part. I’m not good in organizing, so I try to get inspired and make clothing, while he arranges everything such as schedules, relationships between shops, financial issues and more. We are a very good team and we are satisfied of how everything works.
You use numbers to nominate your collections, without mentioning the seasons.
Generally, people are framing clothing according to seasons, although some items can be worn for all 4 seasons or only for spring, let’s say, even if they were made for the AW season. Therefore, we decided to use numbers in order to interpret different concepts, as we make clothing you can wear every season.
Can you briefly introduce the new collection?
The last collection was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. Especially the French vintage style, her outfit and the colors from her painting. She liked vintage clothes a lot but she is reputed as the mother of American modernism – this idea seemed very fresh to me. And for this season, we started the production with handwork only. We have brought some changes in the way we deal with our clothing, and we would like to have a longer time for presenting the collection, explain more our intentions and let the wearers feel it.
I noticed there was a change of the style in this last collection.
I just want to do what I really want to do. Although we started in a simple manner, by putting a lot of meaning in the first collections, treating them like poems and expecting that people would understand the idea, people just perceived the previous collections as simple. Last year, after we launched the new collection, I went to watch Leos Carax’s movie. He always did whatever he wanted and his movies were successful. I realized then that we should show exactly our style. Customers asked us through mails, reviews and blogs: “Why don’t you produce the same clothing as before?”. But we had to go forward, I would have regretted if I couldn’t have done this. The change of style is really helping me to make new collections, with more motivation. For the production, we made patterns and sew the clothing ourselves. We only payed for the fabric. I used this opportunity in order to increase my capability of work. I actually practice sewing even in my free time…
Are you thinking of challenging yourself in a way you never did before?
Most of the events in Korea are about sales such as sample sales and season offs. Last time we made an exhibition in the London Grocery Market as a show window exhibition - no one could enter the shop, and could see the exhibits from the outside. People just came and saw the work – I consider this is a very important aspect of fashion. Therefore, I want to collaborate with other brands not for making sales, but for making projects, researching or simply presenting what we are.