Minju Kim
Born1985 or 1986 (age 37–38)
Gwangju, South Korea
EducationSamsung Art & Design Institute, Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp)
Websiteminjukim.co

Minju Kim (born c. 1986)[1] is a South Korean fashion designer known for her womenswear and use of bold prints. In 2020 she was named the winner of the first season of Netflix's Next In Fashion.

Kim was born in Gwangju, South Korea and studied in New Zealand as a teenager. She originally wanted to attend art school and become a cartoonist, but was encouraged by her parents to study fashion design in Seoul.[2] She studied fashion design at the Samsung Art & Design Institute, followed by a master's degree at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.[3][4] Kim credits the influence of designers and RAFA instructors such as Walter Van Beirendonck with sparking her love of fashion design.[2]

Career

Kim launched her self-named, Seoul-based company MINJUKIM in 2015.[5] She is known for starting her fashion shows with a design featuring a core, self-designed print that appears throughout the rest of the collection.[6] Her 2018 Fall collection print was based on Galaxy Express 999.[6] In addition to releasing collections each year, Kim has designed for BTS and Red Velvet.[2] She also teaches design classes at Kookmin University.[2]

In 2020 Kim was named the winner of Netflix's reality show and fashion design competition, Next In Fashion, edging out British designer Daniel Fletcher. She competed with Chinese designer Angel Chen during the team-based portion of the competition and the pair dubbed themselves as 'Dragon Princess'.[7] As winner Kim received US$250,000 from Net-a-Porter to launch a collection for sale on their site.[8] Kim was previously the winner of the 2013 H&M Design Award and was shortlisted for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers in 2014.[9]

In 2021, Kim collaborated with the brand & Other Stories, a brand which is under the H&M Group. The launch of her collection, the Minjukim collection, quickly sold out and was largely successful. The limited collection was sold worldwide, and was sold out online within an hour on the Korean webstore.[10] The & Other Stories collab was inspired by Kim's Spring-Summer collection of 2016, which was her brand's second collection to debut.[10] The apparel consisted mostly of pastel colors and prints, accompanied by accessories such as sunglasses and hair clips which were also aligned with the spring theme.[10]

In 2022, Kim launched a fall apparel line, where she shared her designs on her Instagram and official website. Several notable celebrities followed her on her social media account, like Riverdale star Lili Reinhart and more.[11]

References

  1. ^ Tee, Karen (4 March 2020). "Is Korean designer Minju Kim the next big thing in fashion? We say yes". ChannelNewsAsia. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Park, Ji-won (16 February 2020). "Netflix's fashion competition winner talks her brand, ultimate goal". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  3. ^ Kozma, Leila (30 January 2020). "'Next in Fashion' Star Minju Kim Designed Clothes for K-Pop Sensation BTS in the Past". Distractify. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  4. ^ Cremona, Patrick (29 January 2020). "Next in Fashion: meet the designers". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  5. ^ Kwong, Debby (12 October 2018). "Introducing Minju Kim, the South Korean designer everyone's been talking about in Singapore". BURO 24/7. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b Kim, Monica (26 March 2018). "Minju Kim - Seoul Fall 2018 Fashion Show". Vogue. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  7. ^ Seward, Mahoro (6 February 2020). "Next in Fashion's Minju Kim is the relatable hero we all need". i-D. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  8. ^ Williams, Helen (15 February 2020). "Minju Kim for H and M: How to buy clothes from the Next in Fashion designer's line". Reality Titbit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  9. ^ Spencer, Samuel (3 February 2020). "How to buy the 'Next in Fashion' winner's collection". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Shin, Min-Hee (31 March 2022). "Minju Kim unabashedly continues to turn heads". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  11. ^ Lemon, Mads (3 March 2023). "Where is the Next in Fashion season 1 winner now? (Who is Minju Kim?)". Netflix Life - FanSided. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
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