Designer bridges music and fashion
Lee Ju-young, daughter of female designer Sul Yun-hyoung and C’est
Si Bon music café owner, dresses top musicians
This is the
sixth in a series of articles on up-and-coming Korean designers. ―
Ed.
Her parents equally influenced her ― Lee Ju-young, founder and
designer of the brand Resurrection, loves both music and fashion.
Lee’s
mother is Sul Yun-hyoung, a veteran women’s wear designer, and her father used
to own C’est Si Bon, the 1960s and 1970s popular rock caf in South Korea where
stars like Kim Min-gi, Kim Se-hwan and Song Chang-shik used to sing. Lee married
a rocker, Kim Bada, who was the vocalist in the rock group Sinawe.
“We
used to have heaps of LPs. Singers would come to the caf and sing on my dad’s
birthday, and I would watch him make programs. Music influenced me greatly. The
cultural shocks I felt through music at the time became the base of my brand. In
my point of view, music and fashion are inseparable,” Lee told The Korea
Herald.
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| Lee Ju-young at
her shop, decorated with artwork inspired by Medieval Christian art, in
Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea
Herald) |
She played cello for about ten years
and majored in it at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, U.S. But she
said it was not such a dramatic change for her when she entered Parsons School
of Design and turned quickly to a career in fashion.
“I used to be
surrounded with fabrics and designers. I have always been interested in fashion
design. I guess I sort of had a feeling that I would do it one day. As I got
older, I realized that being a designer would allow more ways for me to express
myself thoroughly, than being a musician,” said Lee.
Sul was furious at
first, hearing her daughter’s change of heart, knowing what a competitive field
the fashion industry was. But as she saw Lee gradually become more seasoned,
working at Sul Yun-hyoung Boutique for about 10 years, she became a big
supporter of her daughter.
Lee launched her own label, Resurrection, in
2004. She has a shop in Seoul; supplies to several concept stores in New York
and Copenhagen; and is in talks with buyers in Amsterdam and China. But what is
most impressive is the list of her musician clientele including Marilyn Manson,
Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas.
“It is hard to find menswear with as much
detail and character as mine. I think that is why musicians like them. That is
in fact why I started menswear as well. I used to do styling a lot, and I could
not find clothes that I wanted to dress men in. So I decided to make them
myself. There are not many female menswear designers, and I think I have an
advantage because I know what style men and women are attracted to,” said Lee.
The brand does both men’s and women’s wear but is better known for the
first. Motivated by Christian art from the Middle Ages ― as can be guessed from
the name of the brand ― Lee’s designs appear to be mostly gothic, dark and
weighty.
Rock music, of course, is another one of her inspirations.
“When a particular song really touches my heart, I search information
about the musician, what kind of fashion trend was there at the time, etc, and
translate it into my collection, my color,” said Lee, a mother of two who blew
off her stress at the recent Jisan Valley Rock Festival.
She is
currently focusing on the collaboration line she will soon be launching with
Will.i.am, a member of Black Eyed Peas. Titled “i.am by Resurrection,” it will
first roll out in the 2013 S/S collection.
“I am really thankful when
overseas musicians, especially ones I really like, appreciate my designs and
wear them. I have been dressing Will.i.am, and he is the type of person who just
loves clothes. I think this will be a great opportunity to promote my designs.
The price will be ranged a bit lower than high-end, and we are first aiming for
the U.S. market,” said Lee.
Next month, she will be showcasing her
clothes in New York under the name “2011 Concept Korea.” It is not her first
appearance in the Big Apple but this time she is going as team Korea, with four
other Korean designers.
“I am going to showcase some unique menswear ― I
am trying to make very edgy menswear with soft and spongy materials. Black has
always been the main color but I’m going for colorful this season as well,” said
Lee.
By Park Min-young (claire@heraldm.com)
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