05 February 2021

The Fashion Interview: Jiyoung Kim

As the former digital director at Vogue Korea, Jiyoung Kim knows a thing or two about good style. Here, she shares the lowdown on her fashionable life – from her favourite couture shows to the brands she loves.

Photography: @JIYOUNGKIM6364

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My style is timeless with a twist. My essentials include jeans (the perfect style will work with any outfit year-round), a white shirt for the office or as a dressy evening top, and a black blazer – it makes any look a bit smarter, even if it’s just leggings and sneakers.

The most special piece in my wardrobe is a black knit dress from Celine’s AW18 collection. I love its modern shape and, as it’s from Phoebe Philo’s last collection, I’ll treasure it forever.

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My best vintage find is a Chanel gold chain watch from the 80s, which I got from Vintage Qoo in Tokyo. The store in Omotesando is the best in the world for Chanel vintage hunters.

Usually, I love to dress up but right now, comfort is key. The pandemic is still happening in Korea, and the weather is freezing. So, I’m living in comfortable, warm clothes. I love Bazilika’s cosy tracksuit collection which comes in a variety of colours – they’re perfect for cold winter weather and I’ve been wearing them with combat boots and a puffer or teddy bear coat.

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Paris is the best fashion destination in the world. I love the Parisian look, so my favourite clothing brands are all French. Chanel is up there – Virginie Viard (Chanel’s creative director) has such an intuition for what women want to wear. I love her tweed jackets in brighter colours and the classic bags, of course. I bought two classic 2.55 bags in white and black ten years ago, and still love them to this day. Isabel Marant is another favourite when it comes to classically Parisian style. Her clothes are simple and not over the top, but always make me feel sexy and powerful.

But there’s plenty to love about Korean fashion, too. Korean women really love fashion – they’re very conscious of trends and think it’s important to be well dressed, so I love their energy and passion. Some of my favourite Korean fashion labels include EENK for clothes and Numbering, which offers beautiful jewellery that won’t break the bank. Seoul is great for department stores – my favourites are Boon the Shop in Cheongdam, as well as 10corsocomo and Rare market, both of which are in Gangnam Gu.

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I have so many great memories from my time at Vogue. I started my career there as a fashion editor and after 14 years, I switched from print to digital and became digital director in 2014. At the time, that role was the first of its kind in the Korean magazine industry, so there wasn’t anyone else to ask for advice – to say everyday was chaos is not an exaggeration. However, as our digital presence grew, fashion houses began to invite me to their events, which meant I was able to travel the world – I had some great times in Morocco, St. Moritz, Tulum and Paris. Chanel’s 2019 Haute Couture show was unforgettable – it was my first couture show and Karl Lagerfeld’s last couture outing. It felt like I was a part of an important moment in fashion history.

The person whose style I admire most is Kate Moss. I love the way she’s never cared about trends or what others were wearing, and instead just pursued her own style. I try to incorporate the way she mixes and matches pieces in my own personal style.

My style philosophy is less is more. A wardrobe full of great quality, classic pieces is all you need to look chic.