Gwen Kim
Digital fashion designer and artist, Gwen Kim applies her skills set in using digital softwares to create fashion based imagery and videography. Inspired by where she lives in South Korea, the younger generation in South Korea, Japanese animations and her favourite fashion brands; Gwen experiments between three-dimensional digital art and fashion design. Often she reinterprets collections from existing brands to create artwork. Or likewise she is keen to work with brands to collaborate and share her work more widely. In this interview, Gwen talks about her individual practice, but also about how South Korea is becoming more energised and excited by the digital world.
Can you tell us about your creative journey so far?
Hi I am Gwen, and I work as a digital fashion designer. I majored in fashion design and now combine my knowledge into 3D through teaching myself 3D softwares. At first I focused on making pretty clothes in 3D, however now I use my design skills to collaborate with various brands. It’s a lot of fun. I am also working on reinterpreting the collections of existing brands in order to make them into my own artwork. I am not only producing render images of simple 3D clothes, but also animations, digital fashion shows and short fashion films that utilise them.
How would you describe your design style in three words?
Sick, minor, trendy.
Your work has become entirely digital - why is this?
Making clothes in practice is certainly an attractive thing, but if I make clothes digitally they can be worn by anyone, and also viewing the designs is more accessible. I find it attractive that I can implement impossible things in the real world in order to build my own world. The fact that I can cross the border between 3D and reality comes to me with great charm.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Mostly I get inspiration from my hobby. I like Japanese animation, recently I used it in my work. I also embody clothes that I actually had made in 3D.
Can you talk us through one of your favourite pieces of work?
Among my works, I like ‘ABOUT MATERIAL’ the most. It consists of four works. The reason I like it is because I have previously focused on only making clothes that are real, and I have never made any clothes that have escaped from reality. It is a work that allows me to make what I want.
You are based in South Korea - how does the country influence your work?
South Korea is becoming increasingly interested in digital garments. So there are a lot of questions for me, and I often get people contacting me who are interested in my style of work. This makes me restlessly reflect on my work and because there is work that embodies the traditional images of Korea and the individuality of the younger generation in 3D, the country of Korea always gives me a lot of inspiration.
Where do you see yourself as an artist in five years’ time?
What I want most now is to collaborate with many brands. It is a big dream of mine to be able to collaborate with my favourite brand; Margiela. I also want to educate people who want to enter the same field as me. I want to be a person who people remember when thinking about 3D art.
interview GABY MAWSON
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