Graduated from Esmod Seoul in 1992 Juun.J began his career as a designer for “Chiffons” followed by design director for Club Monaco” and “NIX”. In 1999 he launched his brand “Lone Costume” and has shown it during the Seoul Fashion Week ever since. He has also collaborated several times with the Japanese artist Nuts and the English artist Simon Henwood. In July 2007 he will show his collection during the Official Schedule of the Men's Fashion Week in Paris for the first time. Juun.J likes to create new silhouettes and garments from an overlapping of items and silhouette to silhouette all of which dramatically conflict with each other. Shirts and cardigans, knit sleeved jackets and knitwear are overlapping each other and newly born as different items. Juun.J basic design concept is Classic & Tailoring. I like to mix and transform classic items with street fashion. For his Winter 07-08 collection Juun.J mixes in an atypical way some chic & classic moods with street wear. He then creates the street tailoring..
FilepMotwary: Can a menswear designer be inspired by women?
JuunJ:Of course. I get inspired by actresses like Charlotte Gainsbourg or the editor of Pop magazine, Katie Grand. And I want to dress the fashionable cool ladies whom I can see on Street. When I design, I use a lot of female fabrics to design men’s wear. So in my next 09’ 10’ F/W Collection, you can find how women’s silhouette is used in men’s wear.
FilepMotwary: Your work focuses on a very specific body type, your presentations also. Is this the clientele you want to approach?
JuunJ:I focus on body itself a lot. I think the cloth is like very much like building architecture on human’s body. No matter how skinny, or overweight size, bringing out the silhouette of the body is my main work.
FilepMotwary: How different is showing your work in Seoul compared to showing your work in Paris?
JuunJ:Work in Seoul is just an extension of work from Paris. Since I’m based in Seoul, Korea, I design, and produce all the collection back here. But, I’m working on the local brand “Lone Costume” only in Seoul, Korea. I want to develop this local brand as the second brand of “Juun.J”.
FilepMotwary: Is technology important for you. Do you think the internet has enough power to change the Fashion industry and the way it functions?
JuunJ:Technology is very important for me. Technology in fashion effects in fabrics, materials, techniques, and visuals and so on, as a fashion designer, I’m very sensitive about it. For Internet, it is very convenient for me to find and work on information, trading, market research, customer’s needs, and etc. But it should be only used to look for information only. Because by using the internet, the problems in fashion as well as other areas are caused in negative ways rather than the positive ways. Fake fashion and wrong ideas of fashion field are one kind of examples. In my opinion, the cloth means you need to wear it yourself and feel the fabric is very crucial and it is a manner towards the designers who have created fashion.
FilepMotwary: How do you absorb cultural information? You come from Korea which has quite a heavy history and culture, yet your work is very European. Do you agree on this?
JuunJ:Most of the outfits I work on are western clothes. And most of the people now wear them. I do not try so hard to express oriental looks, or Korean looks at all. However, some people tell me that they can see the Asian silhouettes in my collections. For me, I embrace all kind of cultures, and information, no matter where are from. It doesn’t really matter. I think when designers talk about themselves, they, most of the designers should be international designers instead of saying where they are from. Not only in fashion field but as well as other industries too.
FilepMotwary: What is the greatest privilege of being a young, fresh-starting designer, compared to what you are now, a few years later from your stardom?
JuunJ:Most of the designers influence each other. If there’s a designer that is compared with me, it is accepted as sharing same sensitivity together no matter if they are new comers, or senior designers. It is same as like “Helmut Lang” being my hero.
FilepMotwary: In previews collections plus the new for Summer 2009, you have the tendency to present clothes with “extended” clothing parts (extra sleeves, collars…). How did you decide to follow this path?
JuunJ:The concept of this season was “The Strip of Moebius”. For example, there’s no differences between in and out, totally two different cloth becoming one item, as well as half of two different things becoming one, and so on… Maybe these things can be very awkward cloth. However, when it is worn and beautiful, that cloth can be a perfect figure on human’s body. For me, instead of changing few details on one item, I prefer creating a total new cool item.
FilepMotwary: What is your idea of an important achievement?
JuunJ:Difference in point of view.
FilepMotwary: What was the last think you learned?
JuunJ:The last thing that I learned is hand made knitting.
FilepMotwary: How was your experience in Athens during the 8th Hellenic Fashion Week?
JuunJ:It was very cultural and liberal but very different fashion week from Paris. There were fewer criticisms from journalists than Paris and people were just enjoying fashion itself just like a festival
FilepMotwary: What are you afraid as a designer? How do you personally cope with this Financial Crisis wave? Has it affected you so far? What do you think for the future?
JuunJ:Mostly being afraid as a designer is getting older. Of course, your skills in techniques are more mature than before. Your sensitivity and emotions get older as well at the same time. Because at the moment, I think it is the best time for me as a designer to work world wide. For sure, there’s a direct connection in financial crisis wave to me. At present in Korea, we are going through one of the hardest time of all due to high oil prices as well as high exchange rates. However, this problem can come back at any time at any where. So one way for me, as a designer to get through this matter, I need to run the business within my power and finances, use full potential and not be greedy at all.
FilepMotwary: What is teamwork for you? How does the JUUN J studio work? What is the philosophy behind JUUN J.?
JuunJ:Team work for me is motive power. Without them, there’s no Juun.J. At the moment, I’m working with 3 assistant designers and with 1 international marketing manager.
FilepMotwary: What is your choice of music?
JuunJ:I don’t have specific choices in music. Recently, I have been sponsoring an orchestra from orphanage centre called “House of Boys” in Korea. All the boys in orchestra are orphans, and they are all very talented in music. Their ages are from 11 to 18 years old. Their performances are wonderful and beautiful at the same time. Few days ago, they collaborated with one of the famous conductor, “Myung-hoon Jung”. I have created their uniform for the performances as little gifts to them. I believe it is a chance given by God to share my talent to one another. These days, I’m into their performances.
Note: The interview is part of ISTEROGRAFO FASHION issue number 5, coming out on January 4th as part of PHILELEFTHEROS Cyprus.
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Thanks a lot for the interview! i love juun.j.
all the best in 2009, too
regards
jean
Posted by: JeAN | December 29, 2008 at 11:26