In our latest In Conversation we speak with Dohun Kim of Andersson Bell, a designer who’s own intuition has guided him throughout his entire career.
Prior to working with clothes, Kim was just an undergrad student trying to pick a major like everyone else. Never one to stick around when uninterested, he set his sights on studying fashion. After graduating, he landed an internship at a corporate fashion brand and within one year, he realized that for his design dreams to come true he would have to start his own label. And so he did.
Birthed out of a practice of introspection, Andersson Bell has made a mark for bridging inspirations from opposite ends of the spectrum. From combining Scandinavian and Korean influences to a more gender neutral approach, finding beauty in unfamiliar points of view is what shapes the world of Andersson Bell. As the brand grows, Dohun continues to explore the collisions of Western and Korean cultures through his own lens. With layers of details and nuances to unpack through each piece and the brand’s collections as a whole , we are more than excited to introduce the brand's SS ‘23 collection.
Stick around to learn more about Dohun’s inspirational point of view when it comes to pursuing passion, what informs his brand’s aesthetic, how to achieve true originality, and much more.
Q: How did you get your start in the clothing industry and how did it lead to Andersson Bell?
A: I studied a total of four majors during my university time. When I was 20 years old, I went to a university and studied in the urban development department, then changed to another school. There I studied in the fashion design department and moved to another department to learn acting & directing. After that, I moved to another university and majored in fashion business. It's not graduate school, it's all undergraduate.
With these experiences of moving my majors, I learned about myself. I was a person who decides right away to do something new when something gets boring.
After that, I worked as an intern at a corporate fashion brand in Korea for a year and started Andersson Bell right away. Making my own label felt more appropriate and could help me show my design faster to the world.
Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of Andersson Bell?
A: The beauty that Andersson Bell seeks has a little bit unusual point of view. Sometimes the spark that happens when you combine the opposites, which are foreign in comparison, is our aesthetics. It's an unexpected beauty.
When we make something, we combine the opposite into one. With this process, we create our own unique originality. Now, Andersson Bell’s inspiration is not just limited to Scandinavia but is influenced by various cultures.
Q: Your brand combines inspiration from Korean and Scandinavian culture, what does each one bring to the brand? How are they similar? Different?
A: Korea and Scandinavia have very different cultures. The weather, people, vibrations, and population are contrasting cultural features that lie in opposite directions.
When we make something, we combine the opposite into one. With this process, we create our own unique originality. Now, Andersson Bell’s inspiration is not just limited to Scandinavia but is influenced by various cultures.
Q: What drew you to Scandinavian culture as a muse?
A: My first trip to Europe was to Sweden. To me, the country showed a very different vibe from Korea. I found many different things in Sweden attractive. If Seoul is a busy, dynamic, and fast city, everything was the opposite.
After traveling there and returning to Seoul, I had a strong desire to make something. I wanted to create something new by using my Korean POV, by using the influences I got from my Europe trip.
Q: When creating a new collection, where does it begin – on paper with sketches? Inspiration from people on the street, movies, a feeling?
A: Our designer team sketches collections by referring to my direction, and as I said before, I do sampling while combining the exact opposite things.
I basically like 70-90's rock music and modern art. I love the collision of Western culture with my Korean perspective. Recent collections have been created under the influence of Cindy Sherman and Jonathan Green.
Q: The way your brand uses texture seems to transcend into a world of storytelling, narratives, and expression. How important are the materials you choose - and how they interact - in each collection?
A: When making Andersson Bell's clothes, the most important point is the material. If the material is unique, the design and idea just come out. There are more cases where materials are first collected and then design is applied, than when designing comes first. I find it very boring to use materials that all brands often use.
Q: How about cut/ silhouette?
A: After thinking about which people would like to wear it comes first. The cut varies from outfit to outfit.
I basically like 70-90's rock music and modern art. I love the collision of Western culture with my Korean perspective. Recent collections have been created under the influence of Cindy Sherman and Jonathan Green.
I usually design Anderson Bell's clothes by thinking of people who are genderless and don’t seek a normal life because they follow their hearts.
Q: Do you design for a particular person in mind?
A: I usually design Andersson Bell's clothes by thinking of people who are genderless and don’t seek a normal life because they follow their hearts. For example, if you were looking for a less feminine but more neutral-featured & cool dress, you would definitely like Andersson Bell.
Q: There is a dreaminess to your lookbooks, which often includes eccentric set pieces or fantasy-like aspects. How do your designs inform this kind of world you want to present?
A: I would like to show my design not just by showing products, but as an image! In a total a fantasy world. I always want to express the phenomenon of collision when opposite cultures are combined in one image.
Q: We are so excited to have a collection of Andersson Bell , how would you describe the pieces we’re carrying from you guys?
A: For modern people who live every day meaninglessly without feeling sad or happy, Andersson Bell will be the starting point where you can have a different day.
Q: What is inspiring you professionally right now? Personally?
A: The more I do my collection, the more I want to start with something more personal. I'm trying to ask myself deeper questions every day, about what truly means to me. Doing something very personal is the most original.
