Born in South Korea, Dahee Kim sent a message through her Central Saint Martin bachelor of arts graduate collection that many of her generational peers can surely relate to. Repping for young humans who feel like they’re carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, Kim has created garments that provide a soft resting place when the struggle that is life becomes too much to bear and one needs to take a moment to rest.
Reflecting the unusual place the world is in right now, the six looks Kim created were born outside of the schools studio space, which students were told to vacate sometime in March. While deprived of access to high-priced equipment, the community of classmates and the guidance of teachers, Kim was also able to create without judgement, enabling her to create a capsule sublimely crystallizing the moment.
Asked about the roots of her collection, Kim told i-D, “Growing up in South Korea, students have to comply with strict rules and standardized acts at school. They can’t express themselves visually. A perfect example is the Korean school uniform, there are strict rules on skirt lengths and customization, for example. For my collection, I drew inspiration from the abandonment of those rules, celebrating self-representation and individuality.
“While making it, I was quite self-conscious about a few things: Is this too big? Is this too ridiculous? But I was able to work with joy and confidence when I realized that it wasn’t about making a collection for other people. It was about showing who I am at the moment. If I can be honest about that, it’s a great starting point for respecting others and who they are, too.”
In place of Central Saint Martin’s bachelor of arts show, Kim and her classmates were each tasked with creating a 20-second video which were compiled into a digital presentation. Check out Kim’s visual below.
