Needlework

Kim In-ja shows how to make “hanbok,” or traditional Korean dresses, in her workshop in Seoul. / Korea Times photos by Choi Won-suk

Aritsan pursues simplicity in traditional attire

This is the last in a series of 38 interview articles on Korean traditional masters that began in January. — ED.

By Chung Ah-young

There is a striking photo of renowned Italian designer Mario Bellini posing with his arms stretched in front of “hanbok” masterpieces created by designer Suh Young-hee and three other sewing masters, including Kim In-ja.

The collaborative works on traditional Korean attire turned into a modern, chic work of art, which was displayed at an exhibition titled “Constancy and Change in Korean Traditional Craft 2013” at the Milan International Furniture Fair in Italy. The hanbok masterpieces immediately caught the eyes of the fair visitors.

“It was a turning point for me to think about my career as a sewing master,” Kim recalled in an interview with The Korea Times.

Kim, a “chimseonjang” or sewing master, learned traditional sewing techniques from the late Jung Jeong-wan, who became the first master in needlework in 1988.

Traditional craftsmen find it hard to collaborate with contemporary artists, as they tend to think doing so would compromise their tradition’s integrity. But for Kim, collaborating is a challenge and at the same time the direction to go.

“It was not difficult to collaborate with other artists once we reached an agreement on how we present our work. Then, everything went smoothly,” she said.

The installation that displayed a few pieces of hanbok in a layered way showed the possibility of creating a modern work of art from Korean traditional attire. It became a huge sensation, as it showed that Korean craftwork can be developed as new, hybrid forms of cultural representation.

“I am always open to the new ideas of young artists because we traditional artisans are usually not aware of what’s going on out there. Their young and fresh ideas always inspire me to advance my artistic skills and ideas,” she said.

Kim’s open-minded approach reflects her forward-looking insights on finding a niche in the global market. Since holding her first hanbok exhibition in 1998, she has held more exhibitions in other countries, including Hungary and Myanmar, to promote the beauty of traditional Korean costumes.

In the past, needlework was an integral part of Korean women's daily life, as they use it to make their family’s clothes. That is no longer the case today, when ready-made Western-style garments are easily available. Traditional clothing is sought only by a handful of older Koreans nowadays and is considered haute couture for special occasions.

“The purposes of needlework have changed as times went by. We should strike a balance between traditional integrity and modern insights,” she said.

Simplicity in traditional attire

Kim excels in highly refined stitching and a distinctive sense of simplicity and elegance, characteristics that perfectly suit modern tastes.

“If you look at an old woman wearing ramie hanbok in the summer, you might admire the beauty of simplicity. Simplicity is the best virtue of the hanbok, I think,” she said.

The artisan said when she was young, she was obsessed with flamboyant and exuberant patterns on fabrics.

“But as I get older, I find out that I was never tired of simple designs because they make the wearers look elegant and graceful,” she said.

Wearing an ivory white “jeogori” or jacket and a violet “chima” or skirt, Kim herself is the picture of elegance.

However, she said the current trend of excessively modernized or modified traditional costumes is inevitable in popularizing the hanbok.

“When it comes to the modified hanbok, I would say it is like the growth process from a child to an adult. I mean that modern people can first savor the modernized hanbok, which is an easy and convenient look, and then try to understand the originality of the hanbok. It should be done step-by-step,” she said.

Needlework: More than stitching

Kim said traditional costumes are key to understanding the core of the nation’s culture. However, such costumes have recently started fading from people’s daily lives. Nowadays, machine sewing has replaced hand stitching, and thus, many people hand stitching is unnecessary in this modern era, when high-tech gadgets abound.

“Machine sewing does not rival hand stitching. This job has made me very attached to stitching by hand. It’s addictive,” she said.

When she was honing her skills early in her career, she stitched for hours after closing her shop, as the time was solely her own. “I was happy when stitching. I was excited at practicing the sewing techniques,” she said.

Hanbok exude different charms depending on the textile they are made of, such as silk, cotton, ramie and hemp. The choice of thread also varies depending on the fiber content, color and thickness of the fabric; the cotton thread is most often chosen.

Among the essential stitching techniques are basting and hem, back, top, overcast, catch and blind stitching, each of which is intended for specific purpose. The sewing techniques used vary according to the season the garment is intended to be worn. Summer clothes are usually unlined and have thinner and narrower seams, unlike spring or fall clothes. Winter clothes were often stuffed with cotton for extra warmth.

In the past, clothing was created based on rules of thumb because there was no system or guidelines for tailoring or dressmaking that were just handed down from generation to generation. To address this issue, Kim has set up a system for teaching and designing in tune with Korean tradition. She wants to help ordinary people easily learn her skills.

“I make the patterns for traditional clothing for students and restore historical costumes. I am doing these so that our descendants can make the clothes more easily,” she said.

Who is Kim In-ja?

Kim was born in 1955 in Seoul. She began learning how to sew in the 1980s from the late master Jung Jeong-wan, who became the first master in needlework in 1988. She opened her own workshop in the same year.

She held her first exhibition in Paris in 1998, displaying some 60 pieces of hanbok and creating interest in the hanbok’s beauty around the world. She has since exhibited her work in other countries. She has tailored hanbok for various dignitaries and celebrities.

Kim currently operates her own workshop, Dangchomun, in Bukchon, Seoul.

What is ‘chimseonjang’?

“Chimseonjang” indicates needlework masters who make clothes.

According to evidences found in the Goguryeo tomb murals and “Samguksagi,” or “History the Three Kingdoms,” needlework skills reached a high level of sophistication.

The needlework skills were handed down through the Goryeo and Joseon eras and to the present day.

Sewing techniques were used differently according to the season. Summer clothes have usually unlined, thinner and narrower seams while winter clothes were stuffed with cotton for providing warmth.

Sewing tradition, however, has been on the verge of disappearance due to the introduction of sewing machines and other devices.