Think hanbok isn't sexy? Think again

A 23-year-old designer wants to change the idea of the Korean dress

By Jung Min-ho

Sexiness is not a word many people would associate with hanbok, the traditional Korean garment. A 23-year-old fashion designer wants to challenge the stereotype.

Choi CNe, CEO and designer of Siotproject, a two-year-old startup, said she wants to change the idea of hanbok so that more people would appreciate and enjoy its beauty. Injecting sex appeal into the dress is only a part of the big plan.

“Hanbok is trapped in the old idea of what it should look like, which makes people reluctant to even try it in the first place,” she said in an interview. “Hanbok needs to keep evolving to stay relevant and expand. I mean, what’s the point if people don’t wear it anymore?”

Many people think a female hanbok must consist of a long skirt and a short upper garment with curvy sleeves because that was the typical form during the Joseon era (1392-1910).

“But hanbok existed long before the Joseon era and it did not look the same,” she said. “I do not understand why some people are obsessed with Joseon-style hanbok.”

Over the past two years, Choi has become famous for her unique style with bold colors and fabrics that have never been traditionally used for hanbok.

Over the years, she has tried various styles and found that a sexy style is what she does best.

As a girl, Choi had a flair for making things, and she loved it, partly because her parents were generous with the compliments.

Her life changed forever when she visited Seoul’s Dongdaemun Market with her friend at 13. There, she saw, for the first time, clothes of so many different colors and styles and people who seemed passionate about their work. “I want to be one of them someday. That’s what I thought at that time,” she said.

Throughout her middle and high school years, she never stopped making clothes. But even then, she did not think it would be possible to make money by designing and making clothes.

After graduating high school, she thought about getting a job ― whatever it was ― to help her parents who were barely making a living, but she changed her mind after her parents encouraged her to study more.

She studied fashion design for two more years at Inha Technical College and she got her first job at a company that makes curtains. “The job was basically moving and cutting curtains for the whole day, which was very different from what I thought it would be. So I quit after the first month.”

With 1.65 million won ($1,500), her first (and last) paycheck, Choi bought a sewing machine and fabrics and started making hanboks at home. This was the beginning of her business.

Since she became famous, people often ask her what her dream was. “My dream was to be able to communicate with people through my clothes as designer. That dream never changed and has already come true,” she said.