[INTERVIEW] Meet the creator of traditional jewelry for 'Mr. Queen'

Actress Shin Hye-sun, left, is seen wearing a phoenix "binyeo," or hairpin, while Seol In-ah is seen wearing a lovebird "binyeo" in "Mr. Queen." Courtesy of tvN

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Popular movies and TV dramas influence and even set new trends. Recent period dramas such as Netflix's Joseon Kingdom zombie series "Kingdom" to tvN's fantasy historical drama "Mr. Queen" have sparked viewers' interest in costumes and jewelry that are both historically authentic and imbibed with new creative twists.

Following the success of "Mr. Queen" that ended with its highest viewership rating of 17.4 percent in February, KBS2's "River Where the Moon Rises" set in the ancient Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) is on a roll despite changing its lead actor from Jisoo to Na In-woo.

Jisoo, who played the role of Ondal in the series, was forced out of the cast following recent accusations that he was a school bully.

Kim Soung-eun, a jewelry designer and owner of NASCHENKA, whose items appeared in more than 70 period dramas and movies including "Kingdom," "Mr. Queen" and "River Where the Moon Rises," explained that jewelry seen throughout period dramas is not simply a visual treat. Rather, each item reveals the character's identity and social status.

In "Mr. Queen," actress Shin Hye-sun stars as Queen Cheorin in the mid-19th century of the Joseon Kingdom. To signify her royal status, she customarily wears a phoenix "binyeo," or hairpin. In contrast, Seol In-ah, who stars as Jo Hwa-jin (King Cheoljong's concubine), is seen wearing a lovebird binyeo.

"In the Joseon Kingdom, it was common for queens and princesses to wear a phoenix binyeo. Royal concubines, on the other hand, wore a lovebird binyeo," Kim said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

"In the drama, there is a scene where Jo Hwa-jin suddenly appears wearing a phoenix binyeo. That signifies her ambition, desire and struggle for power."

Actress Kim So-hyun is seen wearing a peony blossom-shaped crown in "River Where the Moon Rises." Courtesy of KBS

In "River Where the Moon Rises," Kim designed the gold, peony blossom-shaped crown for actress Kim So-hyun, playing the leading role of the ambitious Princess Pyeonggang who dreams of becoming the first woman to lead her kingdom. In Korea, the peony traditionally symbolizes wealth, honor and high position. The flower was also deemed to be a symbol of peace and stability.

"The jewelry of Goguryeo Kingdom include some unique features: they are mostly gold plated, splendid and elaborate," Kim said.

The designer generally rents out different jewelry items to producers and filmmakers, but she occasionally designs new jewelry for characters in the series upon request. For instance, she made "sangtugwan," or the small crown used to protect the topknot, for lead actor Park Bo-gum in KBS2's "Love in the Moonlight" in 2016.

"I tried to express the tenacity and sheer grit of the young king through the crown. I remember spending the entire summer making it. On average, it takes about 20-30 days to make a single sangtugwan. It was really interesting for me to be able to delve into it deeper as a designer," she said.

Kim picked MBC's period drama "The Great Queen Seondeok" (2009) as her proudest accomplishment because Go Hyun-jung, who starred as ambitious and charismatic Mishil, wore jewelry pieces that stand out on screen.

The 62-episode series revolves around the power struggle between respected Queen Seondeok (played by Lee Yo-won), the first female ruler in Korean history, and her rival Mishil who dreams of becoming queen herself. Although Lee was the heroine in the drama, Go stole the spotlight as a beautiful yet ruthless woman who stops at nothing to get her way.

Actor Ju Ji-hoon is seen wearing "sangtugwan," or the small crown used to protect the topknot, in a poster for Netflix's "Kingdom" Season 2. Courtesy of Netflix

The jewelry designer hinted that her creations will be featured in Netflix's "Kingdom: Ashin of the North," a spin-off of "Kingdom" starring actress Jun Ji-hyun.

She designed Prince Lee Chang's (Ju Ji-hoon) sangtugwan in "Kingdom" Season 2 and rented out several other ornamental hairpins and chignon ornaments for actresses.

"In 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North,' our jewelry will be worn only by supporting actresses. The production team informed me that the special episode won't have many scenes in which characters wear fancy costumes and accessories. I hope actor Ju wears our sangtugwan again in the third installment," she said.

Kim shared a fun, behind-the-scenes story about collaborating with Netflix. "I initially declined Netflix's request because back in 2018, neither the zombie genre nor Netflix were popular in Korea. But I changed my mind at the last minute, which turned out to be a wise decision," she said.

Kim explained that she fell in love with traditional Korean jewelry after realizing the timeless beauty of gem stones like jade, coral, amber and amethyst.

"Aesthetically, traditional Korean jewelry in general is quite simple and has natural feeling. It's less showy compared to fine jewelry, such as diamonds," she said.

Out of a wide selection of jewelry, Kim said her favorite is "norigae," a traditional Korean ornament that is hung from a woman's traditional "hanbok" dress. "It's soothing and quietly beautiful," she said.

BTS member Suga is seen wearing "sangtugwan," or the small crown used to protect the topknot, in "Daechwita" music video. Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

The designer expressed hope that traditional jewelry will suit not only Koreans but people in other parts of the world as well. To appeal to consumers in their 20s and 30s, Kim aims to produce binyeo that blend centuries-old traditions with modern elements. For instance, hairpins are made using various materials such as gold, silver, pearl, jade or bamboo, and can be crafted in many different shapes.

Furthermore, she said she wishes to partner with K-pop stars and luxury brands to promote the beauty of Korean traditional jewelry. In fact, she designed the sangtugwan that BTS member Suga wore in the "Daechwita" music video.

"I'd love to design hairpins for BLACKPINK and collaborate with global luxury brands to show how tradition and modernity can be combined in perfect harmony," she said.