Kimhekim marks 10 years with Milan debut, Paris milestone show
This interview series spotlights creative leaders behind Korea’s most influential brands, exploring how they are shaping the next chapter of fashion, beauty and lifestyle. – Ed.
As Kimhekim approaches its 10th anniversary, designer Kim In-te is preparing for one of the house’s most significant seasons yet — a Milan presentation followed by a milestone show in Paris.
Kim will first take part in Milan Fashion Week, scheduled from Tuesday to March 2, presenting his signature pieces at Antonioli, a prestigious Italian concept store.
“It is a meaningful chance to exhibit Kimhekim’s signature pieces at a respected space in Italy,” Kim said. “I hope this experience becomes an opportunity for the brand to take root there.”
Immediately after, the house will stage its 10th anniversary show during Paris Fashion Week, running March 2–10. The upcoming collection, he said, will add a new layer of splendor to what he calls the “Kimhekim universe,” revisiting a decade of signatures with heightened intensity.
Longtime followers, he added, will recognize both memory and novelty. “Those who have followed Kimhekim will be able to feel 10 years of memories and something new at the same time,” he said. The brand’s official website, he hinted, offers clues and a playful entry point into the season’s narrative.
At the core of the anniversary collection is a familiar source of inspiration. “Ultimately, it is myself,” Kim said. “The process of understanding and loving myself — that emotion is always the starting point of a collection.”
That inward gaze has defined Kimhekim since its founding in August 2016. For Kim, fashion began not as an abstract concept but as an embodied memory. “For me, clothing comes before ‘design’ as a ‘good memory,’” he said. As a child, he learned garment-making from his grandmother, sewing doll clothes by hand and absorbing what he describes as a quiet devotion to craft. The house’s bows, pearls and delicate handwork still carry traces of that education.
After opening showrooms in Paris and London in 2016, Kim returned to Korea in 2017. In 2019, he became the youngest Korean official member of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode and presented his first show on the official Paris calendar. A Samsung Fashion Design Fund award followed in 2020, alongside the opening of his Jongno showroom, Espace Kimhekim. The brand later established a Cheongdam flagship and earned best designer at the Korean Designer Fashion Awards in 2025.
Described as a modern reinterpretation of the decorative arts of the ancient Gaya confederacy, Kimhekim approaches tradition with restraint. “I don’t try to reproduce it as it is,” Kim said. “Rather than copying forms, I try to bring the ‘emotion’ within them.” Korean sensibilities — intentional gap, restrained elegance and a quiet yet firm dignity — are distilled into contemporary silhouettes.
That tension between minimalism and couture-level craftsmanship defines the house’s DNA. Kim attributes the balance to his decade in Paris. “I learned that philosophy matters more than trends,” he said. The city repeatedly asked him his raison d’etre, pushing him to become “more Kimhekim” rather than resemble others.
The brand’s aesthetic — concise yet poetic, feminine yet strong — also mirrors Kim’s worldview. “I believe softness and strength can coexist,” he said. He is drawn to people who are delicate but not easily shaken, quiet yet steadfast. The woman Kimhekim envisions loves herself and holds her center. “That attitude is what I consider elegance and beauty.”
His creative reach extends beyond fashion. As a collaborator on director Jung Yumi’s short animation “Glasses,” invited to the 2025 Cannes Critics’ Week, Kim described fashion shows as “a kind of cinema.” Lighting, music and movement build narrative, he said, allowing garments to live on as scenes and memories rather than products.
Looking ahead, Kim hopes to open immersive Kimhekim spaces in cities worldwide and eventually establish a foundation supporting young artists. As K-culture’s influence grows, he feels a heightened responsibility. “Now Korean sensibility is not just a trend but a standard,” he said. “That means we must tell our story with even greater sincerity.”
yoohong@heraldcorp.com
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