The Korean Cultural Centre in London on Sept. 27 will open the event "Hanbok Fashion Show, Hanbok Wave." Shown is figure skating icon Kim Yuna wearing a Hanbok outfit that she helped design that will appear at the event. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

By Yoon Sojung

The traditional clothing Hanbok is being featured in a fashion show in the U.K. featuring designs that figure skating icon Kim Yuna helped develop.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will open on Sept. 27 "Hanbok Fashion Show, Hanbok Wave" at the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in London jointly with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation and the KCC. 

This show is part of a project to jointly plan and develop Hallyu-related content with the Hanbok industry so that the Hanbok sector can enter overseas markets through collaboration with Hallyu figures in culture and arts. 

Kim took part in the design of the outfits and photo shoots, with 10 domestic Hanbok companies producing 60 outfits highlighting her unique traits. The show will display 30 of them.

After the event ends, a video of the festival will be shown on the website of Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The museum, the world's largest for decorative arts and design, is hosting the exhibition "Hallyu! The Korean Wave" (https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/hallyu-the-korean-wave).

A video of Kim wearing Hanbok outfits will be also available on the homepage of the French-language edition of the famous French-British fashion magazine Marie Claire (www.marieclarie.fr).  

The video will be shown at year's end on the electronic billboard Broadway Plaza Digital at Times Square of New York.

Kim Hyeju, director of the ministry's Traditional Culture Division, said, "The words 'Hanbok' and 'Hallyu' are listed in the British Oxford Dictionary, thus global interest in our traditional clothing is increasing thanks to (Korean) pop culture," adding, "I hope that this event featuring Kim Yuna gets more people to show off Hanbok's charm and helps Hanbok-sector companies expand throughout the world."

arete@korea.kr