By Honorary Reporter Vish Koneru from India

Photo = Jaybaek Couture, Flicker

Jay Baek and his brand Jaybaek Couture are behind the customized fashion of many Hallyu celebrities like Cha Eun-woo, Park Bo-gum, Hyun Bin and Park Seo-joon in addition to K-pop stars like BTS, EXO, Shinee, GOT7 and BLACKPINK. 

Born Baek Ji-hun, the designer is said to have had an innocent personality in high school but began making clothes and worked in fashion from an early age. His friends kept asking him to launch his own brand, and in 2012, he opened Jaybaek Couture. Despite being relatively young, the brand is now one of the most sought after in the country.

His fashion creations are used by many celebrities and his brand has designed attire for people attending prestigious awards events at home and abroad like the Grammys and the Cannes Film Festival. 

The following are excerpts from an interview with the designer.

What is the inspiration for your designs?
People I meet in my life, architecture, flowers, sea and mountains, music and dance, and so on. (I'm) inspired by beautiful things that I see like stuff from nature and Mother Earth.

Where do you think your fashion sense came from?
My mother used to have a dressing room when I was young. More than anything, I like to touch fabrics, look at buttons and collect them. What my mother made looked so beautiful and enjoyable. When I was a teenager, I dreamed of becoming a person who makes clothes.

Many Korean actors and K-pop acts use your brand's designs to attend awards events at home and abroad. What do you think of that?
Jaybaek Couture makes dresses and tuxedos. I've admired people who wear dresses and tuxedos since childhood and continued to work on them after launching my brand. I'm focusing on this genre, so maybe that's why many stars look to us.

How do you tailor a design for a celebrity?
I'm a couture designer, so I get to meet every customer. This is how I get inspiration -- from people I see. My inspiration for every design always depends on where they wear it.

Which design is the most special to you?
Jaybaek Couture continues to be popular for men's and women's wear, suits and coats. Every year, more customers like suits and coats featuring new designs and fabrics.

On the outfits you made for the Grammys, how did you feel about designing for such a prestigious event?
BTS is one of our customers. I was incredibly happy to announce that the group wore Jaybaek Couture suits to a big awards ceremony. I tried to put a modern silhouette in a classic tuxedo. Each member has his own personality, so slightly different designs and materials were put into each outfit.

What is the key element you look for when designing an outfit?
The most important element is the harmony between a person and clothing. Everyone has his or her individual charm. I'm the type who looks for charm in clothes.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.