Honorary Reporter Minnath Azeez from Sri Lanka

Photos = Eun Young Lee

Trained at the Kensington and Chelsea College in London, Eun Young Lee began her journey in hat design with a simple millinery course she took one summer to make a gift for her mother. Through the course, she discovered a passion for working with her hands and creating new things.

She studied fashion management and marketing in Japan and spent time in the industry, but later switched careers and worked with professional milliners in the U.K. and the Netherlands. Many of her designs have been showcased at London Hat Week and received honors at competitions in Germany, Korea and the U.K. She moved back to Korea after finishing college and working for a while in London.

Eun Young Lee graduated from Kensington and Chelsea College in London.

The following are excerpts from an interview with her.

How do hats accentuate a woman's beauty?
I think that in essence, a well-designed hat expresses a certain individuality. My hats make women's beauty more elegant and strong. My creations strive to convey both the soft touch and strong power of women in one piece.

This Hanji hat earned the designer an award at the National Korean Paper Craft Contest.

In Korea, how are hats perceived today compared to those worn in the past?
Hats and hat and hairpieces are an important part of Korean culture. In the past, almost everyone wore something on their head or in their hair based on their work or social status. Nowadays, Koreans are hat lovers as they like to express themselves and show others who they are and how they see themselves. To me, the old patterns and shapes of gat (traditional men's hat) and other hat pieces are an enormous source of inspiration for me to show Korean culture to the world.

This headpiece was inspired by a water lily.

Why have you used Hanji (traditional paper) as a material in many of your designs?
When I was in college in London, I wanted to use Korean materials and shapes in my graduation collection. During vacation, I returned to Korea to learn about Hanji, going to many museums and several workshops.

The reason I love Hanji is that it has no limits in shape and is strong, light and easy to handle. It can be made waterproof, which is an excellent quality in making unique hats.

Eun Young Lee poses with a model of one of her headpieces at the 2019 London Hat Week. 

What projects are you working on now?

I'm learning macrame and traditional Korean knot crafts. Together with Hanji, I wish to create new patterns and shapes. I'm also preparing new collections using these crafts through fusing traditional Korean culture with modern art. I hope to share more of my motherland's creativity with the world. 

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.