By Honorary Reporter Fetty Asihta Kencana Putri from Indonesia
Photos = Hwang Leesle

At Salam Seoul Festival on May 3 at downtown Seoul's Cheonggye Plaza, Hanbok (traditional clothing) appeared not only as a traditional fashion style but also a bridge between Korea and Middle Eastern cultures. Leesle, a contemporary Hanbok brand named after the designer Hwang Leesle, displayed its creations at the event, which featured a mix of Hanbok and the Muslim head covering hijab.

As a Muslim who loves Hanbok, I was so captivated by Leesle's beautiful but modest Hanbok creations that I conducted an email interview with Hwang on May 8.

She has designed Hanbok for 17 years in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, a city famous for tradition. Starting with traditional, she eventually sought to globalize Hanbok and now focuses on styles that fuse modern features with traditional elements.

Hanbok designer Hwang Leesle (middle) and models on May 3 wear her creations at Salam Seoul Festival in Seoul's Cheonggye Plaza.

Hwang said she heard that many Muslim tourists in Korea suffer inconvenience because of culturally incompatible food and experiences. The festival sought to allow tourists and Hallyu fans from Middle Eastern and other Muslim countries to experience Korean culture in a better way. "I wanted to express cultural respect through my clothes," she said. "Some of my favorite fans of my brand are from Morocco, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia."

Leesle's Hanbok headscarves and accessories are displayed at Salam Seoul Festival.

To gain deeper understanding of incorporating her work with Middle Eastern fashion, Hwang got help from fellow Korean designer Choi Yoon-sun, who is based in Indonesia. "We changed all designs to modest silhouettes that cover the hands and feet and padded short skirts and made them see through," Hwang said. "We eliminated animal patterns commonly shown in Hanbok such as dragons, phoenixes, cranes and deer in favor of plant patterns." 

She also said Korean and Middle Eastern fashion have similarities in being both modest and diverse.

Hwang Leesle (center) appears at a talk event of Salam Seoul Festival.

The designer's key message to Hallyu fans was respect, saying respect, caring and understanding of other cultures are crucial to expanding cultural exchange and communication. Though Muslim fashion remains unfamiliar in Korea, she said her Hanbok creations can raise understanding of Muslim culture and countries. 

"I think fashion makes it possible to have a conversation regardless of nationality even if we have different cultures," she added.

msjeon22@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.