Finalists for the 2016 International Woolmark Prize, South Korean designers Jinwoo Choi and Yeonjoo Koo are the husband-and-wife duo behind menswear label J Koo. The two met while studying menswear design at Central Saint Martins and are known for taking traditional British Savile Row tailoring and applying it to their classic-with-a-twist womenswear collections.
Since its launch in 2010, J Koo has become one of the most popular brands to show at Seoul Fashion Week, and the designers collaborated with Adidas on its spring-summer 2020 collection and were selected to be among Fashion Asia’s 10 Asian Designers to Watch last year. Here, Choi tells us all about their journey.
South Korean designer Ji Hye Koo founded her contemporary accessories brand Gu de (pronounced “good”) in 2016, and is slowly but surely racking up an impressive fanbase. Known for its minimal shapes that have a whiff of Seventies charm, the bags speak to a growing number of consumers looking for classic styles that will serve them well into the future. Koo is preparing to launch ready-to-wear next season, so fans will soon be able to wear the label head to toe. Find Gu de at Net-a-Porter, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.
How did you first realise you wanted to work in fashion?