André KimFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to:
navigation,
search Andre Kim
Kim at the Seoul Drama Awards 2007 |
BornAugust 24, 1935(1935-08-24) Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea |
DiedAugust 12, 2010(2010-08-12) (aged 74) Seoul, South Korea |
NationalityKorean |
EducationKukje Fashion Design Academy Hanyeong High School |
LabelsAndre Kim |
AwardsCultural Merit Award (Italy) Presidential Culture & Art Medal MBC Honorary Award UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Hawaii's Plaque of Appreciation |
Andre Kim (August 24, 1935 – August 12, 2010) was a South Korean
fashion designer based in
Seoul, South Korea. He was known predominantly for his evening and wedding gown collections.
//
BiographyAndre Kim was born in
Goyang, Gyeonggi, Korea, as Kim Bong-nam. The son of rural farmers, Kim attended Hanyeong High School and graduated from the Kukje Fashion Design Institute.
[1]Kim’s personal life remained relatively private. He had an adopted son.
Fashion careerKim has been in fashion design since 1962. At the age of 27 he opened
Salon Andre in Sogong-dong, Central Seoul, becoming Korea’s first male fashion designer. In 1966 he became the first South Korean to hold a fashion show in
Paris. He would later go on to hold many other fashion shows in New York, Washington DC, Barcelona, Cairo, Sydney and Beijing.
[2]In 1981, Kim was selected as Chief Designer for the 1981
Miss Universe beauty pageant. In 1988, he designed the uniforms of the Korean athletes for the
1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Following this, he became a repeated invitee for occasions held by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 1997, he was presented with South Korea’s Presidential Culture and Art Medal for his contributions to the fashion industry. In 2003, he was awarded Italy’s Cultural Merit Award and was elected as
UNICEF’s
Goodwill Ambassador.
In February 2006, Kim hosted two elaborate private shows in
Hawaii called, "Fashion Fantasia in Hawaii," at the Turtle Bay Resort during the SBS Open featuring over 140 garments. Gov.
Linda Lingle and Mayor
Mufi Hannemann attended and stayed until the wedding finale, which featured seven unique gowns and a groom. The hairstyles were fashioned by Aveda Salon and Spa and Liberty Salon Hair and were in keeping with Andre Kim’s “signature style” of parted hair embellished with rows of braids wound around the models' heads.
In the first show, four LPGA players and Korean actors, Shim Jee Ho (
Stained Glass),
Kim Min Jung (
Fashion 70s), and Hawaiian favorite,
Jung Joon-ho (
The Twins,
Marrying the Mafia) modeled in Kim’s show. At the second show, hosted at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom, Kim's fashions were the centerpiece of a major fundraiser for the
University of Hawaii at Manoa of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources apparel product design and merchandising program. Kim's shows also served as part of the 20th anniversary celebration for local television station KBFD.
[3]In November 2006, Kim showcased his costumes at the Angkor Wat temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Siem, Reap, Cambodia. The show was titled “Fashion Fantasia: Angkor Watt” and was the first fashion show held with the ancient temple as a backdrop. This fashion show was part of the Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2006 that kicked off in November 2006 and ran through Jan. 9, 2007. The 50-day event was titled “Ancient Future: The Myths of the Orient” and featured exhibitions on the Khmer civilization and the Silla culture “to provide an insight into the culture of Korea and Cambodia.”
[4]; special guest models were actress
Kim Hee-sun, who starred in 2005 Hong Kong Movie
The Myth with
Jackie Chan, and actor
Kim Rae-won (
Love Story in Harvard,
Attic Cat). That same month Andre Kim also held a fashion show at Kyeongbok Palace on the 13th of 2006.
On February 10, 2007, Kim presented his menswear collection and was a celebrity judge for Manhunt International 2007 held at South Korea's Kangwonland International Convention Centre, a newly opened ski resort bidding for the next Winter Olympic Games.
[5] In March, Kim appeared in
Shanghai, China to hold a fashion show and then arrived in
Washington, D.C. on June 19, 2007 to hold a charity fashion show to benefit the UNICEF. On May 7, 2007, Kim held a fashion show at the Big Pallet Convention Center in
Koriyama,
Japan to mark the year of Korea-Japan friendship.
[1] He also designed uniforms for the
Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies in
Yongin and took a foray out of clothes into designing washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners for
Samsung.
[6] Kim also has launched lines in cosmetics, golfing goods, sunglasses, and interior design of apartments.
[7]Kim hosted at least two fashion shows during the summer of 2007. On July 12, Kim held a fashion show in
Wuxi, China at the invitation of the Wuhsi municipal government and the large shopping mall ITFM (International Textile & Fashion Megamall) to celebrate both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 15th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Korea and China. The show was the tenth Kim has held in China so far since his first in 1993 to mark the first anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The show was entitled "Four Seasons Fantasy" and showcased some 180 costumes highlighted by several themes such as "White Night," which held Kim's clothes against a snowy backdrop, and the "World's Immortal Masterpieces," which featured medieval paintings on clothes.
[8] Several Korean celebrities modeled; singers
Ivy and
Son Ho Young walked down the runway as special models, in addition to all 65 contestants of the 2007 Miss Korea Beauty Pageant.
[9] In August, Kim staged a show celebrating the opening of a large art hall at
Seoul National University.
In the fall of 2007, to celebrate the coming of the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games, upon invitation from the Chinese government, Kim presented his designs, modeled by Korean actor
Kim Rae Won, making this his second appearance on an Andre Kim fashion show, and actress
Kim Tae Hee (
Love Story in Harvard,
Stairway to Heaven), at a fashion show in
Qingdao, China in the September
[10] On September 15, 2007 a fashion show was held in
Sabuk, South Korea. On November 27, Kim held another fashion show featuring Korean actress,
Choi Ji-woo of
Stairway to Heaven and Aircity fame
[11].
On June 13, 2008, Andre Kim held a fashion show in Kyonggi-do, South Korea
[12]. Several Korean celebrities modeled including
Honey Lee, 3rd runner up in
Miss Universe 2007,
Tim, a Korean ballad singer, actress Lee Eun-sung (
Evasive Inquiry Agency,
Que Sera, Sera) and actor
Ha Seok-jin (
Hello! Miss). Interestingly, the latter two will soon be co-starring in the 2008 Korean drama, I Am Happy.
StyleThe designs of André Kim are said to "combine classical designs with futuristic elements", often resulting in distinctive designs with bold, rich colors and motifs of Asiatic patterns, often of large roses, birds, or tree branches. For his fashion shows, Kim favors white-toned settings to bring out the unusual colours of his designs.
His designs are held in high regard by Korean celebrities, and many of these celebrities model in his fashion shows. His wedding dress fashion shows are particularly renowned for showcasing famous celebrities. Kim’s fame also extends beyond Korea’s borders –
Michael Jackson once asking him to be his personal designer. However, Kim declined stating his clothes were for everyone.
[2]Kim has said, "Fashion should portray grace, intellect, artistic beauty, and youthful energy. Not too classic. I don't like 'old.' Even though I was born in 1935, I don't feel my age. I feel like a teenager who is 10 or 15 or 20 years old in a fairy tale, a fantasy, young and brilliant."
DeathHe died on August 12, 2010 due to
pneumonia and
colorectal cancer at age 74.
The Korean press described his death as a loss of a Korean fashion icon.
[13] HonorsChief designer of the 1981 Miss Universe beauty pageant
- Italy's Cultural Merit Award, 1982
- Presidential Culture & Art Medal, 1997
- France's Art and Literature medal, 2000
- MBC Honorary Award, 2000
- UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, 2003
- Honorable Ambassador at GwanGju, 2004
- Plaque of Appreciation from the Honolulu, Hawaii's Gov. Linda Lingle, 2006
- Official fashion designer of Manhunt International, 2007
- Mentioned in H20, a manhwa by Hwang Sook Ji
External links References
<LI id=cite_note-english.kbs.co.kr-0>^ a b Endless Pursuit of Creativity (KBS Global) 2007
<LI id=cite_note-koreafocus.or.kr-1>^ a b The ‘Andre Kim Effect’ (Korea Focus) April 27, 2006
<LI id=cite_note-nytimes.com-2>^ A Longtime Shepherd of Korean Fashion (New York Times) September 15, 2007
<LI id=cite_note-3>^ First fashion Show at Angkor Wat(Korea Herald) December 12, 2006
<LI id=cite_note-4>^ Andre Kim – The Designer Extraordinaire (Manhunt International) 2007
<LI id=cite_note-5>^ Glam Up With A Gilded Washing Machine (Scifi Tech) February 2, 2007
<LI id=cite_note-6>^ The ‘Andre Kim Effect’ (Korea Focus) April 27, 2006.
<LI id=cite_note-7>^ Korean Fashion Gains Popularity in China (KBS Global) July 13, 2007
<LI id=cite_note-8>^ Designer Andre Kim to Hold a Fashion Show in China (KBS Global) June 21, 2007
<LI id=cite_note-9>^ Andre Kim to Hold Fashion Show in Beijing (KBS Global) July 16, 2007
<LI id=cite_note-10>^ Choi Ji-woo catwalk | Yummy! Celebrities and Entertainment News
<LI id=cite_note-11>^ Andre Kim June 2008 Fashion Show (Newsen) June 13, 2008
- ^ "Korea's premier fashion icon Andre Kim leaves lasting legacy". Korea Times. 2010-08-12. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/08/113_71362.html.
Retrieved from "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Kim"