Can fashion be sun-powered? Korean designer Jiyong Kim found the way

When it comes to innovation in the fashion industry, the first things to come to mind tend to be 3D printing technology or how clothing can be digitised. But innovation isn’t synonymous with technology: Korean menswear designer Jiyong Kim is blazing a trail with his hand-crafted garments and novel techniques.

Kim was named one of the 20 semi-finalists for the 2024 LVMH Prize, one of five Asian designers nominated; a total of 2,500 emerging designers were entered this year. Having worked at Lemaire and Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton, the Bunka Fashion College and Central Saint Martins (CSM) graduate’s designs go beyond what meets the eye. His menswear is characterised by essential wardrobe staples based on experimental pattern-making, streetwear sensibility and functionality, and are instantly recognisable by the distinctive colours achieved through his sun-bleaching technique.

When he took part in Fashion Asia’s 10 Asian Designers to Watch exhibition in Hong Kong last year, I got to see the results of his method in person. It harnesses the power of the sun, wind and rain to achieve the desired shades in fabrics, without the use of large amounts of water and chemical dyes. 

Read more: Beyoncé wears futuristic fashion by a Hong Kong designer on ‘Renaissance’ tour