During Paris Fashion Week Concept Korea spotlighted three rising forces in Korean fashion made up of KIMHĒKIM, RE RHEE, and BONBOM at the iconic Palais de Tokyo. The long-running initiative supports the global expansion of Korean designers. This season, the program once again highlighted the growing impact of K-fashion with RE RHEE and BONBOM delivering a joint runway show.
Backstage, photographer Thomas Lizzi captured the atmosphere behind the scenes, where we also had the chance to speak with the designer Jo Bonbom behind BONBOM about the ideas driving the collection.
First of all, you are no stranger to Paris. One of your first jobs was as a pattern-cutting intern at Y/Project under designer Glenn Martens. You returned home to develop and launch your brand. What made you decide to show in Paris?
Ever since I want to be a designer, when I was around fourteen and fifteen years old, I always desired to do a show in Paris because I admired the designers that showed here. For example, Alexander McQueen, it was him who got me interested when he was showing here. Ever since him, I wanted to do a show in Paris.
You actually started out in Paris, so when you are back, what’s your favorite thing to do in France?
I come to Paris four times a year to do the showroom and for the runway. I’m showing women’s today, but I have a showroom during men’s as well, so I’m here quite often! It feels like my second city. Theres one hotel called Zoku in the seventeenth arrondissement and it feels like home to me, Paris is a new home for me.
You are showing with the incubator Concept Korea at Paris Fashion Week. Can you tell us a bit about the collection and a new technique you explored this season?
For this season, military elements were a direct influence on the collection. As a Korean male, we have to do the military service. At the time, I hated that because I had to spend time there for two years which for me was too long. The military experience and time spent working with the police engaged me with uniforms and thus military was naturally embedded in the collection. I wanted to embrace my personal experience and this is the first time that I bring out my military experience.
What are some of the elements?
There are many belt loops detailing and even covering the blazer like a coat, also the rip part was quite wide along to make the waistline really beautiful. It’s about the contradiction between femininity and the military, its not just about the military but about beauty found. That is the key element.
Looking back, do you feel that the military had a stronger influence then you expected?
I definitely didn’t expect it, I hated being there, but somehow I spent my time analyzing everything, it allowed me to kill the time. I had to look at the positive as being a fashion designer, for me the military uniform wasn’t just a uniform or clothing that I needed. It was a palette of colors with khaki colors. There are so many every day casualwear that is inspired by the military like the trench coat and other codes that come from there. There are so many categories to further.
Photography by Thomas Lizzi for VEIN MAGAZINE
