“You are all a work of art.”
Usually, it’s the one celebrating who gets a heartwarming sentiment on a card. But for South Korea’s Kiminte Kimhēkim, it was his audience that deserved this feel-good message on the occasion of his label’s 10th anniversary.
Even before a candle-topped tiered cake was wheeled out, the mood was certainly ebullient with fans screaming for K-pop group Alpha Drive One, who attended the show in their newly minted role as ambassadors of the Concept Korea program, which supports the country’s designers showing at Paris Fashion Week.
With a decade under his belt, Kimhēkim revisited his greatest hits, taking a something-for-everyone approach.
In addition to the aforementioned options, models wove their way around artwork crates in candy-hued A-line minidresses; his popular asymmetric tailored blazer with giant pearls for buttons; zhuzhed up blousons and pretty sharp high-collar coats where extra-wide shoulders resulted in a tapered silhouette, and trompe-l’oeil skirts patterned after shirts, sleeves now serving as self-tie belts.
Sheer or not, they felt fun and versatile enough but also spoke of his knack for infusing just the right dose of experimentation to make even a staple warrant a double-take.
That’s why the designer is forging ahead with his retail expansion, which includes the opening of a Paris store this year. “It’s easy to connect with Kimhekim through social media, but visiting our shop is something totally different — something you can really feel.”