J.Kim combines Uzbek, Korean and Russian traditions with an elegant, modern twist

Fashion brand J.Kim has dropped its 2020-21 Fall/Winter collection with designs blending Korean, Uzbek, and Russian cultures.

Cultural hybridity permeates J.Kim’s designs: the holes in one puffer jacket reveal Korean-inspired patterns, and the variations of the hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, exist alongside miniskirts and loose shirts with Soviet-inspired prints. Fabrics such as vintage Soviet textiles or Korean jacquard silk are layered to symbolise haystacks, part of Uzbekistan’s nomadic tradition. The result is both elegant and colourful, creating classic Korean-inspired looks with a contemporary edge.

Uzbek-Korean fashion designer Jenia Kim, who founded the label in 2014, says the new collection reflects her own perspective on how Uzbek-Koreans express national identity through clothes.

The new collection also marks a new shift for the brand, which is now planning to release one collection a year, rather than following the fashion industry’s predefined seasons, to prioritise the focus on the technical and conceptual complexity of the designs.