KANGHYUK is the Korean Brand You Need to Know

Delve into the minds of designers Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon for HB KOREA’s first Digital Cover. HYPEBEAST Features - Go in-depth and learn more about the culture. [HYPEBEAST]( [Features]( October 25, 2019 [KANGHYUK is the Korean Brand You Need to Know]( We get into the minds of designers Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon for HB KOREA’s first Digital Cover. SUNHYE KIM / HYPEBEAST KR Amongst the list of nominees for the [LVMH Prize]( announced in spring 2019, KANGHYUK was the fashion brand that caught public attention. A common misconception is that KANGHYUK is helmed by one designer, while the brand is in fact founded by two designers, Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon, but only named after Choi. Like most designers, Choi first came to fame following his graduation project for his Master’s program at the Royal College of Art (RCA). His design which utilizes airbags has since maintained a solid presence in the industry, placing itself in industry-famous select shops, including H. Lorenzo, Dover Street Market and Machine-A. In January 2019, A$AP Rocky appeared wearing an outfit from KANGHYUK in his music video for “Tony Tone” — the first time a Korean designer’s apparel was introduced by an icon of hip-hop and street culture. We sit down with Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon of KANGHYUK to discuss the directness and non-seriousness philosophies of their fashion brand, and why they reckon Seoul is a good location for fashion design. SUNHYE KIM / HYPEBEAST KR On September 5, the final nominees for the 2019 LVMH Prize were announced. The two of you advanced to the semi-finals and were included in the final 20. How do you feel about the results? KH (Kanghyuk Choi): We feel very satisfied. We can’t change the results and we didn’t expect to win the prize in the first place. But the event itself was very rewarding. The prize money for 1st place is 400 million won. What would you have done with it if you have won the competition? SL (Sanglak Shon): I would’ve invested all of the money into our studio — expand it, buy some printers and sewing machines, and hire more employees. But it didn’t turn out that way! I think the meaning of industry connotes the beginning of something — that is very romantic KANGHYUK is a brand managed by two designers, Kanghyuk Choi and Sanglak Shon — why is the brand named after only one of you? SL: Because our brand started off with Choi’s Master’s Program graduation project. At the time, he introduced a collection in which he integrated airbags into clothing, and it was quite impressive. I joined Kanghyuk since its third season in February 2017. KH: After the second season, Shon flew back from the UK and we started the company together. You can say that the brand KANGHYUK was officially launched from season three. [READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →]( [banner]( [banner](   [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week] [FASHION]( [8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week]( [[Nike Serves up More Halloween-Themed Kicks in This Week's Best Footwear Drops] [FOOTWEAR]( [Nike Serves up More Halloween-Themed Kicks in This Week's Best Footwear Drops]( [Get The App Free on iOS and Android]( Follow --------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](. It may take 48 hours to complete the unsubscribe process. Contact subscription@hypebeast.com for assistance on any enquiries. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 10F, KC 100, 100 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong