A South Korean Designer Minju Kim is surely one designer in the radar after her winning in Netflix’s Next in Fashion back in January 2020. Since then she has established herself as a rising star and soon a household name.

Graduated from Samsung Art & Design Institute, Kim has become known for her modest characteristic for womenswear in her unique signature style, combining a youthful playfulness and haute couture. Her daring pieces are all speaking out feminine characteristics with an element of joyfulness in a bold silhouettes. Before winning the title from the show, Kim was shortlisted for the prestigious LVMH prize back in 2014 before she had even fully established her label. And previously she also won H&M Design Award in 2013.

Together with her sister taking care for the operations, Minju Kim then built her business MINJUKIM in 2015 and since then it is surely a world-known label in the making with fans lining up.

“I’ve always worked really hard on every element of my collections, from developing the concept to designing prints and ultimately bringing it all to life. I put my heart and soul into my work and that’s what I’m going to continue doing,”

The Korean designer is known for self-designed prints that are always appear on her collections released each year. In addition to releasing those collections, Kim has also dressed KPop’s Red Velvet and BTS. She created world tour stage costumes for boyband BTS for their songs DNA and I Need U. And in 2016, she dressed Red Velvet for their music video One of These Nights. Her distinct design hallmarks were all developed now, voluminous silhouettes and feminine detailing like ruffles and bows.

She credits the influence of designers and Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ instructors as where she earned her master degree to her love of fashion design; channelling her love for craft and honing a distinct aesthetic. Upon winning the Netflix’s Next in Fashion, Kim received US$ 250,000 from luxury retailer Net-a-Porter where she launched a collection for sale on the website. Also seen in this collection, Kim again shows her strongest competitive advantage of MINJUKIM in each of her presentation, which is the fabrication. Moreover, the fabrication and shapes that are well presented telling a story of her very personal drawing.

“All our fabric is made from scratch, starting with drawing illustrations, then developing a fabric which can express the desired illustrated using various fabrication techniques”

The success on the show has brought the spotlight on this Seoul-based designer.