KIMHEKIM Fall 2019 – Paris Fashion Week

KIMHEKIM designer Kiminte Kimhekim takes a lot of pride in being an outlier in the ready-to-wear fashion industry, particularly when it comes to cracking the established market that is Paris. Following an internship with Balenciaga, he decided to stay in France and launch his own label outside of his native South Korea with the intention of blending the haute sensibility of his surrounding environs and traditional aspects of his culture.

He clearly has a lot to say. The KIMHEKIM Fall/Winter 2019 collection – appropriately titled “me” – is loaded with references, textures and styles. An ode to ego and self identity, Kimhekim said of his latest work, “I say or mention the word ‘me’ more than uncountable times per day, ‘text me,’ ‘give me,’ ‘love me’…what really defines me?”

One of many oversized bows at the KIMHEKIM Fall/Winter 2019 show in Paris. (photo courtesy of Events Autrement PR)

Those questions lingered long after the conclusion of his men’s and women’s runway show in Paris, with notable plays on the baggy onstage couture that defined the first generation of K-pop in the 1990’s; the restrictive standards of school uniforms; and Korean traditional costumes, with pearls tossed in at subtle times. Less subtle were the quilted dresses, giant bows at the waist, and head-to-toe thin translucent cloaks. Slightly reigned in, the results are far more flattering, with visually pleased twists on corsets, trench coats and blazers. It’s a lot to take in, but Kimhekim delightfully revels in what some may regard as excess. Instead, the better approach would be to carefully deconstruct the collection and note how many pieces just manage to work. Take notes, and keep watching for more to come from this exciting young designer.

Video: KIMHEKIM Fall 2019 – Paris Fashion Week
video by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine