1991 Born in Seoul, South Korea
2016 Received Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design from the London College of Fashion, United Kingdom
2018 Received Master of Arts in Fashion Design from the Royal College of Art, United Kingdom

Seohee Kim, a fashion researcher and practitioner from Seoul, Korea, investigates the intersection of the fashion industry and our daily lives, delving into how individuals pursue authenticity in society. She explores the visual metaphors of ‘clothes’ through a wearing culture in clothing, promoting the wearer’s subjectivity in ‘wearing’. She encourages enquiry into the personal and societal significance of clothing’s impact on the body. Through collaborations with wearers, Kim aims to extend the meaning of ‘wearing’ and share the experience of wearing and creating clothes, challenging traditional fashion industry practices and system.

RESEARCH PROJECT
Textum Club: Critical fashion research Seoul, KR Arko Research Program 2023 –

EXHIBITION
Magic Loop: Join the Relay Seoul, KR Gallery Philosophie 2023
Hand in my pocket Seoul, KR Shop Amomento 2023
Magic Loop Seoul, KR Gallery Philosophie 2022
Wear Wore Worn duo exhibition Seoul, KR The Reference 2021

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION, ART FAIR
The Preview, Seongsu Seoul, KR S Factory 2023
Fashion Exhibition 패션 전시 Seoul, KR MMCA Changdong 2022
Prop Seoul Seoul, KR Hall 1 2021

WORKSHOP
Magic Loop Seoul, KR 2022-
The Skirt Seoul, KR 2020
Ways of Dressing Workshop Seoul, KR 2019

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Radical Fashion Exercises by Valiz NL Contributing a workshop 2023
Monthly Design Issue Oct KR Against Perfection, Vol 532 2022
Monthly Art Issue July KR Critical Text: Wear Wore Worn 2021
Dazed Korea KR Interview 2021
1 Granary UK Interview 2019

LECTURE, ARTIST TALK
Feedback Session Daegu, KR Keimyung Univ, Fashion Dpt 2023
Guest Workshop Daegu, KR Keimyung Univ, Fashion Dpt 2023
Guest Lecture Seoul, KR Kookmin Univ, Fashion Dpt 2022
Feedback Session Daegu, KR Keimyung Univ, Fashion Dpt 2022
Feedback Session Daegu, KR Keimyung Univ, Fashion Dpt 2021
Guest Lecture Daegu, KR Keimyung Univ, Fashion Dpt 2021
Artist Talk Seoul, KR The Reference 2021

Artist-In-Residence
Art Center Ongoing Tokyo, JPN AIR Program 2-months duration 2023


Seohee Kim investigates the intersection of the fashion industry and our daily lives, delving into how individuals pursue authenticity in society. In an environment driven by media narratives and the pressure to conform to carefully crafted ideals, making independent value judgments is no easy task. Amidst this dissonance, a fundamental question arises: How can we engage in genuine dialogue in the multitude of voices? What influences our choice of clothing within the fashion industry and the authenticity we project in our everyday lives? Paradoxically, while fashion is praised as a powerful means of expression that can transcend social norms, it also casts a shadow on our deepest existential motives due to the primal desire to distinguish ourselves from others. Within this intricate tapestry, “authenticity” reflects both the ephemeral trends and the everevolving dynamism of the fashion world. The values that the public passionately embraces circulate through “individual filters (fashion)” and temporarily take the form of personally owned opinions. However, can these fleeting phenomena truly be labelled as “authenticity (genuine)”?
Seohee Kim’s exploration thrives at the intersection where the transience of fashion converges with the pursuit of independent choice and sincerity. Incorporating an exploration of the artistic realm to view fashion from a meta-perspective, Seohee Kim intentionally removes the fixed meaning —particularly those commercialised— associated with ‘clothes’ within the realm of fashion through artistic experimentation and extends the ‘concept of wearing’ by embracing clothes that transform along with the traces of deformation, discolouration, and wear. Additionally, ‘mending’ embodies a unique complexity rooted in various concepts intertwined between clothes and fashion. The act of repairing and transforming clothes within the artistic practice reflects the courage required to merge one’s thoughts with others and assert authenticity in society.
Seohee Kim embraces the Do-it-yourself (DIY) approach as an artistic practice, expressing subjectivity and exploring the potential for individuals to embrace their unique perspectives and independent choices through collaborative projects with participants. At the core of this collaborative process lies the blurring of boundaries between host and collaborator in the realm of costume creation and wearing. By doing so, Kim redefines the role of clothing within the fashion industry and seeks alternative paths to challenge the dominant consumer culture. Through this process, individuals transcend the monotony of conformity, actively explore their identities, and ultimately reflect the possibility of embracing and sharing their “authenticity” with clothes at the centre.