In this KTX interview, we explore the vision behind LEESLE, a Korean fashion brand redefining modern hanbok through contemporary design, functionality and cultural exchange. From the influence of K-pop and global audiences to collaborations inspired by Indonesia and Dubai, the conversation examines how Korean heritage can evolve without losing its identity.

At the heart of LEESLE’s philosophy is a simple idea: “Heritage Alive.” Through what the brand calls “Korean Chic,” traditional Korean aesthetics are being translated into clothing designed for contemporary life and audiences around the world.

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Please share with us the story and journey behind LEESLE. What inspired you to modernize hanbok?

Traditional hanbok in its original form is exceptionally beautiful. However, in reality, it has often been consumed mainly as formal attire for weddings, first-birthday celebrations, and other ceremonial occasions. Even in Korea, I have always felt saddened to see hanbok remain largely within television period dramas, museums, and tourist destinations rather than being worn naturally in everyday life. Many people describe hanbok as beautiful, yet fewer people actually purchase and wear it regularly. I saw a growing gap between admiration and real-life use.

I believe that preserving hanbok as cultural heritage is important, but it is equally important that people living today can actually wear and use it. Preservation does not necessarily mean keeping every historical form unchanged. Allowing tradition to evolve with contemporary lifestyles and sensibilities, so that people continue to choose it, is also an important form of cultural continuation.

For this reason, LEESLE began not as a brand that simply reproduces hanbok, but as a brand that translates Korean aesthetics and design principles into contemporary fashion.

How do you preserve the beauty of traditional hanbok while balancing tradition and making it suitable for everyday wear?

I believe that modernizing hanbok requires both external and internal transformation.

Externally, we connect the structure of traditional hanbok with contemporary tailoring. Distinctive elements such as the git collar, dongjeong collar strip, and goreum ties may be incorporated into familiar modern garments such as shirts, jackets, and dresses.

However, Korean fashion cannot be created through decorative details alone. The underlying principles of hanbok are equally important: a structure that comfortably embraces the body without tightly restricting it, layered dressing, the flow of lines created through overlapping closures, and the Korean aesthetic of balancing filled and open space.

Internal transformation includes materials and functionality. Fabric affects not only comfort but also how a garment must be washed and maintained. People with busy modern lifestyles need fabrics that can be machine-washed, resist wrinkling, and require minimal ironing. Travel garments should remain presentable after being packed in a suitcase, while everyday clothing needs practical features such as pockets and easy fastening systems.

More recently, social responsibilities such as sustainability have also become important design criteria. We consider eco-conscious materials, the use of deadstock fabrics, pattern structures that reduce textile waste, and quality that allows garments to be worn for a long time.

Ultimately, modern hanbok should not simply look different. Its design, function, maintenance, and social value must evolve together.

Your designs have been worn by artists like BTS, TWICE, and MAMAMOO. How has collaborating with these artists helped introduce hanbok to global audiences?

I believe music and popular culture have played an enormously important role in introducing hanbok to the world. Music is not experienced through sound alone. It is a multisensory art form that combines performance, choreography, fashion, and visual storytelling.

When K-pop artists wear Korean-inspired clothing or accessories, fans around the world naturally encounter hanbok through performances, photographs, and videos.

When I speak with international fans, many tell me that they first discovered hanbok through the stage performances of artists they admire. Even people who previously had little interest in traditional culture begin asking questions such as, “What is that garment?” or “What does that accessory symbolize?” after seeing it presented in a compelling way on stage.

This is the power of music and fashion. Cultural interest does not always begin with explanation. It often begins with admiration, affection, and the desire to wear something oneself.

For this reason, I see the combination of K-pop and fashion as more than simple product placement or costume sponsorship. It is an exceptionally effective way of connecting Korean culture with the world.

LEESLE has been showcased at international fashion events. What was the response from international audiences to your modern hanbok collections?

The response we receive overseas is often far more enthusiastic than people expect. In recent years, I have met audiences directly through fashion shows, exhibitions, lectures, and cultural events in places including Dubai, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, and New York.

Runway garments are often visually dramatic because they are designed for performance. However, LEESLE also offers many approachable pieces that can be worn in everyday life.

For example, international customers can easily relate to familiar items such as T-shirts, hoodies, shirts, and jackets that incorporate Korean lines, patterns, and fastening structures. At first, many people hear the word “hanbok” and expect something highly formal or difficult to wear. After seeing the actual products, however, they often say, “This is not very different from what I already wear,” or “I could easily wear this as a fashion item.”

More recently, we held pop-ups and events in several American cities, including Seattle, Portland, and New York, where we met local consumers directly. Visitors ranged from people encountering Korean fashion for the first time to existing fans who already knew and wore LEESLE.

The level of interest was extremely high, and it led to real purchases on site. These experiences strengthened my belief that hanbok is not merely something to observe. When presented in the right way, it can become fashion that people genuinely choose and wear anywhere in the world.

How do you encourage younger generations to embrace hanbok as part of their everyday lives rather than only for special occasions?

The first thing LEESLE does is create accessible, entry-level Korean Chic for people who are new to traditional Korean clothing.

If the first option presented to a newcomer is overly complex or formal, it can create distance. We therefore begin with familiar items such as shirts, dresses, T-shirts, and jackets, incorporating Korean elements in a natural way so that customers can begin their experience without feeling intimidated.

The second is continuously sharing the meaning behind our clothing and the development process through social media. Many people still think hanbok is difficult, complicated, or reserved for special occasions and certain types of people.

We therefore explain in clear and specific ways how a garment is worn, what a pattern symbolizes, and why a traditional form has been transformed in a particular way.

I also teach university students about hanbok and design based on traditional culture. I write books and actively participate in interviews, lectures, and public conversations. Whenever there is an opportunity to discuss the meaning and value of hanbok, I try to make time for it.

For people who are unfamiliar with hanbok to study and understand it, we need a sufficient body of information, data, and real-world examples. For culture to spread, products alone are not enough. We must also create the language and records needed to explain them.

Your work has also connected hanbok with other cultures. What have these cross-cultural collaborations been like?

I believe the most important principle of hanbok is harmony. Hanbok does not reject contrasting elements. Instead, it connects them naturally and creates a balance that is neither excessive nor insufficient. For this reason, I believe Korean elements can connect beautifully with other cultures. This is the cultural inclusiveness of hanbok.

In Indonesia, we experimented with designs that combined the silhouette of hanbok with batik, the country’s traditional resist-dyed textile. Rather than attaching Indonesian culture to Korean clothing as a decorative element, we first tried to understand the meaning of batik’s colors and patterns, then connect them harmoniously with the structure of hanbok.

In Dubai, we explored hanbok styles that could be worn with the hijab. Islamic culture has religious standards regarding the parts of the body that should be covered and the types of imagery that may be used. It was therefore important to respect the local culture while still expressing Korean lines and colors.

We avoided animal and human imagery, used Korean patterns based on nature and geometry, and coordinated the colors of the garments and hijabs so that they worked together harmoniously.

Global design is not a process of imposing Korean culture on others. It requires properly understanding one’s own tradition, acknowledging and respecting other cultures, removing unnecessary elements, and adapting to the time and context.

When different cultures meet, neither side needs to disappear. Instead, a new form of beauty can be created. This is the harmony that LEESLE pursues.

What role do you think hanbok will play in the future of K-fashion while preserving its traditions?

While recently visiting several American cities, including New York, Seattle, and Portland, I experienced an extremely enthusiastic response from local audiences. Some people were encountering Korean fashion for the first time, while others came to meet us because they already knew LEESLE and had been wearing our clothing. Interest in Korean culture is clearly expanding into fashion, and that potential becomes even more visible when we meet consumers in person.

However, when people are asked, “Which brand represents K-fashion?” many still cannot immediately name one. When people think of K-beauty, certain brands come to mind. When they think of K-pop, BTS is a clear global symbol. However, K-fashion does not yet have a single representative brand or universally recognized category.

Korean fashion may be receiving worldwide attention, but it has not yet fully established itself as a distinct genre with a representative name. I hope LEESLE can step into that position. Just as French Chic and Japanese Minimalism have become global fashion languages, I believe Korean aesthetics can also become a recognizable international style.

For this reason, LEESLE is moving beyond the category of “modern hanbok” and proposing a new genre called “Korean Chic.” Our goal is not to repeat the external form of hanbok, but to translate Korean lines, functionality, symbolism, and the philosophy of harmony into contemporary fashion that people around the world can naturally enjoy.

What do you hope people around the world discover about Korea through hanbok?

LEESLE’s clothing brings together past and present, East and West, function and symbolism. Traditional Korean patterns and colors often carry auspicious meanings, including blessings for health, happiness, longevity, good fortune, and meaningful relationships. I want to bring these long-held wishes back to life within contemporary clothing.

However, LEESLE is not intended only for people of a particular nationality or cultural background. People of different nationalities, genders, body types, and religions should be able to enjoy the clothing in their own way. The ability of Korean elements to harmonize with other cultures represents cultural inclusiveness.

Fashion is also a means of expressing one’s identity and personal taste. Wearing LEESLE is not only about choosing Korean-inspired clothing. It can also express the attitude of making one’s own choices and following one’s own path. I hope our clothing helps people feel a little more distinctive, confident, and fully themselves.

LEESLE’s philosophy is “Heritage Alive.”Tradition is not something that should simply be stored away. It should be kept alive. This does not mean that Korean heritage must be protected only because it belongs to Korea. Beauty and meaningful cultural heritage that have endured over time are not the possession of a single country alone. They hold value that people around the world can learn from, share, and pass on to future generations.

Beauty worth preserving should continue. LEESLE aims to be a brand that helps this heritage live and move again within contemporary life.

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LEESLE’s journey reflects a broader evolution in how Korean culture is being experienced globally. Hanbok is no longer limited to ceremonial occasions or historical representation; through thoughtful design, it can become something people choose to wear, interpret and make part of their everyday lives.

The conversation also offers an important perspective on cultural exchange: globalization does not have to mean losing cultural identity. Instead, different traditions can meet, adapt and create something new while respecting where they came from.

As LEESLE continues to develop Korean Chic, its message extends beyond fashion. It is about keeping heritage alive by allowing it to move forward.

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Coming Up: LEESLE Heads to New York

LEESLE is preparing to bring its distinctive vision of “Korean Chic” to New York with a pop-up planned for late October or early November 2026.

The upcoming U.S. event will offer audiences an opportunity to experience LEESLE’s contemporary interpretation of Korean heritage and fashion, further expanding the brand’s international presence.

Further details on the New York pop-up will be announced by LEESLE.

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