[News Figures] 'Danha' Who Created Modern Hanbok Worn by 'BLACKPINK'

Trendy Reinterpretation of Traditional Hanbok Popular Among 20s and 30s
Blackpink Chooses It for New Song Outfits, Drawing Great Attention
'Danha Collection' Also in Paris, France

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] 'Modern Hanbok,' a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional hanbok, is gaining popularity. Interest has increased as popular singers such as BTS and Blackpink have worn it, and hotels and duty-free shops catering mainly to foreigners have also introduced modern hanbok-style uniforms. There is growing interest in indoor-only modern hanbok for everyday use as well.

Lotte Duty Free introduced redesigned hanbok-inspired uniforms at all its domestic stores in October last year. All employees working at the 'Korean-style bar' opened last year at the Four Seasons Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, wear modern hanbok uniforms. Shinsegae International's living brand 'Jaju' also launched indoor-only modern hanbok last year.

Modern hanbok, which reinterprets traditional hanbok in a trendy way to suit the tastes of people in their 20s and 30s, attracted great attention as BTS and Blackpink wore it. BTS appeared wearing modern hanbok in the music video and stage performance of 'IDOL' released in 2018. Blackpink wore hanbok instead of luxury brand clothes in the music video for their new song 'How You Like That?' in June 2020. It is known that the online shopping mall that made this hanbok once attracted 3,000 to 4,000 visitors per day.

At the end of June 2020, BLACKPINK released their new song "How You Like That" in the United States, appearing in the music video wearing modernly designed hanbok. Photo by YG Entertainment

The hanbok worn by Blackpink members Jisoo and Lisa was produced in-house by the stylist team, while the hanbok worn by Jennie and Ros? was designed by Kim Dan-ha, CEO of 'Danha Judan.'

Kim cited his grandfather as the reason he became interested in hanbok. In an interview with a media outlet, he said his grandfather was a 'knot craftsman' (a person skilled in traditional knot techniques such as tying threads and cords), and he grew up watching his grandfather’s knots from a young age. He believes that this family atmosphere influenced his involvement in hanbok-related work.

His background is unique. Kim, who is from Busan, initially looked for jobs in hotels or casinos but ended up working at a casino in Jeju Island frequented by many Chinese visitors. Since the company allowed multitasking, he started an online hanbok rental business in 2015. He designed the hanbok himself and entrusted production to hanbok manufacturers. According to Kim, renting to trendy brides-to-be at prices cheaper than offline rentals generated high profits. He resigned in 2016 and launched the Danha brand in 2018.

Kim says he has standards when producing modified hanbok and modern hanbok. He does not shake or erase the framework of traditional hanbok. He makes hanbok by preserving the traditional Korean clothing forms as they are.

For example, the hanbok Jennie wore resembles the male garment called dopo. Although the sleeves and length were shortened for a modern interpretation, the hanbok’s baeraeseon (the curved seam line) was preserved. The black outer garment Ros? wore was inspired by the male traditional garment cheollik, with similar shape and production methods. The cropped tops are based on the shape of the chest cover underwear from the Joseon Dynasty, with added patterns to expose them outward. The elaborate patterns are phoenix motifs used in royal wrapping cloths during the Joseon Dynasty.

Looking comprehensively at the hanbok production process, it is clear that when making modern hanbok, the latest trends are not recklessly incorporated into the design. Instead, the unique elegance of Korean tradition is preserved while the production methods do not damage tradition. In fact, Kim has been learning hanbok design from master Jo Kyung-sook at the Korea Royal Costume Research Institute since 2016, before launching the Danha brand, to gain expertise in hanbok.

In October last year, Kim also showcased the Danha collection at Paris Fashion Week held at Pavillon Cambon in Paris, France. The runway was filled with 18 hanbok looks using chest covers, dopo, Jeju traditional costume sojung-i, jeogori, cheollik, and elaborate royal wrapping cloth and wallpaper floral and bird patterns.