[Report] "'Jenni One-piece' Creator Minju Kim Came to Teach"... Musinsa Scholarship Student Mentoring

Mentoring Program for 5th Batch Scholars
'Nextin Fashion' Winner Designer Kim Minju
Students Ask Questions About Brand Management
"Contributing to Strengthening K-Fashion Competitiveness, Continuing Scholarship Program"

"Since when did 'Minju Kim' start making a profit?"

"There are many clothes made with unfamiliar materials; did you buy them in Dongdaemun?"

On the 11th, at the Musinsa Seongsu N1 2nd floor lounge, the 'Musinsa Next Fashion Scholarship (MNFS)' event took place. One student raised their hand high and fired off questions. Then another student shyly raised their hand and asked more questions. Other attendees diligently took notes of designer Minju Kim’s answers on their phones and laptops.

Designer Kim Minju is explaining the 'Minju Kim' brand. [Photo by Musinsa]

On this day, Musinsa held the 'MNFS' mentoring program with fashion students selected as 'Musinsa Fashion Scholars' in attendance. The participants are fashion majors dreaming of launching their own brands, and Musinsa supports them with scholarships (5 million KRW) and practical training. The mentoring program invites brand designers who are gaining attention in the fashion industry to share their success know-how.

The mentor for the day was designer Minju Kim, who operates the brands 'Minju Kim' and 'PAQUA.' Designer Minju Kim was the first winner of the American Netflix series 'Next in Fashion.' Her brand Minju Kim, which she has run for nine years, has held 19 collections and gained fame first in overseas fashion markets rather than domestically. In Korea, the brand became known as the dress brand frequently worn by BLACKPINK member 'Jennie.'

Last year, designer Kim became the first Korean to participate in a show held by the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London, the world’s most famous fashion art museum. The museum selects three designers annually to showcase their collections. Legendary designers such as Alexander McQueen, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and Kenzo have all participated in this show.

A student is asking a question about something they are curious about.
Photo by Minji Lee

Designer Kim presented a collection based on Korean folklore (the story of the abandoned princess 'Bari') at the show, which was praised for raising interest in Korean culture. Kim said, "Because I started fashion design later than others, I strongly felt the need to be validated by overseas awards (LVMH, H&M)." She added, "I thought I had to incorporate Korean elements to make a lasting impression, so I differentiated the brand by adding Oriental aspects." Currently, the Minju Kim showroom is located at Anguk Station, near Gyeongbokgung, rather than in Hannam-dong or Seongsu-dong.

Designer Kim is also currently pursuing expansion into Japan. PAQUA is a brand composed of casual wear that is lighter and more affordable than Minju Kim products. They held pop-up stores at Jamsil Lotte Mall and The Hyundai Seoul, which were followed by continuous opening runs. She said, "When I visited the 'The Hyundai Global' pop-up store at Parco Department Store in Japan, I saw long lines and felt that there is great interest not only in design but also in our country's culture." She added, "Overseas, idol culture and the free-spirited image of Korean fashion are viewed positively. To maintain this interest, rather than just chasing trends, it is necessary to continue designing and developing work that sustains this attention."

Designer Kim Minju is explaining the 'Minju Kim' collection.
[Photo by Musinsa]

MNFS is Musinsa’s scholarship program that started in 2022 and is now in its third year. It embodies Musinsa’s ambition to directly support students dreaming of launching brands as designers and to strengthen K-fashion competitiveness. In addition to scholarships, Musinsa provides free access to various facilities that are practically helpful for startups. Scholars can reside at the 'Musinsa Studio Dongdaemun Branch' for 10 months to grow their brands. They can also use Musinsa’s studio to create lookbooks (booklets introducing clothing). In fact, results have already emerged: among the 73 students who have participated in the scholarship program so far, three (Machine, Poser, Loading Room) have launched their own brands and entered distribution channels operated by Musinsa.

All 17 scholars selected in the 5th cohort earlier this year attended the mentoring program. One student, currently staying in Paris, France, showed enthusiasm for the program by attending online despite the early morning hours.