Profile: Yoon Seo Lee – Real Leather Design Competitions

Yoon Seo Lee

Fashion Institute of Technology

Fashion Design MFA

Menswear, Womenswear, Unisex

Hi, my name is Yoonseo Lee, and I am from South Korea. Why did I start studying fashion design? The answer is obvious. I think art has no fixed answer, and I feel really happy when communicating with others through clothes. From middle to high school, I always concentrated on figuring out the answer, whether it was right or wrong. There was no room for why or how, and I didn’t have to consider deeply or look into anything. However, in my first year of majoring in fashion design, I realized I was given total freedom about the thing I love most, fashion, thinking what I think, and saying what I have to say. I think clothes are probably the most available pieces of art – it’s literally everywhere, still, the true nature of fashion is separated far from society. “Fashion” does not want to associate with others. It is growing more and more introverted, and only “clothes” are placed in commercial areas, which is an easy, imitated version of fashion. It's not just about the boundaries of fashion and clothes. I always try to put my main focus on ‘communication’ when making clothes. A fashion designer should look to communicate with others by using design, texture, and other creative techniques with originality. As science and fashion continue to proceed, materials such as Gore-Tex and Heat-tech are being developed, and ergonomic designs friendly to the human body can make garments without using sewing machines possible. I recently realized that too many clothes and designs are disappearing and being forgotten by us. If we keep our eyes on sustainability and consider the environment, running tests on computer 3D programs or employing virtual reality such as metaverse can be alternative ways to communicate with customers.

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Harmonious Reflections

Category: Apparel

Competitions: International

The design of my project was inspired by my first visit to New York City, where I was captivated by the sight of a doorman—a role rarely encountered in Korea but commonly associated with hotels. This encounter allowed me to grasp the essence of New York and the United States, sparking my curiosity about the continued prevalence of doormen throughout the city. Drawing inspiration from the professional characteristics of doormen, who prioritize the protection and well-being of others while fulfilling their duties, I sought to incorporate those qualities into my design. To further enhance my design, I looked to the protective gear used in American football and other contact sports, focusing on their silhouette, functionality, and use of protective elements. For the fabric, I chose real skin leather, which naturally maintains its shape. This choice allowed me to replicate the distinctive features of doorman uniforms' epaulet, which symbolize their values. Inspired by this, I incorporated cutting lines through the fabric and connected them with cords. Using real leather aligns with sustainability principles by reducing fabric waste and eliminating waste from the cords used in the design. By combining these two fabrics, I created a stronger material without generating any excess waste.