designer spotlight

Gentle monster

Words: Chekii Harling

We meet the mysterious Hankook Kim – the man behind Gentle Monster’s avant-garde eyewear designs and boundary-breaking retail concepts

designer spotlight

Gentle monster's

Hankook Kim

Words: Chekii Harling

We meet the mind behind Gentle Monster’s avant-garde eyewear designs and boundary-breaking retail concepts

Prior to 2011, the man fondly known to the Gentle Monster team as ‘Mr Kim’ spent his days managing English-speaking educational camps for children in South Korea – a different life to the one he now leads as both Founder and Creative Director of Gentle Monster, the most inventive eyewear label of today. The brand has earned cult-like status, becoming synonymous with intriguing silhouettes, coloured lenses and chains. Then, there are the other-worldly store experiences. From colossal animatronic robots to mossy zen gardens, Gentle Monster’s uncanny displays capture a moment in which culture and commerce collide, transforming their shop floors into immersive gallery spaces (including Selfridges London).

Disinterested in the celebrity status that can come with being the creative director of one of fashion’s most talked-about brands, Hankook Kim opts for a similar approach to fame as Martin Margiela – a mysterious anonymity that allows his products to take precedence. Just like Margiela, Hankook Kim rarely agrees to be interviewed and consistently shys away from the camera. We seized on a rare opportunity to catch up with the elusive man himself to discuss his unconventional route into fashion, the power that comes with embracing opposites, and how we can all identify the creative outlets that will bring us joy.

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Gentle Monster SS20

What initially drew you to the world of design?

The beginning was remarkably simple: I wanted to start my own business, and since I wore glasses every day and used them more often than any other daily items, glasses naturally evolved into the object of my interest. Then, as I became more and more involved in the optical industry, I found myself devising creative solutions for usual business issues and problems. I realised that my passion was in design and that I had an eye for it.

You previously worked in education. How has your background influenced the way you approach your work today?

There’s a saying in martial arts, that under any flair and style of technique, there are simply two elements: offence and defence.

Gentle Monster SS20

All businesses, whether [they are] in fashion or education, share the same backbone, and that is to consider what the consumer wants and what we, as a business, can and should provide.

What advice would you give to readers who are keen to transition into a different industry?

Finding the source of your joy, passion and motivation is the key; this is not something that you can realise overnight. You always need to be present, to really try and understand how you feel about what is happening around you and notice the things that make you feel alive and awake. Find the outlines of your DNA. Who are you? What makes you happy? What makes you enjoy life?

I realised that my passion was in design, and that I had an eye for it.

– Hankook Kim (Founder and Creative Director of Gentle Monster)

Gentle Monster 'My Mars' campaign, brought to life by artist Matthew Stone

The name of the brand is a paradox – what does ‘Gentle Monster’ symbolise?

The paradoxical nature of the brand name reflects the brand’s values. As in all humans, there exists a certain duality within me: the gentle and the monster. This duality is what makes Gentle Monster unique and unforgettable: it is unpredictable. I am fascinated with creating something that no one can dare to envision. That stimulation continues to be the brand’s paradigm, which is why I am constantly studying the world and how it is evolving.

Your retail spaces are incredibly conceptual – what is your thinking behind this?

All our spaces are so different in terms of what purpose they serve.

Is it a conceptual store, or is it a more approachable showroom? Such logical ‘purpose’ determines the spark of the conversation; then I think of how to combine the weird beauty with sophistication.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Everywhere. It could be from the past, or it could be from looking at what is lacking in a certain industry. [In order] to keep up with the fast pace of the world and to stay ahead of it to maintain unpredictability, I can’t choose to be picky about where and what I will get my inspiration from.

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Gentle Monster SS20

Gentle Monster SS20

The paradoxical nature of the brand name reflects the brand’s values. As all humans do in nature, there exists a certain duality within me: the gentle and the monster.

– Hankook Kim (Founder and Creative Director of Gentle Monster)

Gentle Monster SS20 'My Mars' collection campaign, brought to life by artist Matthew Stone

Who would you love to collaborate with and why?

I am open to collaborations with anyone who has their own unique paradigm and the willingness to create synergetic energy with us. Our collaborations are not confined to fashion product collaborations – they can become cultural projects. The top priority is that we do something that I find intriguing, interesting and enjoyable. My team and I are very aligned in that way.

How would you describe Gentle Monster the brand in three words?

Creative fashion eyewear.

What are your hopes for the brand?

One aspect of the goal would be to create a more solid, branded business and excel in the fashion eyewear industry; whereas the other will be to engage in innovative thought processes. Again, this is very paradoxical; embracing opposites is the DNA of the brand, and me.