Fashion lover's diary by Junghyun Yoo

Welcome back to Fashion Lover’s Diary. I’m Junghyun.Today we turn the tenth page of our diary with Hwang Leesle, the designer behind LEESLE. I recorded this one at Fashion KODE, so you’ll hear the real sounds of the event in the background.The Story Behind This EpisodeFor nearly twenty years, Leesle has been taking hanbok out of the museum and onto the street. The day before our conversation, I watched her 2027 S/S show, RAW & REFINED. She walked out on stage herself to show how to wear the clothes, and the models did the same. That moment became the starting point for our talk.In this episode, we explore:* Why she demonstrated the clothes on stage, and how one garment can give “two-in-one” value* Hanbok’s principle of po (wrapping): from bojagi to durumagi, and how a flare skirt becomes a hanbok silhouette* From Goguryeo to Kongjwi: how a street sign in Jeonju inspired her latest collection* Why LEESLE doesn’t do rentals, and the pivot that saved her business* “The customer doesn’t lie”: sustainability as an operating method, not a slogan* Goreum as Korea’s global fashion signature, and her New York pop-up (Oct 29 – Nov 1)* Her dream collaborations, from BTS to fine artists* Her belief that “heritage has no borders”Read the full written interview: K-Fashion Archive: 0 to 100, Vol.24 — LEESLE, Hwang Leesle (link)Mentioned in this episode* I Go to Hongdae in Hanbok and The Hanbok-Wearing CEO by Hwang Leesle (link)* Follow LEESLE: Instagram (@leesle_official) · Website (link)Thank you for turning to the tenth page of my diary. See you in the next chapter. 👠✨If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend who believes in honoring their roots while walking their own path. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit junghyunyoo.substack.com

Welcome back to Fashion Lover’s Diary. I’m Junghyun.Today’s guest is Angeline Hayling (@angelinehayling), co-founder and creative director of Island Tribe, a California-based fashion and wellness brand. She has been practicing mindful luxury since 2012, and she believes luxury can be calm, handmade, and kind to the earth.You may have met Angeline in her written interview on True Fashion Lovers, Episode 61, “Soft, Strong, and a Little Unconventional.” This time, we sat down across the Pacific, afternoon in California and morning in Seoul, to go deeper into her latest journey, her current work, and her vision for what’s next.Let’s turn to the next page of her story.In this episode, we explore:🌿 Fabric, Fit, and Form: How the Zen Collection began with the feeling of calm, why linen became its foundation, and how spacious silhouettes and hand embroidery bring intention into every sleeve.🌿 The Coachella Piece: Her favorite from the collection, a black top with 70s-inspired billowy sleeves made for dancing.🌿 A Wardrobe of Places: How Island Tribe Wellness retreats in Grenada, Lyon, and the Palm Springs Oasis, plus the artisans in Bali, shape the way she designs, from the buttons to the stitching.🌿 Romanticize Your Life: What she learned from the women of Asia who made leaving the house a daily ritual, and why she tells young designers to go see the world.🌿 People Are the Common Thread: From public policy and humanitarian work to fashion and wellness, and what she’s learned about passing joy on, even with just a smile.🌿 Independent or Investor-Backed? Her advice for young designers: know your business, your margins, and your brand inside out before you seek funding.🌿 Be Yourself: Her message for young women starting out, and why knowing who you are saves you a lot of energy.🌿 The Dream Destination: A place where you can be immersed in Island Tribe, from what you wear to what you eat, hear, and feel.Listening Note 🎙️✨This episode is an audio conversation with Angeline, recorded online in English. Press play, settle in, and enjoy her warmth and wisdom.Read the Full Written Interview 📖If you haven’t read Angeline’s first chapter yet, her written interview is live on my Substack: True Fashion Lovers, Episode 61: “Soft, Strong, and a Little Unconventional”: Angeline Hayling’s Mindful Luxury. It covers her style icons, her Isabel Marant Edrika boots, and her wardrobe in three words: “Earthy, effortless, expressive.”Step into Angeline’s world 🤎🌿 Instagram: @angelinehayling🌐 Website: angelinehayling.com🏝️ Island Tribe: islandtribeusa.com / @islandtribe_🧘 Island Tribe Wellness: islandtribewellness.com / @islandtribewellnessThank you for turning to the ninth page of my diary.See you in the next chapter! 👠If this story inspired you, subscribe to the podcast and share this page with a fellow fashion lover who treats getting dressed as a ritual. 💗 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit junghyunyoo.substack.com

Welcome back to Fashion Lover’s Diary. I’m Junghyun.Today’s guest is Lauren Pyes (@blend_in_stand_out). By day, she works at Harvard University. By night, she hunts for rare pieces from Marc Jacobs’ tenure at Louis Vuitton, a collection she affectionately calls the “Marc(hive).”You may have met Lauren in her written interview on True Fashion Lovers, Episode 57, “Work in Progress.” This time, we sat down for a conversation to go deeper and to catch up on what may be the most special year of her life: her first Instagram post, New York Fashion Week, a March 20th she still can’t quite believe happened, and a photo with Anna Wintour that her mom now uses as a lock screen.Let’s step into the next chapter of her living archive.In this episode, we explore:🧥 What the 16-Year-Old Would Hear: Why Lauren would tell her younger self to keep following what makes her heart race, not what holds the most value, but “what makes me feel most like me.”🧥 Whimsy, Romance, and Spring 2007: The collections that reminded her of the moment she first fell in love with fashion, and the sense of play she has carried with her ever since.🧥 The Hunt vs. the Wearing: Why she keeps the rarest face mask for the right occasion, and how a yellow Damier suit became her lucky suit, from her first Instagram post to the day she met Marc.🧥 The Shirtdress Chase: Six of the eleven colors found, five to go, and why a rising market just means hunting more strategically.🧥 Dressing Like a Puzzle: How she keeps an inside joke with herself in a conservative workplace without being the loudest in the room, and why she loves keeping work and fashion separate.🧥 New York Fashion Week: A week that began with doubt and ended with a feeling of “leaving home,” plus a project with someone from her admiration list that she can’t share yet.🧥 March 20th: Her birthday, the one-year anniversary of her first Instagram post, the “Marc by Sofia” documentary, and the moment Marc Jacobs walked out, all in one day.🧥 LEGO and the Quiet Hours: How building sets gives her a break from the screen and helps outfit ideas surface.🧥 Finding Joy, Finding Community: The Anna Wintour photo at the Vogue Vintage Market, how fashion gave her a reason to smile in a hard season, and her advice for anyone too shy to share a passion: use social media to truly connect, and show genuine interest in others.Listening Note 🎙️✨This episode is an audio conversation with Lauren, recorded online in English. Press play, settle in, and enjoy the warmth of her laughter and storytelling.Read the Full Written Interview 📖If you haven’t read Lauren’s first chapter yet, her written interview is live on my Substack: True Fashion Lovers, Episode 57: “Work in Progress”: Lauren Pyes and Her Marc(hive). It covers her first Louis Vuitton boutique visit in Paris, the pieces closest to her heart, and her three-word style: “Work in progress!”Thank you for turning to the eighth page of my diary.See you in the next chapter! 🧥If this story inspired you, subscribe to the podcast and share this page with a fellow fashion lover whose wardrobe is a work in progress. 💗 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit junghyunyoo.substack.com

Welcome back to Fashion Lover’s Diary. I’m Junghyun.Today, I’m sitting down with Lee Hyejin, the designer behind YILEE. She studied menswear in London, completed her Master’s in womenswear at the Royal College of Art, and now builds her brand in her Seoul studio, one collection at a time.Her work begins with a relentless questioning of familiar forms. She reinterprets Futurist sculpture through hand-knitted metal frames, and turns charity-shop shoes into her signature Yeti Boots. She deconstructs what we know, shifts it slightly, and reassembles it into something entirely new. Art theory has a name for this, “defamiliarization,” but she had been practicing it by instinct long before she learned the word.Let’s listen to designer Lee Hyejin talk about her journey, her admiration for Rick Owens, and her wish to see YILEE become a genre in its own right.In this episode, we explore:🎀 The Rick Owens Effect: The designer who pulled her back to fashion whenever self-doubt hit, and why she respects him so deeply that it sometimes feels like despair.🎀 Twisting the Familiar: How “defamiliarization” became the engine of her design process, from Boccioni-inspired metal frames to the pieces that keep her curious.🎀 Sustainability, Honestly: Why she avoids overproduction even when making samples, mixes in deadstock fabrics, and upcycles shoes found in London charity shops.🎀 Stage, Studio, and Tight Deadlines: What custom looks for K-pop artists taught her about her own limits, and what she brings back to YILEE.🎀 Petite and the Slow Build: Why the diffusion line was the right decision, why she refuses to rush or over-expand, and the artist she dreams of dressing someday.🎀 Why Are You Doing This Work? Her advice for emerging designers, and her hope that YILEE will one day be seen as a genre rather than a label.Listening & Viewing Note 🎙️✨This episode features a candid conversation with designer Lee Hyejin, recorded in Korean in Seoul.Read the Full InterviewThe full written interview is already live on my Substack as [K-Fashion Archive: 0 to 100] Vol.19: YILEE Lee Hyejin. It includes her thoughts on Collection 05, the YILEE Petite line, her hopes for collaborations, and more.Thank you for turning to the seventh page of my diary.See you in the next chapter! 🎀If this story resonated with your heart, subscribe to the podcast and share this page with a fellow fashion lover. 💗 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit junghyunyoo.substack.com

🌺Welcome back to Fashion Lover’s Diary. I’m Junghyun.Today, we are visiting the tibaeg showroom and Collective 951 in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. I sat down with Cho Eunae, a designer who has spent 23 years translating human emotions and nature into beautiful clothing.The name tibaeg comes from a simple tea bag — steeping in warm water to create something rich and wonderful. Instead of making loud clothes just to show off, she designs with a deep love for the person wearing them, creating quiet connections through colors, flowers, and gentle silhouettes.Over more than two decades, she has navigated domestic crises, international trade shows from Paris to New York, and the balance of being both a mother and a designer.Let’s step inside her showroom and listen to designer Cho Eunae talk about her 23-year journey, her philosophy of love, and how true beauty deepens over time.In this episode, we explore:🌺 A Name That Steeps: Why “tibaeg” — a tea bag slowly releasing its color in warm water — has stayed the exact right metaphor for a brand built to make the wearer more beautiful, not the other way around.🌺 The Paris Turning Point: The season the brand nearly disappeared, and how a Colette pop-up and the freedom to finally design her own way became the confidence she still leans on today.🌺 From Camellia to Water Lily: How 26FW’s camellia and the coming 27SS’s water lily are two chapters of the same idea — staying beautiful and unbothered, whatever the water underneath looks like.🌺 Building Seoul’s Own Colette: Her hopes for Collective 951 in Samcheong-dong as a gathering place for kindred brands — and what’s coming next at the Shinsegae Daegu pop-up.🌺 Designer, Owner, Mother: Her honest reflections on carrying all three roles at once, and why she believes enduring quietly, season after season, is its own kind of winning.Listening & Viewing Note 🎙️✨This episode features a raw, insightful conversation with designer Cho Eunae recorded on-site at her Samcheong-dong showroom in Korean. Take in the authentic atmosphere of the workshop and the resonance of our conversation.Don’t Miss This 📍If you’re in Korea, don’t miss the special event by tibaeg and Collective 951 at Shinsegae Department Store in Daegu, running from September 18th all the way to October 25th! It brings together a curated selection of designers from Seoul, Singapore, and Milan — so be sure to check it out.The Full Written Archival InterviewThe full written interview will be published in a few days on my Substack, [K-Fashion Archive: 0 to 100] Vol.18. Please stay tuned for the upcoming story!Thank you for turning to the sixth page of my diary.See you in the next chapter! 🌺If this story steeped warmly in your heart, subscribe to the podcast and share this page with a fellow fashion lover. 💗 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit junghyunyoo.substack.com