Oscar de la Rentas Laura Kim on Hong Kong fashion, Asian influences and Doja Cats iconic Met G
Kim is currently based in New York, where she runs her fashion empire with her long-time friend and business partner at both Monse and ODLR, Fernando Garcia.
Just recently in May, Kim and Garcia wove their magic to conceive a hand-beaded gown with a face-framing hood punctuated by a pair of cat ears for Doja Cat’s Met Gala debut. The iconic ODLR costume was designed to mimic Karl Lagerfeld’s blue-cream Birman feline at the event in honour of the late Chanel visionary. “Doja was amazing to work with, so much fun,” says Kim. “She wanted to dress as a cat from day one.”Meet the Asian royals who dazzled at King Charles’ coronation
Kim adds, “Karl [Lagerfeld] is an enormous inspiration and someone we all look up to in this industry.”
Born in the vibrant city of Seoul, South Korea, Kim’s journey traversed continents when her family embarked on a new chapter and moved to Calgary, Canada. Boasting a natural sartorial prowess from a young age, she later attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn where she studied fashion and landed scholarships from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Fashion Group International, per the CFDA. During this time, Kim cut her teeth doing internships at renowned fashion houses including Jeremy Scott, Tse Cashmere, Donna Karan and then, Oscar de la Renta.
It was here where Kim first met Garcia in 2009, when he started interning at ODLR. The two hit it off and, years later, their creative spirits united to birth their brainchild Monse six years later in 2015.
Popular among celebrities from Sarah Jessica Parker and Blackpink’s Jennie and Lisa to Margot Robbie and Mila Kunis, Monse is inspired by menswear and embraces a deconstructed lens on traditional tailoring, amplifying each collection with audacious details like twisted fabrics, cascading hems and slashed silhouettes.
For its spring/summer 2023 collection, Monse masterfully intertwines utilitarian styles with cameo prints, cut-outs, criss-crossing and voluminous, sheer miniskirts, taking futuristic-chic to a whole new level.
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“We wanted to do couture in a very Monse way,” she explains. The aim of the collection was to “[show] a traditional undergarment as outer garment” says the co-founder, who also recently released the pre-autumn 2023 pieces on the brand’s website.
“Experimental pieces usually tend to do better in Asia,” affirms the 41-year-old, candidly reflecting on her unexpected triumph in the region, even though, initially, Asia wasn’t a targeted market for Monse. “I wanted it to look cute on me, so it ended up being very Asian friendly!”
When asked about Hong Kong fashion, Kim describes it as very “glam”: “I feel people in [Hong Kong] love to dress up and love fashion.”The secrets to her success? Kim’s sacred daily ritual may be part of what keeps her so poised for triumph. Kim never skips her morning meal and says she eats a traditional Korean breakfast everyday. “Food is a huge influence on me as a designer,” she says.
The self-proclaimed foodie, who shares the (delicious) fruits of her labour on her social media account, also finds solace in the realms of culinary artistry. “I spend a lot of time on food presentation, and love to incorporate lots of colours,” she says.
Besides fashion – and yoga, gardening and cooking, all of which Kim enthuses about – the style icon also uses her voice to promote Asian representation in the community. As one fifth of the original “Slaysians”, a squad which includes Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, Tina Leung and Ezra J. William, Kim and her team aren’t afraid to speak up on racial bias in the industry.5 of the best watches at the Met Gala 2023, from Simu Liu to Michelle Yeoh
Yet, as Kim reflects on her own journey, she’s grateful for the endless support that she has received over the years. “I wouldn’t say I’ve ever felt discrimination in the fashion industry,” she shares. “I actually feel very supported in [New York].”
Notably, she hopes to be an inspiration for budding designers and creatives. “I think it’s important to show the younger generation of Asian-Americans that you can be yourself and do what you love, and still be supported in America.”
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