After K-pop, K-drama and K-fashion, could Korean design be the next big cultural phenomenon out of Korea?
- Korean music, TV, food and fashion have been huge in the last decade. Author Fiona Bae says K-design is next, and tells the story of this burgeoning industry
- From interior designer Teo Yang to Kwangho Lee, an artist making stools from garden hoses, Bae spotlights this wave of talent, and other K-style trailblazers
Four billion views on YouTube don’t lie: disco anthem “Gangnam Style”, released in 2012 by rapper Psy, put Korean culture front and centre on the global stage.
The world wanted more. What would become known as the K-pop phenomenon gave rise to K-fashion, K-drama, K-beauty and K-cuisine, a trend spawned in Asia and quickly picked up by Western markets.
Now, in Make, Break, Remix: The Rise of K-Style, a new book examining what sparked it all, author Fiona Bae predicts that K-design will become the next Korean wave.
And that, in itself, will be by design. “Through the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, the government has been nurturing design talent for decades, focusing on supporting students and designers who are combining design and technology,” Bae says.
“As a result, Korean designers have mastered a unique combination of technology, use of new materials with craftsmanship, and digital know-how – that’s a very refreshing look that resonates with many different cultures,” she adds. “It also feels warm and human-centred, which I think is something we all crave.”