Humans of Yonsei

How I am Pursuing my Goal at Yonsei to Launch My Own Fashion Brand August 27, 2020

Master’s candidate in Clothing and Textiles Vlada from Kyrgyzstan

Name: Vlada Ten

Major: Clothing and Textiles (Master’s candidate, entering class of ‘19)

“Which country could be the best place to study for an overseas Korean who was born and raised far away from one’s homeland yet always had the longing to go back? This was precisely the reason that South Korea was my one and only goal for postgraduate studies, without a doubt.

In the last century, a plethora of Koreans, who are now known as “Koryoin,” had to immigrate to Central Asia; however, they were not given the opportunity to move back to their motherlands. Thus, for a person coming from the Koryoin background, I have witnessed my ancestors’ will to return to their homeland while growing up. Since the age of 5, I had a dream to study in Korea one day. It took me 17 years, but now I’m here at Yonsei University as a Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) scholar.

I’m currently in my second year of master’s degree in fashion design at the Department of Clothing and Textiles. More specifically, my specialization lies in Apparel Design and Planning within the broader spectrum of fashion design. Before studying at Yonsei for this field, I merely associated fashion design as a form of art and never envisioned approaching it from the point of science and social impact. However, at Yonsei, I have been studying all spheres of fashion, such as design, trend analysis, marketing, and processing in terms of sustainability, ethical consumption, and interaction with the environment. The new knowledge about fashion that I have acquired from classes over the last two years has considerably impacted my attitude towards the consumption of clothing and enabled me to think globally and more ethically.

To make use of the theories that I have learned from Yonsei and apply it to real life, I have done an internship at a designer brand called Asian Illumination. Through this valuable opportunity, I was hoping to fulfill the lack of practical experiences in fashion. During the internship, I was able to experience firsthand the process of making clothes—starting from a simple idea to creating a design and fashion illustration, shopping for textiles and accessories, making patterns and sewing to finally merchandising the finished items. In the course of the arduous process, I also made use of the theories I had learned from the master’s lectures, such as trend analysis and marketing. Thanks to this great opportunity, I was able to realize that I love the process of making clothes with all of my heart.

After graduation, I am hoping to stay in South Korea and continue to walk this path in fashion design. I would love to gain more experiences in fashion brands so that I could prepare myself to launch my own brand ultimately.”

Interview by student reporter Chaewan Lee

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For more information on how to pursue your graduate studies in Korea at Yonsei University, click here. Spring 2021 application period for the Yonsei Graduate School begins in late October.

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