Meet Zoey Asemota, a fashion design graduate at Liverpool John Moores University. Zoey’s final collection is all about Korean pop, her favourite genre of music. Inspired by the way that K-Pop music not only spreads positivity and joy, but also communicates messages about bullying, mental health, LGBTQ rights, women’s emancipation and more, Zoey’s work is a love letter to the genre. Read on to learn more!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
The most valuable thing I have learned in University would be problem solving and not giving up until I have tried every possible way to solve a problem, wether it is a small or major problem.
Tell us about your current projects and work, what have you been working on?
My final major project: Final Collection is about how does Korean pop music makes me feel. Korean pop is my escape and freedom from reality whenever I feel frustrated, need to relax and the need to forget about any negative emotions and worries, Korean pop music gives me that. The music is sensitive, inspirational, happy, colourful, energetic and gives me comfort. The music is not the only thing that gives me comfort but so does the video clips, as they have meaning and gives you the imagination and inspiration in life and the fashion the idols wear in their music videos, day to day life and reward shows. The fashion idols wear varies from streetwear to classic to comfy and trendy wear and that is one of many reasons why I love Korean pop music and their fashion.
Korean pop is my Hwa Yong Yeon Hwa, which stands for the most beautiful moment in life and that is the title to my final major collection, as Korean pop music ( BTS) really is the most beautiful moment in my life. Where did I get the name from? “H Y Y H” which is a phrase by the Korean pop group BTS which stands for “Hwa Yong Yeon Hwa” (Hangul: 화양연화) (Chinese: 花樣年華). It means the most beautiful or happiest time of one’s life and that is what my final major collection is about. The idea is to recreate the feeling Korean pop music give me personally in garment form. The way I will be showcasing this feeling Korean pop music gives me is by use of different fabrication, playing with colour that expresses Korean pop music which is colourful and playing with proportion and size to get that feeling across.
What form does your final project take?
The form my final major collection exists out is six full outfits with accessories. Each outfit in this collection exist out of a top and bottoms and some even have an undergarment or accessories that will be worn over or attached to the garment, as this means their detachable. My collection is an outerwear-based collection, each outfit has a type of coat. Outfit 1 is an oversized puffer with an oversized bow collar. Outfit 2 is an oversized tailored jacket with a detachable trench coat piece attached to the left front side, and a mandarin shirt. Outfit 3 is an oversized button up shirt with the buttons on the back and an oversized bow collar on the back side and a pocket on the seam on the front of the bodices.
Outfit 4 is an oversized tailored jacket with detachable pockets and a bib accessory in the shape of a bow collared shirt that is worn over the tailored jacket. Outfit 5 is an oversized two piece, under piece is a puffer coat cropped with one sleeve on the right side. Top piece is a tailored jacket but wooded as a puffer coat and has one sleeve on the left side and an oversized out of proportion collar. Outfit 6 is a flat stitched trench coat. The idea is that all the pieces and panels on the trench coat are flat stitched on top of the bodice, stitched with a twin needle for a nice finish and a mandarin shirt. Each outfit has a pair of tailored bootcut trousers and are made in different fabrics and different sized bootcut depending on the outerwear. Outfit 2 and 6 get an oversized mandarin collar shirt with a bow on the front, as these coats need something to be worn underneath not to show to much skin.
How have you evolved as a young creative while studying / working?
As a young creative trying to juggle my studies and working a student job to provide for myself and to make extra cash for fabrics for my final major collection, what I can say is that it was a hard task to do but did manage to do so and did not struggle as much as I expected to in my final year. If I had a choice not to work while being in university I would not be, but as an EU student my maintainers loan did not cover everything. The main reason why I started working to make sure I had money to spend on fabrics, sewing equipment’s, books and clothing of course. I was in university Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in from 10:00-16:00 but closer to the end of the year I would go in on Wednesday to do more work and stay in till 21:00 pm that is the latest you could day behind and use the facilities.
I work in the COS in my city, the schedule was very flexible and if you could not do a shift you could swap with your collages and they gave most students that worked there a lot of support especially when you had work at 16:15 and your classes ended at 16:00 they would not argue with you as long you called to let them know. Me being a creative young individual and studying and working while being in university was the best experience that I have had was amazing and could not ask for any better mangers and tutors that understood if you had to leave 10 min earlier than usually. This experience has thought me a lot about how to manage my time and how timing is everything, if you do not put in the effort you will not get anywhere.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
My final major collection theme is Korean music and will be focusing on Korean pop music. The main inspiration and focus point are BTS, BTS is the biggest boy band in the Korean pop music industry and in the world, as they are world wild known. The reason why I have chosen Korean pop music is that Korean pop music is my H Y Y H which is a phrase by the Korean pop group BTS which stands for “Hwa Yong Yeon Hwa” (Hangul: 화양연화) (Chinese: 花樣年華). It means the most beautiful or happiest time of one’s life and that is what my final major collection is about and is named. Korean pop music is my most beautiful and happiest time of my life and I wanted to share that with the world. Korean pop has never been as popular as it is right now in today’s society as racism against Asians and K-pop was big but not as much anymore.
BTS has made a change in the world with their music with hidden messages, singing about bullying, mental health, LGBTQ rights, women’s emancipation and personal independence, to love yourself and so much more points we youths go through… one thing for sure is that BTS’s concept is to stop the stereo typing, criticism and expectations people have about the young generation and their fashion. My collections purpose is to recreate what Korean pop (BTS) music means to me personally in garment form. By recreating that feeling Korean pop music gives me by using different fabrication, playing with colour that expresses Korean pop music which is colourful and playing with proportion and size to get that feeling across that BTS in particular give me, being inspired by the Korean street wear and idol fashion.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
I am passionate about fixing cultural appropriation within the fashion industry. In today’s society cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation have a big role within the fashion industry, this issue has been around for a while in form of use and abuse of clothing and models. The fact there have been to many incidents within the fashion industry, the passed and that some of these big brands still make the same mistake is a big issue, which we cannot solve of night but by educating the people about what this issue is not acceptable could change the numbers of cultural appropriation happening.
Cultural appropriation is a common mistake that many people make with or without knowing and therefor it will be hard for this issue to go all at once. As I have mentioned before many brands such as H&M and Gucci are guilty of this for repeatedly allowing it to happen within their brands, which I do not get why it does. The repetitiveness of this problem is what is the most worrying if you ask me. This is why I am passionate about fixing cultural appropriation because it has become a norm in the fashion industry to appropriate each other’s cultures, which should not be the case.
The difference between appropriation and appreciation are two different things to do with cultures and people get these mix up with or without knowing, which should not be an excuse or reason for that behaviour. The easiest way around being called out for cultural appropriation is if you are actually appreciating the culture you took elements from by adding referencing about that particular culture you got inspired by or to do a mission statement regarding that culture or the biggest help is actually being educated about this issue which could stop you from appropriating a cultured unknowing.
What is your plan for the future?
My plan for the future is to take year to develop more skills by learning, experience in the industry by getting internship and working on my final collection I never did because of the COVID-19. I’m going to focus on my passions which includes designing and making of men’s and women’s garments, technical drawings and modelling on the side and see where they take me. I believe following your true passions is the only way to be truly happy and successful. I have promised myself after 1-3 years I will look on doing a masters in pattern cutting,