TheOpen Product is South Korea’s most popular fashion brand at the moment. They have collaborated with New Era and adidas Originals, as well as having celebrities like Kendall Jenner. The label, which is headed by sisters Boyoung Kim and Jiyoung Kim, has launched on HBXWM to expand its reach globally. The founders shared that they don’t have a set aesthetic because beauty is timeless and can be expressed in many different ways. The Open Product is a way for the founders to challenge the conservative Korean fashion industry’s societal standards. The Kims have leveraged their social media influence to expand their brand and make their designs accessible worldwide.
The siblings updated their HBXWM Fall/Winter 2020 collection of knit bolero tops, sweaters, and jackets with new lilac, and metallic silver colorways. This is their first HBXWM drop. We have a conversation with both co-founders. You can also shop the brand’s designs at HBXWM.
One of the founders, Boyoung Kim says:
“Ironically, we were very far from fashion in school and our careers. Although we were both observers from afar of the fashion industry, we felt that there was a need for a little “fun” in the conservative Korean fashion industry. I’m a very spontaneous person, and don’t plan ahead. We didn’t do any major planning when we started the brand. We worked together and focused on the present. This is how we created TheOpen Product. There are tasks that we have split up and teams that concentrate on certain areas. We make sure that the overall business mood and direction are maintained throughout. To get the most out of our projects, we both need one another’s support. Our greatest advantage is being sisters when it comes to communication and managing our business. The perfect harmony is created when we support each other and work together to improve our weaknesses. This allows us to get the most out of our business. You can look to many places for inspiration. In Korea, most people dress in the same way they are expected to. Our clothes were designed with the intention of allowing people to confidently wear what is most important to them and allow them to experiment with new looks without feeling restricted. We draw inspiration from many sources, including movies, documentaries and people we meet in the street. The elderly are often my inspiration. They dress in unique, unconstrained clothes that show originality. There are no limits to the designs that can be made between womenswear and menswear. Streetwear and runway also challenge traditional gender norms.”
“TheOpen Product took a brief hiatus in 2018, as beauty is always changing and cannot be defined. We decided to take a short break in 2018 because we needed to recharge. It was a great way to let go of unnecessary things. We were worried about the pandemic, but didn’t have a plan B. We don’t have a lot of business strategy knowledge so we decided to just stick to the original plan and continue to move forward. The pandemic didn’t limit us in any way. We were inspired by the ’90s for our 2020 collection. For our first collection we created a simple bolero-cardigan similar to long arm-warmers. We made another style for the FW20 collection with a cut-out at the front. Both of these designs were bold and ambitious for us. These cardigans can be worn as statement pieces or they can be used as versatile garments. These designs will be available in the HBX exclusive collection in silver and purple. We hope our customers will be able to mix and match our outfits according to their mood and the weather. This latest collection is inspired by the fantasy era in the ’00s. The latest lineup is inspired by the fantasy era of the ’00s. For comfort, we enjoy traveling to both familiar and unfamiliar places. We are always open to new ideas. Since our launch, we wanted to create a showroom that customers could connect with our brand. Due to pandemic-related restrictions we had to postpone the idea, but now we plan to open a flagship store in order to fulfill our goal of offering space to our customers.”
