By Michello Woo
Photo by Eric Sueyoshi
Thirty minutes before show time, an emergency arises. One of the models doesn’t have the right size shoes. Two badge-wearing girls huddle over a clipboard and then frantically plow through boxes in search of a solution.
“Where are the shoes? We can’t find the shoes!” one cries.
“Are they black and white?” the other asks.
Watching quietly, Joy Han turns behind her, opens a shoebox sitting on a table and lifts out a pair of chunky white platforms.
“Try these,” she says, holding them by the heel straps. The model tries them on, looks satisfied and scurries into the rehearsal lineup.
Done.
It’s a high-heeled circus backstage at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., where Los Angeles’ Fashion Week is taking place. Han, creator of the ultra-hip label Voom by Joy Han, is about to unveil her 2008 Spring/Summer collection. Swarming inside the white tent are producers, stylists, makeup artists, assistants and PR people, all with very important missions.
“First looks, please!” yells a man wearing a tight black shirt and a headset, dodging a jam of reporters and TV cameras.
“Hair person! I need a hair person!” someone blurts from the dressing area.
The designer, dressed whimsically in a yellow polka-dot top, skinny jeans and a floppy black hat, stands poised and undeterred. She calmly surveys the room as her models get powdered, hair-sprayed and pinned.
“This is already my fourth time doing this,” explains Han, who happens to be celebrating her 37th birthday today. “I know what I’m doing.”
Over the past decade, Han has gone from a soft-spoken aspiring designer from Seoul to one of the hottest names in the L.A. fashion scene. She’s known for creating vintage-inspired ensembles with splashes of bold colors. Think ‘50s pinup girls meet Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art. Today’s show has a school-girl-gone-insane feel. Wedged in the models’ high-coifed hair buns are giant Lego blocks, alarm clocks and 3D glasses.
The quiet star of the backstage frenzy, Han is a portrait of confidence. She dishes about an incident that happened earlier in the day. Through some mix-up, a model who was never booked happened to show up. She got her hair and makeup done with the other girls, but show organizers soon discovered she wasn’t on the list.
“We had to let her go,” Han says candidly. “It was pretty crazy, but that’s the business.”
Minutes before show time, the models get ready to step out onto the runway. Han does some final fiddling with their outfits, straightening collars, tucking in tank tops and tugging at belts.
“Thirty seconds!” a producer yells. Suddenly, hip-hop beats blare.
It’s on.
The First Stitch
Born and raised in the bustling city of Seoul, Jonghee Han spent many of her childhood days in her mother’s bridal gown boutique, located just below her family’s loft. She’d watch carefully as the patternmakers and seamstresses transformed rolls of fabric into stunning creations.
One afternoon, when she was 7, Han took some fabric, a pair of scissors and a needle and thread, and created a miniature version of one of the gowns for her doll. Her mother was shocked. It was a near-perfect replica.
“She was like, ‘Wow, what did you do?’” recalls Han, sitting in her vintage boudoir-inspired showroom on the 12th floor of the California Market Center, overlooking the crowded streets of downtown L.A.
She developed a discerning eye for beauty early on as her mother, who was also a judge for the annual Miss Korea pageant, would invite the swimsuit-clad contestants over to the boutique to practice their runway walk. “I’d tell my mom, ‘Oh, she’s not pretty. She’s not a good one,’” she says. “I could pick out who was going to win.”
During her teen years, Han entertained the idea of becoming a singer or dancer (“I always wanted to do something exciting.”), but eventually set her sights on a career in fashion design. At the age of 24, her mother sent her to Utah to attend an English language school. There, she befriended a fellow Korean student named James Kim. They later fell in love and married.
After finishing school, Han packed her bags and moved to California, where she enrolled in the fashion program at L.A.’s American InterContinental University School of Design. Back then it was almost trendy for Korean and Korean American girls to go to fashion school, so she did what she could to distinguish herself from the pack.
“I didn’t want to go to school with a lot of Koreans and get all spoiled and go to clubs every night,” she explains. “I had enough of that in Korea. To be successful, you have to be very motivated.”
With limited English skills, Han threw herself into her studies, staying after class every night to perfect her pieces. Teachers were amazed by her dedication and sharp pattern-making abilities. When her mother was struggling financially, she ended up winning a full scholarship. Everything seemed to fall into place.
At the end of her four-year program, she wanted to throw all she had learned into the school’s much-anticipated graduation fashion show, titled “Va Va Voom.” Han’s collection was bright, sexy and fun, epitomizing her signature style. The audience loved it. That night, she was awarded the grand prize: Best in Show.
In the days after the show, Han was gushing with pride until she picked up a copy of the school magazine. Smiling on the cover was the show’s first-place winner, a white student. Han’s picture was buried somewhere inside the black-and-white pages.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” says Han, who believed race played a part in the editorial decision. “I was young and really afraid. I wanted to go back to Korea. I was like, I know I’m good, but if other people don’t think I was good, what’s the point?”
Though for Han, one thing did come out of the win: A teacher came up to her and suggested that if she ever launches her own line, Va Va Voom might be the perfect name for it. That has a nice ring, Han thought.
Sewing A Brand
After graduating in 1998, Han worked for a private label company that designed styles for mass-market retailers such as Rampage, Bebe and Arden B. A couple years later, she and Kim decided to open their own shop on Melrose. Called James & Joy, the hip boutique carried a mix of trendy clothes and accessories and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces.
Branching off of the store’s success, the husband-and-wife team opened a second Melrose boutique, Voom. Working in a studio above the shop, Han began introducing her designs to the public, stocking a small number of pieces under her own label. Customers devoured the bright art-deco prints, swingy baby-doll silhouettes and fun details.
Han describes Voom by Joy Han, which began mass production in 2005, as having a “twisted vintage” feel: “I always try to think of what’s going to make clothes look fresh and modern, rather than making stuff your grandma would wear,” she explains. Not one to follow trends, Han says she aims to create “new classics,” so that women can wear them any time, any season.
One day, Han walked into the ultra-hip shop Fred Segal in Santa Monica wearing a pair of wide denim gaucho pants she designed. One of the store’s buyers asked her where she bought them. When Han told her about her label, the buyer asked, “Why don’t you sell here?”
Suddenly, Voom by Joy Han emerged as one of Hollywood’s “It” labels, attracting a celebrity clientele. When Paris Hilton was spotted wearing the popular ‘bird dress’ (a chic vintage-like mini-dress embroidered with two little songbirds), Han sold more than 3,000 pieces of the same design. Since then, Han has dressed the likes of Eve, Avril Lavigne and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Eva Longoria reportedly owns a Voom by Joy Han silk headband in every color.
“Before, I never knew how important it was to have celebrities wear my stuff,” says Han, whose dresses retail for about $150 to $300 each. “I didn’t even take pictures when they came in. Maybe I wasn’t a very good business person. Now, the PR company will call me and say, ‘Jessica Alba is going to the store. What do you want us to show her?’ That’s what’s going to make us money. It’s all about marketing.”
Displayed along the shelves of her showroom is a roundup of magazine pages featuring the label. In Life & Style, Heidi Montag of “The Hills” shows off a Voom by Joy Han retro-print empire-waist dress. In In Touch Weekly, Vanessa Minnillo is decked in a Voom by Joy Han floral number.
Leading a tour of the label’s headquarters, Han walks past racks of the latest samples, some accessory displays (she’s working on adding jewelry pieces to the line) and a collection of denim swatches.
In a room filled with mannequins, patternmakers work on the latest designs. The staff includes Han’s older sister Jinhwa, who once worked at their mother’s bridal boutique.
“Joy is very easy to work with,” she says. “She explains things very well.”
Kim, who says his job is to “follow and support” Han, enjoys working side-by-side with his wife. “She is very hardworking and has a good energy,” he says.
Han’s laundry list of responsibilities include holding fittings, casting models for the runway shows, overseeing the production of the pieces, traveling across the country to attend various trade shows, and, of course, designing. Each season, she creates more than 40 different styles. The label is now carried in more than 600 specialty boutiques across the globe, including Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, France, Bermuda and Greece.
Han recently launched a mass-market label called Va Va, which is expected to hit the junior section of department stores such as Macy’s. One of her long-term goals is to create high-couture pieces and show them on the New York runways.
“Maybe one day, when I don’t have to think about money, I’ll make something really crazy,” she says with a smile.
Walk Of Success
Back at Smashbox Studios, Han’s models step onto the runway wearing fire-engine-red boleros, stripe mini dresses, high-waisted yellow shorts, black vinyl jackets and ultra-shiny satin slips. The audience is packed with socialites, industry folks, a handful of celebrities and notebook-toting fashion writers, who will sum up the show with lines like “Voom made audience members think ‘va-va voom’ as soon as the bold outfits took the stage” (Hollywood Today).
Sitting near the front is Han’s mother, Junok Choi, who smiles while holding a video camera. “Joy has always been talented,” she says proudly.
After showcasing more than 50 looks, the models make way for the cheery designer, who’s ready to take her walk of glory. Strolling down the runway, she claps and waves as the crowd roars.
Following her is a model carrying a birthday cake. Cued by the deejay, the 50 Cent hit blares: “Go shorty. It’s your birthday. We gonna party like it’s your birthday.” Han turns to the model and laughs.
Later on, Han will say that the show was a success and that her phones are ringing off the hook with sales inquiries. She’ll mention that there’s no time for a break — L.A. Market Week is up next.
But for now, Han simply embraces her moment in the spotlight. Today, in the always-surprising circus that is the L.A. fashion scene, she is the star.
Effortless Elegance
For designer Jenny Han, it’s all about the details. “I notice every last stitch, seam and button,” says the 35-year-old up-and-comer, whose signature label made its runway debut last month at Fashion Week in Los Angeles. “I’ve been known to buy something just because of a button. Things like that are what make a garment special.”
Launched in 2004, her brand is for women who want to embrace their femininity. Think silk babydoll dresses, satin jewel-collared blouses and tops adorned with crepe rosettes. What you wear, she believes, can have the power to make you feel gorgeous. “Growing up, clothes ruled my life,” says Han, an Orange County native who has frequented boutiques and flea markets across the globe. “They encouraged me to use my imagination and have an opinion and a point of view. They gave me confidence.”
Favorite designers: Prada, Chloe, Lanvin, Rochas and Balenciaga.
Sketch artist: “I love seeing something start from a scribble or a sloppy sketch, to seeing it get sewn in the assembly line in the factory, to hanging in the front window of a store.”
Not part of the crowd: “I don’t like trends. There is nothing interesting or sophisticated about being obvious.”
The Modern-Day Atelier
In the mass production of garments, the artistic intricacies of style can get lost. That’s when Jussara Lee steps in. Having launched her own ready-to-wear label in 1991, the Brazil-born designer segued into made-to-order, hand-tailored clothing. Her New York flagship store is stocked with rolls of fabrics, trim and button selections so that clients can handpick little details to create a garment that’s totally unique. Clients often come in for two fittings before the piece is ready to take home.
“My goal is to strengthen the craft of hand-tailoring and, through that, add some substance to people’s wardrobes,” says Lee, 40. Her jackets, trousers, cardigans and vests exude a charming old-world style. Each garment is given a personal touch. On the labels, the name of the person who sewed the item is included.
Her inspiration: “A smile can be very inspiring. I usually admire the work of painters, sculptors, writers and musicians, rather than designers.”
On the next big trend in fashion: “I am the last one to care about trends.”
Clothing With a Conscious
A brand for the true “urban nomad” — one who moves through life on subways, bicycles and foot — Undesigned by Carol Young sticks to the philosophy that clothes are meant to be lived in. The 35-year-old Angeleno creates handcrafted apparel using eco-friendly fabrics such as soy, bamboo, hemp and polar fleece made from soda bottles.
The label evolved from her master’s thesis project at Cornell University, where she researched sustainable clothing design. She was particularly roused by the possibilities for “undesigned” recycled fabrics in everyday wear: “I realized there’s a glut of used clothing that is sent overseas, but ends up devastating local textile and apparel economies in Third World countries,” she says.
In addition to her eco-friendly ideologies (She donates all fabric scraps to local children’s arts programs and various nonprofits and schools), women delight in Young’s seasonless pieces, which come in clean, modern and flattering silhouettes. “I enjoy the process of making clothes and testing them out,” she says. “It’s like being a live experiment.”
Her favorites: “During my pregnancy, I lived in my Bamboo and Soy C-Sleeve Reversible Bubble Tunics, which are super comfy, yet stylish.”
Her inspiration: “Life,” she says. Besides designing, some of Young’s hobbies include yoga, hiking in Los Angeles’ Elysian and Griffith Parks, visiting museums and spending time with her husband, Peter, and new baby, Hugo.
It Started with a T-Shirt
Julie Park and Vanessa Vogel set out to create the closet staple that every woman could embrace — the perfect T-shirt.
Mission accomplished. Using a special fabric imported from Italy, the L.A. duo manufactured a collection that was soft and luxurious, delicate, yet durable. In 2004, ParkVogel was born.
Today, the company has expanded to include a cashmere line, cozy intimates and a collection of jersey knit separates made of eco-friendly Swiss cotton. Its mission is to produce affordable pieces without compromising quality.
Park, a graphic artist turned fashion designer, says the brand is for people like herself, those who have an eye for style, but don’t need to chase every latest trend. “I’m not a teenager anymore,” says Park, 39. “I’m not a huge bag and huge sunglasses type of woman. Our pieces are simple and wearable and timeless.”
Favorite designers: “I’ve always been a big fan of Jill Saunders. And I love [Martin] Margiela’s odd style.”
Positive feedback: “People will write to us things like, ‘Why is ParkVogel so addictive?’ Comments like that make my heart jump a little.”
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Featured Event
One of the the biggest Asian cinema events to hit Southern California opens on May 10. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, features the latest works by established and emerging filmmakers, along with seminars, panel discussions and symposiums on topics relevant to Asian Pacific cinema.
Opening Night features “Shanghai Calling,” directed by Daniel Hsia and starring Korean American Daniel Henney, who plays a Chinese American expat lawyer navigating his way through the mean streets of Shanghai (the picture above also indicates he is a raisin smuggler). But does he take off his shirt? Go watch the movie to find out! read more
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