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Flower-themed fashion is having its moment right now. The Met Gala’s 2024 dress code being “The Garden of Time” speaks to the popularity of these designs, as many celebrities donned suits and dresses decorated with elaborate blossoms, petals, and leaves to honor the beauty of the natural world. But one Korean fashion illustrator has been obsessed with the idea of floral designs long before they were trending in the news.
Jae Suk Kim is a fashion illustrator and art director who mainly works in Seoul, Singapore, and Sydney. His work has shown up in numerous fashion shows, as well as famous publications including Vogue and Harper’s BAZAAR. He specializes in women’s fashion, especially dresses, and his multimedia design drawings are works of art. By using a combination of paint and pencil, Kim’s designs bloom to life on the page. Skirts turn into blossoming gardens right before your eyes, as the artist carefully paints tiny flowers on top of flouncy fabric.
Kim starts most of his floral illustrations by painting small blossoms around the legs of the model, before carefully rolling over them to spread them out in the shape of a skirt. Surprisingly, this doesn’t entirely ruin the shape of the flower, instead it merely disperses it across the page. From there, Kim begins to paint smaller, delicate flowers all over the skirt, filling the space up with beautiful petals. Sometimes, he also draws a vine or twig pattern to outline the skirt before filling it in, giving his designs even more of a natural touch.
In some of his most vibrant pieces, Kim doesn’t just paint the flowers in, he actually places real blooms and petals on the dress, providing it with breathtaking realism. He places the delicate flowers in careful rows on the page, creating depth and texture and providing the viewer with the impression of folds or creases in the fabric. From there, he fills in the rest of the empty space with paint, while ensuring that the flowers are the main focus of the piece.
To keep up with Kim’s work and continue watching his step-by-step process videos, be sure to follow the artist on Instagram.
Jae Suk Kim is a Korean fashion illustrator best known for his floral dress designs.
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Kim uses paint as a base that he spreads in the shape of a skirt, before going in and carefully painting in small, delicate flowers.
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In some of his most vibrant designs, the fashion artist uses real flowers and petals to complete the look.
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Jae Suk Kim: Instagram | Portfolio
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