Yeojin Bae is a name synonymous with chic, crisp tailoring and playful colour work. Her latest collection, aptly titled Engineered has just dropped, and to celebrate, we spoke with Yeojin about the collection, her design process and inspirations for the pieces, and the importance in staying curious.
The new collection is titled Engineered; what inspired the name and pieces of the collection?
Yeojin Bae: “The collection name reflected my love of tailoring and garment construction. You need to engineer all the components of creating a garment such as fabrication, patterns, fitting, and all the unseen components inside the garment to create an effortless outer finish”.
Your silhouettes always seem designed with the wearer in mind – feminine, but always striking. This collection features extensions on favourites from collections past; is it difficult striking a balance between wanting to deliver pieces that you know your customers love, but to explore new territory as a designer?
YB: “I always keep my customer in mind when designing my collections. I know my customer who loved my pencil fit dress wants to wear this same silhouette she felt so good in previously but perhaps in a new colour and with a new neckline. There are so many fashion choices readily available now, that you need to have a brand signature which makes you stand apart. At the same time you do try to explore newness with colour, texture and fabrication”.
Colour is a signature of your work. Within this collection, you play with a wide spectrum from pastels to rich ruby reds, what inspired this palette?
YB: “I love colour that looks good against your skin tone, you will never find me create a moody and muted colour palette. I love colours to sing and come alive when you put them on, colour has the ability to transform how you look but also how you feel. I also enjoy colour blocking as you can create a completely different feel just by the right proportion of colour next to each other and you can highlight different parts of the body by placement”.
You celebrated your brand’s 10-year anniversary last year. To date, what has been your proudest career accomplishment?
YB: “That I still have a curiosity to continue and see what’s next. Its 10 years with my own brand but over 20 years working in the industry. That’s a lot of collections and deadlines over the years, and I have changed and grown up over this time and I feel it’s exciting to see what the next chapter is”.
Finally, is there one piece in the collection that has a special place in your heart?
YB: “I love the Fabienne dress. It’s a little sexy with the bust line and neckline band, at the same time the short sleeves and longer skirt balances it back to me a little more day wear if you want. I can imagine this dress being worn with flat loafers or really dressed up with heels. I love a dress that can really change the way it looks by how the wearer makes it their own”.
Engineered is in store and online now. Shop the looks at shop.yeojinbae.com.
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