Fashion career profile
Andre Kim
André Kim, born Kim Bong-nam, was a South Korean designer widely described by Korean cultural sources as the country’s first male fashion designer. After completing a fashion-design course at Kukje Fashion Design Academy in 1961, he presented his first collection and opened Salon André Kim in Seoul’s Sogong-dong in 1962. He became the first Korean designer to stage a Paris fashion show in 1966, and his elaborate eveningwear drew on Korean motifs, embroidery and appliqué while building a distinctive international runway language. His public commissions extended beyond couture: he designed uniforms for the South Korean team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was selected as chief designer for the 1980 Miss Universe pageant. Cultural and charitable service formed another strand of his career, including UNICEF goodwill ambassadorship. In 2010, after his death, South Korea posthumously awarded him the Order of Cultural Merit, Gold Crown. The profile keeps these public and fashion roles distinct rather than collapsing them into one designer-label record.
- Role
- Designer
- Nationality
- Korean
- Age at death
- 74
- Birth name: Kim Bong-namThe Korean Encyclopedia identifies André Kim by his birth name. · Academy of Korean Studies
- Education: Kukje Fashion Design Academy, 1961He completed a fashion-design course as part of the academy’s first class. · André Kim Atelier
- First collection and salon: Salon André Kim, Seoul, 1962Kim presented his first fashion collection and opened his salon in Sogong-dong. · Academy of Korean Studies
- International first: Paris fashion show, 1966Korean sources identify him as the first Korean designer to hold a Paris show. · André Kim Atelier
- Public commission: South Korean team uniforms, Seoul Olympics 1988Kim designed uniforms for the Korean delegation at the Seoul Olympic Games. · Academy of Korean Studies
- Recognition: Order of Cultural Merit, Gold Crown, 2010The highest-grade order was awarded posthumously for his contribution to Korean fashion. · Academy of Korean Studies
- 1961 — Completes fashion-design trainingFinishes the course at the first class of Kukje Fashion Design Academy.
- 1962 — Opens Salon André Kim and presents his first collectionThe Seoul salon opens in Sogong-dong as Kim begins his design career.
- 1966 — Stages the first Paris show by a Korean designerHis Paris presentation brings Korean fashion into a new international setting.
- 1988 — Designs uniforms for the Seoul Olympic teamA national sports commission extends his work beyond couture.
- 2010 — Receives the Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit posthumouslySouth Korea recognizes his contribution to fashion after his death.