Fashion career profile
Laura Kim
Laura Kim is a Korean-born American fashion designer and co-founder of MONSE with Fernando Garcia. She earned a BFA in Fashion Design from Pratt Institute in 2004 and began her career at Oscar de la Renta, where she and Garcia met on the design team. The pair launched MONSE in 2015, building an independent label around deconstructed tailoring and modern eveningwear. Kim and Garcia were appointed co-creative directors of Oscar de la Renta in 2016 and led its collections for nine years. In 2025, they announced they would step down after the house’s final 2026 collections and focus their attention on MONSE; its 2026 collection materials continue to credit their work. Her Oscar de la Renta role is now marked former; her primary role reflects the continuing MONSE partnership. The database records the MONSE position as sourced profile enrichment because MONSE does not yet have a linked brand-directory entity. This avoids leaving her most current professional work hidden behind a stale Oscar de la Renta title.
- Role
- Co-Founder and Co-Creative Director, MONSE
- Career appointments
- 1
- Fashion houses
- 1
- Education: BFA in Fashion Design, Pratt Institute (2004)Pratt Institute identifies Kim as a 2004 BFA alumna in Fashion Design. · Pratt Institute
- MONSE: Co-founded MONSE with Fernando Garcia in 2015MONSE identifies Kim and Garcia as founders; its runway archive marks the label’s ten-year milestone in 2026. · MONSE
- Oscar de la Renta: Co-Creative Director, 2016–2026The departure report documents the end after nine years and identifies the 2016 appointment. · Vogue Business
- Current creative work: Continues to co-lead MONSE with Fernando GarciaMONSE’s 2026 collection page continues to credit Kim and Garcia; this is kept distinct from her former Oscar de la Renta post. · MONSE
- 2004 — Graduates from Pratt InstitutePratt identifies Kim as a BFA Fashion Design graduate.
- 2015 — Co-founds MONSEMONSE’s history and decade collection identify Kim and Garcia as founders.
- 2016 — Appointed Co-Creative Director of Oscar de la RentaThe appointment is dated 2016 and the role ended after nine years.
- 2025 — Announces exit from Oscar de la Renta after the 2026 collectionsThe announcement says Kim and Garcia will finish the house’s final collections, expected for Pre-Fall and Autumn/Winter 2026, then focus on MONSE.
- 2016–2026 — Co-Creative Director — Oscar de la RentaHistorical appointment · Vogue Business