YUUL YIE, THE LABEL FUSING KOREAN HERITAGE WITH A GEOMETRIC APPROACH

After first learning that Korean designer Sunyuul Yie approaches shoes “like miniature pieces of sculpture on the feet” it’s no surprise the pieces of her label Yuul Yie have a distinct geometrical feeling about them. Founding Yuul Yie in 2010, Yie has since made it her mission to fully embrace the fields of interior, architecture, and of course sculptures to bring a sense of sharpness to her signature shoes and handbags. This minimalistic vibe marks the frame of her aesthetic, Yie says: “When I’m designing, I try to take away rather than try to add. Too many visual factors can interfere with design.”

Her aesthetic’s core on the other hand is the designer’s Korean heritage – directly interwoven with her minimalist approach, as Yie explains: “Korean art has a static atmosphere and cares about the beauty of the blank – it’s all about moderation, the lingering imagery.” Turned into shoes and bags, the key elements of Yuul Yie’s range, this stripped back feel becomes evident in large colorful spaces and equally as bold sharp structures and shapes. “There are unique characteristics and colors in Korean art culture, and those colors create moods,” Yie says, “I especially like traditional Korean pieces and ornaments. Pearl, jade, crystal, mother-of-pearl; these are traditional Korean materials for woman’s accessories and the colors of each are mysterious.”

And it’s not just with the moodboard that Yie takes a trip from her base in London to Korea, but also with the production, as each piece is handcrafted in Seoul – another aspect infusing the shoes and bags with an aspect of distinct Korean tradition, she explains: “The best thing about Korean-made product is the high level of craftsmanship. Many craftsmen have older, traditional skills – especially for shoe and bag makers – and as the newly evolved culture develops, this combination allows us to produce new fashion cultures.” Which in this case happen to come in the shapes of shoes and bags.