Mannish lines from an ex-tomboy.

(From The Korea Herald)

By Hwang You-mee Standing amid tens of headless mannequins wearing her pieces for an upcoming fashion show, designer Choi Yeon-ok appears amazingly calm as she labels each mannequin in order of appearance. Dressed in casual khaki pants and a black T-shirt befitting the frantic timetable as a designer with a show just around the corner and a mother of a one-year old son, she manages to exude cool confidence which can be found in her structured clothes. "I have never been feminine as I grew up playing with my older brothers. Unlike other designers I did not even made clothes for my dolls. Not that I had many," recalled Choi who will present her collection Wednesday as part of the Seoul Fashion Artists Association's 2004 spring/summer collection which kicks off today. Her tomboyish childhood still influences her designs. Her clothes are mostly mannish, straight and strong with linear lines that resemble her straightforward character although some are finished with elaborate details. To her parents' dismay, she majored in crafts at Sookmyung Women's University. "They were quite strict. My father served in the army and can be described as Captain von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music.' So imagine what I had to go through when I told them I wanted to be a fashion designer," said Choi. She did not have particular interest in art or fashion until she took classes in style drawing. "In those classes fashion started to appeal to me. Since my parents did not even consider my being an artist and rejected every boyfriend I had as my future husband, I went on to graduate school and majored in fashion anyway," said Choi.

She then worked at Francoise under the guidance of designer Jin Teok for three and a half years through very stiff competition. "I didn't realize how lucky I was to work under her. I was too young and wanted to design whatever I wanted without anybody telling me what to do and how to do it," said Choi. So she struck out on her own at age 29. After opening five boutiques in five years she learned that designers in Korea did not have the luxury to express one's own feelings or sentiments freely. "I spent more time on paperwork and administrative details than actually designing clothes. Those five years felt like 50 years. There were times when I felt I might not be cut out for this job," she said.

It was the responses from the customers and her sense of duty towards her employees that kept her going through those frustrating moments. "When I set up my shop I didn't think much of it. I just thought it would be an atelier where I could design on my own. But when I faced reality, I figured out that I can't just design what I liked and what I strongly felt. I also had to keep the customers in mind. If I wanted to do that my creations would be ...