Celebrating Okay-culture and Okay-heritage by way of trend – Blogs By Nerissa

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Disclaimer: This publish is sponsored by KORELIMITED. All ideas and opinions expressed are my very own. 

Let me start by saying – I don’t often do sponsored posts on my weblog. However this one is totally different and also you’ll see why as you learn on. 

I primarily write about three issues: (1) Life in Canada, (2) Korean tradition and (3) private tales. So after I was supplied the chance to be an envoy for KORELIMITED, I didn’t assume twice. One of many key causes I agreed to advertise right here is because of the model’s authenticity and ties with Korean tradition, making it a great match for my weblog. 


Language is a window into the soul of a tradition. I’ve been learning Korean for over a yr a half now and the extra I be taught, the extra fascinated I grow to be with the traditions and general tradition of that nation. For sure, the Korean music (Okay-music) I regularly take heed to, the Korean lyrics whose meanings attempt to decode, the numerous Korean dramas (Okay-dramas) I watch, and the various Korean YouTubers, influencers and translators I observe on social media, have fast-tracked my understanding of Korean tradition (Okay-culture). 

For anybody who has been immersed on this planet of Okay-dramas or Okay-music, there are three stuff you merely can’t ignore: Korean magnificence (Okay-beauty), Korean meals (Okay-food), and Korean trend (Okay-fashion) – these are a few of the integral parts that make up Okay-culture. I do have quite a bit to say about Okay-beauty and Okay-food, however I’ll go away these for one more day. On this publish, let’s give attention to Okay-fashion. 

After I hear the time period ‘Okay-fashion’, my thoughts immediately drifts to 2 distinct kinds: (1) very fairly trying, pastel-colored garments and (2) saggy streetwear. The clothes model, KORELIMITED, is in regards to the latter. 

What’s within the identify

KORELIMITED, also referred to as KORE, stands for Keepin Our Roots Everlasting. And what a becoming identify that’s (no pun meant)! In an interview with the Korean American Middle, KORELIMITED’s founder, Matthew Kim, described the model as ‘streetwear that celebrates Korean tradition and way of life.’ Their apparels mirror trendy and creative designs which can be impressed by numerous points of Korean tradition comparable to language, nationwide symbols, and the liberty motion. 

Extra about KORE 

Launched in 2013, KORE’s designs have been appreciated by many in style artists. Some noteworthy names embody Tiger JK, SanE, Kim Jong Kook, Cho Arden, Lee Jin Joo from DNCE, and the dancers from 1MILLION Dance Studio. And it’s not simply in regards to the designs; the attire is made with high quality cloth that can final lengthy.

Listed here are three explanation why I believe their designs stand out: 

1. Spreading positivity and hope

I seen a utilization of the time period 살자 (sal-ja), that means ‘let’s dwell,’ of their designs. To somebody who isn’t conscious of the South Korean setting and society, that is simply one other phrase on an attire. However when you look deeper into it, right here’s how the that means unfolds: 

KORE founder, Matthew Kim was impressed by one other main Korean streetwear model that used the time period ‘자살 membership’ (Ja-sal membership), that means ‘suicide membership’ on their garments. A lesser recognized truth is that South Korea’s suicide price is the fourth highest on this planet. With the thought of selling positivity and hope, Matthew flipped the phrase 자살 (ja-sal) to create 살자 (sal-ja), making it one in every of their hottest designs. Minor edits in phrases like these is why I like the Korean language!  

Enjoyable truth: I made a decision to be taught Korean after watching BTS’ chief, RM, clarify a few of the finer nuances of the language (video timestamp: 6:40) in one in every of his dwell reveals the place he talked in regards to the relationship and similarities between 사람 (sa-ram; that means: particular person), 사랑 (sa-rang; that means: love), and 살아 (sa-ra; that means: dwell). 

When the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, KORE launched a brand new assortment of masks embroidered with the phrase 같이 살자 (ga-chi sal-ja; that means: collectively, let’s dwell) – a message conveying that to ensure that us to dwell collectively, we should defend each other by doing our half, comparable to carrying masks. What’s nice is that 100 per cent of the proceeds from the acquisition of their KORE face masks and the Let’s Dwell Collectively face masks are donated in direction of the acquisition of N95 masks for frontline staff in want. 

BUY NOW     
Keep secure by training social distancing and utilizing masks when stepping out. 
Get your masks now (affiliate hyperlink) and flaunt the distinctive designs! 

2. Selling Korean tradition and heritage

One other cool factor about KORE’s designs is the utilization of varied conventional motifs comparable to: 

  • The Korean dragon that’s symbolic of knowledge, serenity, justice, and fortune; 
  • Trigrams or stripes and hues from the Korean flag; 
  • The Goryeo design, primarily based on the royal flag 봉기 (bong-ki) from the Goryeo dynasty, one of many Korean kingdoms that lasted from 918 A.D. to 1392 A.D.;
  • The Korean tiger, which is commonly present in Korean folklore. It’s thought of a sacred creature that symbolizes good luck and safety from evil spirits;
  • Mugunghwa, the nationwide flower of South Korea. 

All of those make for very fascinating designs that you just can’t assist however adore and adorn! The Goryeo design and the Mugunghwa are my private favourites. 

Enjoyable truth: The Goryeo/Joseon and the Korean dragon designs had been prominently displayed within the well-known 2016 Okay-drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Coronary heart Ryeo and extra not too long ago within the Okay-drama, The King: Everlasting Monarch in addition to BTS’ Suga’s music video for 대취타 (Dechwita), the title observe of his mixtape, D-2. Scarlet Coronary heart Ryeo (the phrase Ryeo stems from Goryeo) holds a really particular place in my coronary heart as that drama was the place my fascination with Okay-culture started. I keep in mind being awestruck after I noticed the lead actors put on these glorious-looking robes with the motifs!  

BUY NOW     
Irrespective of your private model, KORELIMITED has one thing for everybody. 
Get your Okay-culture impressed attire now (affiliate hyperlink) and flaunt the distinctive designs!

3. Design collabs with rising artists 

KORE regularly collaborates with numerous Korean artists weaving their private model, inspiration, and designs to their very own clothes line.  

Some key collabs embody:

  • street_saint_art: For the retro designs with Korean crime-fighting robotic, Taekwon V.
  • Artist Kim Jung Gi: For reproducing one in every of his in style Korean flag drawings. 
  • Artist and photographer, Johnson Le: For the 80s-inspired, KOR3 Retro designs. 
  • Musician, JinJoo: For the 닥치시오 (or STFU) and 꺼지시오 (GTFO) designed-apparel.
  • Dokgo, a rising tattoo artist in Seoul: For the ‘Falcon’ design.
  • Skilled dancer, Sori Na: For the ‘Fry Day’ design.
  • Musician blogger and YouTuber, Ahn Jun Sung: For the ’93’ shirt design, symbolising his start yr. 
  • Artist, Gil So Ra: For the ‘Lady in Hanbok’ assortment.

The place to purchase KORE attire?

All KORE clothes and accessories are at the moment accessible on-line solely by way of their official web site: www.KORELIMITED.com. Founder, Matthew Kim says that they do have plans to open bodily shops sooner or later. So preserve an eye fixed out for that! In the meantime, you possibly can observe them on Instagram to remain up-to-date with their newest collections, gross sales, and presents . 

Head over to KORELIMITED now to discover their superb designs!  
(affiliate hyperlink)

I hope you loved studying this publish. Keep tuned for upcoming articles on different points of Okay-culture. You’ll be able to enroll now to get e mail alerts for all new posts.

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