KUSIKOHC’S REBELLION – SSENSE
Wed 23 Nov
Photographer and Designer Cho Gi-Seok is Taking Risks and Defining the Next Generation of Korean Fashion
Photography started out as an obligation for Cho Gi-Seok. Capturing images himself wasn’t the original intention, but the Korean sculptor and set designer first picked up a camera in 2015 to document his art projects. Now one of the most in-demand photographers in fashion, Cho captures emotive and ethereal photos that have graced the pages of Dazed Korea, KING KONG, SOL Magazine, Kinfolk, CR Fashion Book, and most recently, the cover of Vogue Italia.
As celebrated as Cho is, there’s an element of mystery surrounding his clothing and accessories brand, KUSIKOHC. The Seoul-based label couldn’t be more direct and head-on in its messaging: It’s at once rebellious and vulnerable, fierce and delicate, raw but meticulous. Still, the brand’s origins, inspirations, and processes seem veiled—it’s as if KUSIKOHC surfaced out of nowhere.
The brand’s loaded dichotomies are a projection of Cho’s own conflicting inner and outer selves. He is conspicuous yet reserved, detached and obsessed. KUSIKOHC—Cho’s phonetic name spelled backwards—is a mirror reflection of the 30-year-old photographer.
That it took the self-taught creative nearly six years of experimentation—“personal practice” as he put it—to launch his first full seasonal collection in SS22 is an indication of what’s to come. KUSIKOHC is Cho’s ultimate artistic medium. “I was first inspired by rebellion and protest, then a sense of ensuing emptiness and futility,” Cho says. He’s briefly back in Seoul between work trips to London and Tokyo, making himself available via Zoom from his Gangnam office at midnight. “Then I wanted to return to the beginning, and express all my fantasies. I want KUSIKOHC to portray this circle of rebellion, futility, and ideology, which repeats itself.”
For Cho, that persistent desire to protest against the world comes from lofty ideals, a standard he says he hasn’t yet reached. Throughout our late-night conversation, he repeatedly points out how dissatisfied he is—he’s always wanted something more, and KUSIKOHC is his answer.
YJ Lee
Cho Gi-Seok
Do you remember the exact moment you decided your brand slogan would be “Right to Fail”?
When I was working at around 26, 27, I was really dissatisfied with society. I think I always wanted to rebel against the world. I wanted to try a lot of new, different things, and I thought even if I failed, it would still mean something. The word “fail” has negative connotations but I resonated with the fact that failing still has meaning.
What did you want to rebel against, and why?
I wasn’t satisfied with the existing fashion brands around me at the time. I thought they could do better. I started working when I was 20, and as years went by brands became more and more commercial. I hated when brands moved away from what used to make them so good. All these business reasons seemed like an excuse. I grew up admiring brands like Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, and Alexander McQueen. They have showmanship and are couture-like. I like how McQueen expressed things through clothing and I think that’s still important.
KUSIKOHC has a rebellious and raw overtone, but I’ve known you for years and you’ve always been a pretty calm and quiet person. Are you projecting all your hidden inner frustration onto your brand?
I’ve been thinking about this recently. I have really high expectations and standards, and I am not easily satisfied. I don’t think my work is still at the level that I want it to be, so you could say that’s what gives me a lot of anger. That’s why I started KUSIKOHC, to be able to purely do what I wanted. It was a reaction against the frustrations and pressure I felt in the outside world, and that’s what makes KUSIKOHC rebellious.
You’re well-known as a photographer, but not many people know about your sculptures or work in set design. Would you take us back to when you were younger, how you started doing creative things?
It’s tough for teenagers in Korea to discover and pursue their dreams. Most people just follow the education system without knowing what they want to do. I was like that too, but it just so happened that I was good at drawing, and I had good grades in art. I applied for a major in visual communications. I wanted to paint, but I heard you would starve to death, so I chose graphic design. I had only known of famous artists like Picasso or Andy Warhol until that point, and college is when I started to discover different kinds of images. I was searching online all the time. Then I realized I wanted to become an art director, and thought set design would help. I did it for fashion editorials and made sculptures, without much expertise, but I like doing things with my hands.
Do you think there’s an advantage or difference for you in running KUSIKOHC without having had a traditional education in fashion design?
I think I’m more specialized in branding and coming up with a certain image than just making clothes. That’s our strength.