Sculptural Knit Fabric: HyunJin Yun talented Korean knitwear designer II. part

Knitted design from Auckland/New Zealand: HyunJin Yun talented Korean knitwear designer student / AUT - II. part

She is an ingenious Korean knitwear designer student who is doing now her last year - MA degree - at Auckland University of Technology. I met her last mounth at " Stretching the limits in knit research" Symposium, which was organized by the AUT - Auckland University of Technology. Next to other interesting and exciting design presentation, I found HjunJin's works really special and captivating.

She is not a simple knitwear designer because she is focusing more on e-knitting design in home design. Through her works she bring us in exciting visual spectacle world so we should keep track of her work in the future too.

Your diploma work/idea is very interesting: You were working with unconventional raw material. What was the basic idea and how it evolved in the shape?

Well I’ve always liked new and innovative materials, and at AUT I could experiment with glow-in-the-dark yarn, metallic and transparent yarn for knitting and digital printing, all of which are really interesting. Then I had an opportunity to collaborate with a senior student from a different department, product designer Kate Ramsay. Kate wanted to  develop a three dimensional knitted fabric to make into lights.

During the process I really enjoyed ideas of developing knitted fabrics for a light product and collaborate with different subject but designing. From this point I would like to create fabrics for making product that contains light source. Then I have opportunity to work with research group called E textiles for dancing costume. My roll was creating fabrics that contains growing in the dark. So I had lot of experiment on light related knitting mediums include mono filament, UV reactive yarn, metallic yarn, retro reflective ribbon and fiber optic. After combing knitting these materials together I found interesting properties that this fabric can be rechargeable and it does not damage to fabric. I then want to make light sculpture with this fabric that I want to show details of knitted structures and simple but

it’s has important interactive with people as well.

(Has studying at AUT influenced your career?)

How much influence are your career that you  are studying at AUT?

 

I think it has a lot! I joined AUT to get better qualified for a textile carrier, but I    didn’t expect the creative opportunities it would open up, and I didn’t expect all the exciting equipment, like the digital printing and 3D whole-garment knitting machine.

The way that my study is structured for assessment has influenced my work. In order to write essays and thesis I have to document everything and be introspective about my methods, then try and communicate the key aspects to my lecturers.  It’s challenging - and most the time I’d rather be making something - but it has helped me find efficient working processes and forced me to try and be insightful, something I really appreciate in hindsight.

Now I’m doing postgrad there is more freedom to choose a direction, but also more pressure to specialise. Fortunately I’m enjoying working with e-knitting, because that’s what I’ve been practicing for 4 years!

What developed and defined your style?

Research, practice, then more research and practice and so on!

What brings you to the real atmosphere of inspiration?

It’s a feeling when I see something I think is really beautiful - in nature, art or other textile designers work - and when I feel I’ve caught a little of that in my own work it’s really encouraging.

As a young designer hinges on the ability to prevail?

What abilities does a young designer need to prevail?

I don’t know! I’m still a student but I’m working on a range to sell and planning a commercial strategy and it’s nerve racking!

What kind of difficulties you've to fight as designer?

My main challenge is to never be complacent, and never stop improving my work. Until the deadline that is, then the challenge is to finish everything in time!

What is the general problem to contend with a NZ designer in order to remain marketable? I don’t have the experience necessary to answer this question with authority. People say that the New Zealand market is small but if your design is unique then you can stand out. I think the emergence of the global market to direct sell via websites - straight from producer to customer - is very, very exciting. However there are still logistical challenges around shipping and currency that technology hasn’t trivialised yet, and I think everyone prefers to experience products first hand, so there are huge innate challenges to online marketing too.

Who is the person who you're the most thankful because you became a designer and that you can do what you love?

I’m very lucky, AUT is a great community of inspiring and generous people. Locally I’ve met a retired professional knitter who gives me amazing ideas and tips, and globally there is a thriving movement of e-textile and knitting blogs, instruct ables and hacker spaces. I’m sincerely grateful for my student allowance. Although it’s not actually enough to live on, in Korea education is mostly user pays, which excludes a huge sector of society from reaching their potential.

What for you is exciting in interior Design now?

e-textiles! especially e-knitting!

What is the message from your design?

To combine the long and illustrious heritage of knitting with the rapidly developing world of user electronics.

Are there any designers, past or present, that you would have liked to work with? 

Diana Ing is truly amazing for her constant innovation and sheer productivity, she’s always perfecting new e-textile products! I get goosebumps from some of Issey Miyake’s work, his aesthetic and style is inspiring.