The first time I started designing for a shoe company was in 1997, at which time the IMF was bailing out the Korean economy.

It wasn't easy to get a job because I wasn't a university graduate. However, I was really upset about the severe economic problems.

Having not been paid for three months I started to work evenings in a cocktail bar in Uijeongbu, where I was living with my mum not far from Seoul. So I was working every day until midnight and slept no more than five hours. It was a very hard time working day by day.

Eventually the shoe design company was forced to close, so I had to look for other shoe design companies and ended up doing a string of design jobs in an unstable economy.

Every time I submitted my CV to new companies, I was so embarrassed and aware that I had not lasted long with one company yet.

After surviving for three years of working through such a crisis, I started working as a total accessory designer for a popular clothing brand called OZOC in 2000. This was a Japanese brand in Korea, and I went on business trips to Japan many times, which is how I became very interested in Japan and Japanese culture.

I was a popular accessory designer for three years, and my handbag and shoe designs were in high demand, and I was often interviewed for fashion magazines in Korea at the time.

22 x 23 x 10.7 (D) cm/ 2016

Life drawing on stoneware with ceramic pencil, ceramic transfers, gold, porcelain pens, and wallhanging 3D printed parts on the back.

처음으로 신발 디자이너를 시작 한 건 1997년. 그 당시 한창 IMF가 시작되는 시기였다.

대학 졸업자가 아니 여서 취업도 쉽지 않았는데 IMF라니, 정말 속상했다.

3개월간 급여도 받지 못하고 있어, 회사 일이 끝나는 대로 퇴근해서 2시간을 통근 하여 의정부에 있는 칵테일 바에 가서 밤 12시까지 일을 했다. 정말 고된 하루하루를 보냈다. 결국 회사가 문을 닫아 버려 다른 회사를 알아 봐야 했고, 그렇게 이 회사 저 회사를 넘나 들었었다. 정말이지 이력서를 회사들에 제출 할 때 마다 너무나 곤욕 스럽고 창피했다. 그렇게 그럭저럭 고비를 넘기고 일 한지 제법 3년 이라는 시간이 흘렀을 때 아는 분의 소개로 OZOC 라는 의류 브랜드에서 악세사리 디자이너로 일을 시작하게 되었다. 이 브랜드는 일본의 브랜드로 일본 출장을 수시로 다녔고, 일본에 대한 관심을 무척 갖게 되었다.

3년간 잘 나가는 악세사리 디자이너로 패션 잡지에 내 신발과 핸드백 그리고 나의 인터뷰로 넘처 났다.