Korea's traditional dress isn't as well known overseas as its Japanese and Chinese counterparts.
courtesy kumdanje
Two-piece —
Hanbok for women is generally divided into two pieces, the long-sleeved top (jeogori), and voluminous floor-length skirt (chima). The color pink is usually reserved for young girls or engagement ceremonies.
courtesy kumdanj
Modern takes —
Designers are introducing new elements, such as floral-patterned fabrics, and Western accessories for a contemporary, high fashion take on hanbok.
courtesy kim young ji
Bridal wear —
White hanbok isn't normally worn in Korean society, but designers are reintroducing the concept as modern bridal wear.
courtesy kim young jin
Fashion show —
Yi Seong Hye, Miss Korea in 2011, models Kumdanje's 2013 bridal line. The white hanbok evokes the 1870s, when Western influences came to Korean clothing for the first time and brides modified their hanbok in the Western bridal style, wearing them with veils and lace undertones.
courtesy kumdanj
The couples look —
Korean couples usually have hanbok made for their weddings. These days, many are opting for the royal style of hanbok, shown here.
courtesy kumdanje
Royal touches —
In the past, embroidery was reserved for royal clothing. Even today, most hanbok are devoid of embroidery.
courtesy kumdanje
Armani —
The Italian designer looks right at home in hanbok made by Lee Young Hee, one of South Korea's premier hanbok designers.
courtesy lee young hee
More fans —
Hanbok designer Lee Young Hee (second from left) has many foreign fans, including Hilary Clinton and the Garfunkels (Art's wife and son).
courtesy lee young hee
Prada —
Miuccia Prada reportedly takes inspiration from hanbok, often stopping by Lee Young Hee's shop when visiting Korea.
courtesy lee young hee
Haute couture —
Designer Lee Young Hee showed her East-meets-West haute couture line in Paris in 2012.
courtesy lee young hee
Influences on silhouette —
Hanbok influences are prevalent in Lee's haute couture line.
When in Paris —
Lee Young Hee, whose fashion career began in the 1970s, is one of the most respected designers in South Korea.
courtesy lee young hee
Lee Young Hee Museum —
The designer has a small museum and shop in New York, catering to foreign and Korean-American clients.
courtesy lee young hee
Island wear —
In 2011, Lee Young Hee held a much-publicized fashion show of her modern take on hanbok on Dokdo, the island at the center of a territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan.
courtesy lee young hee
Wind dresses —
While many in Korea are scandalized at Lee Young Hee's "anachronistic" designs of hanbok, the designer continues to push ahead with new takes that evoke the traditional silhouette.