It’s no secret that the kids wear industry is on the rise. In fact, children’s wear has exceeded the growth in adult apparel in the recent years. So amongst the many emerging designers, it’s always exciting to discover a refreshing brand like MOQUE Official. Luckily, Junior Style London was able to chat with Founders, Hak Bin Ahn & Designer Hyo Jung Ahn. We hope you enjoy the read!
JS: As a newcomer to the kidswear scene, could you tell us a little about your brand – how it started and the philosophy behind Moque?
Hak Bin Ahn (Co-Founder): Moque was founded after having our son Markus. When shopping for kids clothes we felt most of the garments were typical of the same design, colours and fabrics. Our designer and my wife Hyojung came from Korea with a background and work experience in fabric design and as a colorist. Hyojung loves the fun colour combinations with fabrics that bring different silhouettes to her designs. We wanted Moque to be fun and bold but yet be calm enough for everyday wear.
JS: We love the mix of mid-throwback vibes, modern silhouettes, sophisticated cuts, and fantastic bright colors in your SS17 lookbook! Where do you source your inspiration from?
Hyo Jung Ahn: I love the classics styles and my inspiration also comes from vintage designs. I love adding modern silhouettes and colours. All different qualities that I like, I put them on an artist palette plate to create a combination that is Moque.
JS: Is fashion/design a field you studied or were you self-taught?
HA: I studied fashion design in Korea at an all women’s university and in my previous job I was using colours and fabrics.
JS: What is a typical day in the life of a mum/designer/brand creative director?
HA: Taking care of our son Markus in the morning from feeding him to taking him to daycare. Then I get working on the next season ideas and gathering new ideas and concepts. My mood is one of the most important things as the happier I am the more creative and edgy my designs become. As a brand creator it is a very competitive field but just like any field of art and design it comes from within yourself to bring out the true ideas and inner roots showcase your personality. We make our day to day life filled with positive energy to create wonderful results.
JS: As a new brand do you notice a favourable response to particular cuts, styles or colours? Does this play a factor in your next collection?
HA: Yes we notice the more edgy and bold designs have been the most favoured. People like having something unique with colour. A lot also depends on the clientele, such as in the South and West they love more bright colours while NYC likes black and white or dark colours. All this helps us with regards to our next collection as we love feedback and can only grow on feedback.
JS: When designing, do you factor in current trends or do you prefer to create your own?
HA: We create our own as I go with my own instincts of what I love and would love to wear myself.
JS: Does your personal style play into your designs at all? How is it similar to or different from Moque?
HA: Yes and No as it’s playful and colourful. I mix it with both what I love in design from colours that pop on kids which make it fun with the fabrics I use.
JS: What trends do you wish never happened, and which ones would you like to see come back?
HA: I don’t wish any trends to never happen I feel everyone has their own trends and as a designer, they all provide me inspiration to create my own.
JS: How do you think kids of the future will dress, in say, a hundred years?
HA: I feel fashion has cycles. Designs in all fields in the art are a mixture of previous inspirations. In the future kids will dress with a mixture of all cultures from around the world that each individual loves.
Shop the entire Moque collection here.
You can view more of Sylvia Yim’s work for Junior Style here. (Includes our Korean Brand interview series).
Images from the Moque AW17 collection.
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